Albuca shawii hardiness

[Robert G]

I know for many of you Albuca shawii is hardy, but for me I would have to over winter the bulbs inside. Last year I requested some seed from a Canadian seed exchange. I grew them with the many other seeds, then in the autumn accidentally left this pot in my unheated and non insulated garage for the winter. I found the pot a few weeks ago and brought it in under the lights. About a week ago one of the bulbs sprouted and this morning I noticed another.

Granted the pot was relatively dry when forgotten and I know drainage/moisture in the winter kills often here rather than temperature. The garage does offer protection from the wind, but we had many days with -20 to -30C. Trust me the garage is close to what it is outside.  This plant is a good three zones out of its comfort zone. I would have suspected that hardy material here would perish with this treatment. I wondered if the small nature of the material helped. I know certain borderline plants are hardier when immature compared to mature specimens.

Don't get me wrong I am happy and my feelings of guilt have lessened, but is this common? Does anyone else experienced with this species or something similar.

Robert

[Darren]

I suspect it would be perfectly hardy here (absolute min temp about -8C) but I, also, keep it in pots under cover in winter to keep it fairly dry. One thing I will say is that when I have tried to plant it out it has been a magnet for slugs & snails which devastate it as it comes into growth.

[Robert G]

Thank you Darren. I too have slugs so I will be careful. Depending on were I place my pots they often get in them too.

Robert

[Graham Catlow]

I grew it in the open garden here in Edinburgh for a number of years. It was a late riser but did well. I then moved it to a trough and the first harsh Winter in 2010 killed it.

Graham

[Palustris]

It does not survive here outside, but dried off and stored in a cardboard box in a just about frost free shed it has survived even 2 years ago when we were down to -21c. Albuca humilis is  treated the  same way.

[Margaret]

Mine died this winter in London in a pot outside but in a sheltered spot. Happily I had collected seed and so there are lots of babies resting comfortably under fleece in anticipation of this weekend's ground frost.

[Alan_b]

For anyone else as ignorant as me, there is a picture of Albuca shawii down the page here http://www.srgc.org.uk/bulblog/log2005/310805/log.html

[Margaret]

Alan, thank you for finding that good photo. Mine never looked as good. I better look after the babies and keep them dry next winter.

[Maggi Young]

For anyone else as ignorant as me, there is a picture of Albuca shawii down the page here http://www.srgc.org.uk/bulblog/log2005/310805/log.html

Here you go.....
....."Some years ago I was given one bulb of this South African member of the hyacinthaceae to try and see if it would grow in the far north and it is thriving. As long as we keep it completely dry over the winter, introducing water to it in late January, just like we do with the Rhodohypoxis, it has done well. I now have two pots of flowering bulbs and it also produces good fertile seed. As I have a reasonable number now I will try one or two planted out side to see if it can cope with an Aberdeen winter. Provided I choose a site that is not too wet through the winter it may be ok, we have some clumps of Rhodohypoxis that have survived out side for five or six years now. Like Rhodohypoxis it comes form an area of summer rain fall and so it needs plenty of water and feeding during the summer when it is in flower.

[Alan_b]

Thanks, Maggi.

... As I have a reasonable number now I will try one or two planted out side to see if it can cope with an Aberdeen winter. Provided I choose a site that is not too wet through the winter it may be ok...

What happened?  I was very impressed with Ian's account of 'acclimatizing' the gorgeous Erythronium sibiricum to local conditions by propagating from seed over several generations (here http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2012Dec271356608342IRG36December2012.pdf).  Was it possible to achieve hardier examples of Albuca shawii by a similar process?

[Robert G]

Thank you Maggi for that. That confirms my belief that the dryness is what saved them. Still I will not leave them all out there next year. I am probably creating a sand bed this year and in the future I may try a couple bulbs outside there. Although the zone 4 still make me cautious about trying too much outside that is beyond range.

Alan, I am curious about this process you are mentioning I have to read that bulb log. I live in a cold spot, but I am always the optimist.

[Ian Y]

The Albca shawii that I planted out side survived for a few years before succumbing to our winter weather conditions.
There is no doubt it was the cold and wet of the winter that did for them.
By raising successive generations from seed collected in your own garden you will gradually select individuals that are more tolerant of your conditions.