Scilla peruviana

[johnralphcarpenter]

I have just dug up some Scilla peruviana bulbs from a border where they were getting crowded out by other plants. I want to grow them in pots. Can anyone give me any tips as to succesful pot cultivation of this species? Growing medium, watering regime, overwintering etc etc?

[Ezeiza]

Roots are perennial and the clump is not easy to break apart, a knife must be used. The bulbs are dormant in summer. It inhabits damp pastures in the wild therefore one of the few bulbs that would stand watering given to nearby plants during dormancy. We grow several froms in plastic buckets 30 cm. in diameter and 40 cm. tall. Under such conditions they make offsets quite rapidly; when they are too crowded they must be divided and repotted otherwise the loss of the whole clump is to be expected. We use a mix of commercial compost, coarse perlite and granite grit in equal parts by volume. No need to repot until bulbs are crammed in the bucket. Additonal fertilization with potassium sulphate and tomato formula, foliar. No pests or diseases. Viruses of course are the worst thing to happen.

[arillady]

These bulbs have colonised many older cemeteries. Many of these cemeteries are in very dry areas in South Australia. Colonising my back yard too.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Alberto, Pat, many thanks. So, damp meadows and dry graveyards eh? So not fussy! If I pot them in a gritty compost (my usual 50/50 John Innes No 2 and sharp grit) and leave them outside in a sunny position year round they should cope with our English weather I suppose.

[Ezeiza]

Under conditions Pat mentions they must lose their perennial roots. But, remember it is one of the lowland Mediterranean species, nothing like bifolia or sibirica. It will not thrive under alpine conditions.