Nerine sarniensis and other Nerines

[Lesley Cox]

Anyone know why my Nerines dont set seeds? I have cross pollinated every flower but they are now dying off

I don't know Mark and it annoys me too. My rather smaller forms - but similar colours - seem to make seeds but they then shrivel and fail to develop, even with careful hand and cross pollination. After all, they are all raised from seed themselves. In Australia, Don Schofield's DO set seed as he's raising many new ones each year with glorious colours and shades.

[SueG]

Mark (and others)
How do you get your nerines to flower, I have a Stephanie who is only just producing a bud now, no where near opening. Is is a function of watering, sunshine, temperature or what?
Any ideas?
Sue

[mark smyth]

once the leaves have gone keep dry but with small watering once a month to stop the roots drying out. They must be in full sun position for any heat to ripen the bulbs. Like Ian does give them one big soak in September. When in full growth a good water once every 10 days or when I remember usually when the pot surface is dry. In the spring they get weekly feeds with tomato fertilizer or sulphate of potash until the leaves die down

[John Forrest]

Make sure you haven't planted them deeply. The rounded top of the bulb needs to be at the soil level with the neck sticking out.

[SueG]

Thanks
Not quite sure what has happened here, planted as you suggest John, and was fed and watered last year while growing, I can only wonder if I was a bit late with the September flood and that's what's held it back.
Thanks for the advice
Sue

[mark smyth]

Sue is your query about late flowers or no flowers? Some of mine are only just producing flowers

[SueG]

Hi Mark
Late flowers - though 10 days ago it would have been about no flowers(!) as the bud only appeared last week end.
Sue

[mark smyth]

Most have now lost their flower stems and not a seed was set. It cant be the temperature as we have been warm.

Here's a late flower belonging to 'Baghdad' - the spelling on the suppliers label

[Paul T]

Mark,

Mine is spelt that way too, so it is presumably the cultivar name, not a mispelling or anything like that.

[John Forrest]

My Nerines appear to have set seed as normally.

1 The common N. bowdenii in a sunny border.

2  Nerine flexuosa alba will only survive in the alpine house but appears to be setting seed also.

3  I bought a potful of Nerine flexuosa alba from a garden centre a few years ago. It had the name on a label, together with a picture. It wasn't until later when other bulbs flowered pink that I took a closer look at the label and found in small print " colours may differ". Probably they were not divisions but grown from seed. I wonder what the likely percentage of whites would be. A lot would also depend on whether the white seed parent had been grown in isolation.  Many of the bulbs were very small and are still to flower but only the one white has appeared. I have separated the white one so I know which are vegetative propagations.

[Maggi Young]

At least your rogue white is a good pink, Jof!

[mark smyth]

Yours definitely look like they have seeds. All my early ones have their flower stems removed now

[Paul T]

flexuosa alba sets seed for me most years, at least to some amount.  I get no seeds from my hybrids unfortunately.  Most of my species types set seed, but not all of them unfortunately.  I think a lot of Nerine species don't like only being one clone, but it obviously doesn't matter to some of them.  That dark pink flexuosa is rather nice.  Definitely worth keeping track of as it is a lovely colour and excellent flower form compared to some nerines, which can be a bit spidery at times..