I started some Briggsia muscicola seed in January 2007, and got them to germinate, but they grew very weakly, and all but one died. In November, I placed the lone survivor in a clear plastic bag, sealed it, and put it under my fluorescent lights in the basement. It likes it ! It has tripled in size. Does anyone have a few seeds that they can spare? I would like to grow some pollen partners for this one (now that I am an "expert"), and collect some seeds for the exchange.
Edit: I sowed some more Briggsia seedlings and transplanted them into 2.25" pots. I grew them on under lights with plastic covers over the plants, to keep them moist. They really like the humidity.
I sowed some Tecophilea in October 2006. They got three weeks of 15-20C, then two months of 5C. They germinated in mid-January 2007. I grew them under lights at 15C for about three months, then they went dormant and I let the mix dry out. As the temperatures dropped in late November 2007, I noticed that they were emerging, so I placed them under lights again. They are very happy. No plastic bag required. This is intriguing, since it's the same behavior that I have seen in Leucocoryne, another Chilean native. If my babies want to grow in midwinter, who am I to say no?
For potting mix, see
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=71.0Here is my latest theory about growing bulbous plants: they do better in deep, oversized pots. I've been growing lily species for ages, and I think what happens is this: they make heavy root growth, depending on how much room there is in the pot. When they go dormant, the food reserves in the roots get transferred to the bulb. Big roots make fast bulb development. Here is a photo of some one-year-old Lilium species seedlings in 2.5 liter square pots.
There may be other factors in play. A big pot of soil has a more stable temperature and moisture than a small pot. As Ian points out, these pots are "self-plunging", since they pack so closely together. If the bulbs want to relocate deeper into the mix, they can do so. I had a pot full of Gloriosa lilies whose rhizomes went right to the bottom of a five-gallon pot this last Summer. Another cool thing about a big pot is that you can stop watering and feeding them long before they go dormant. They will have deep reserves to draw from. Ten or twelve small plants can live for a month or more without watering. You can let the mix dry all the way down to the bulb level, while the plants are still in active growth. They really seem to like it. Don't ask me why; I am not a plant psychiatrist. I am just reporting my observations. I start the seeds in a 4 inch square pot. When the roots are developed enough to hold the potting mix together, I transplant the whole thing intact into a 2.6 liter square pot.
Nothing like a little controversy to warm up a gardening forum in midwinter...
