South African Bulbs 2016

[Menai]

Lachenalia pusilla seed from PBS sown 2012.

Erle in Anglesey

[Anthony Darby]

Ixia viridiflora from seed sown July 2015. The background is a bromeliad in another pot.

[Robert]

Anthony,

Lovely Ixia viridiflora. 

I have heard a rumor (most likely false) that this species can be short lived. Anyone with an answer?

I tend to keep some South African bulbs in pots (Ixia, Sparaxis, etc.) as they can be weedy seedy, at least for us. Any thoughts on this? I spend much time weeding Sparaxis - and trying to keep some of the better looking ones. They hybridize and seed all over the place.

[johnw]

Does Daubenya seed have any special requirements?  I have sown it on several occasions including a few weeks ago and have not had any sprout.  Usual method. sharp draining mix with pumice added, seeds barely covered then a very light layer of sharp grit.  Temp is around 18c under lights.  Too warm perhaps, though have sown cool in the past?


johnw

[Diane Whitehead]

I've sown it three times, always in February, and kept in the heated portion of my house. (not excessively heated - about 20° in the daytime, lower at night).  The quickest germination was Gordon Summerfield's seed which took about 7 weeks.

[Darren]

I sow Daubenya seed in August, with all my winter growing bulb seed. It is sown around 1cm deep and then kept at ambient temperatures but in a cold greenhouse or frame. It is the fluctuation between warm days and cool nights in September that I find triggers germination. Keeping it at a constant temperature is not advisable, either warm or cool. I also think that shallow sowing is not a good idea, Ian Young has recorded his reasons for this with other bulb genera and I agree with him.

I sowed 3 species from two different sources this August and every seed had germinated by late October.

[johnw]

Thanks all.  I'm never certain whether or not these winter growers want cool, warm or fluctasting temps to germinate.  With winter-growing Rhodophiala I do best sprouting warm under lights, grow them for a year and then sync them with the proper season in the cool ghouse next time round. That way I get bigger bulbs faster and they transition well.  Same for Massonia but with all I can't push this beyond 1 year.


john

[Darren]

John,
I think I'd do the same as you for Rhodophiala as the seed does not seem to tolerate storage well.

I know lots of people who sow Massonia seed in spring, from the winter seed exchanges, and do fine with them. They then stay in growth through their first summer. Like you say - once past the yearling stage they are more demanding of a dry summer rest.

[johnw]

Thanks Darren, good to know I'm on a reasonable path.


I grew a batch of Massonia pustulata seed in 2012 or 2013 and gave one to a friend here in 2015, the rest I sent to the UBC Rare Plant Sale this spring.  Despite my instructions he put the pot outdoors this past spring and it paid no attention to the hot dry summer in the Annapolis Valley (pic 1 shown before).  I'm baffled and not only that he got a flower bud on that now big lusty plant, the few I kept though very much smaller (pic 2) are all showing buds now.


johnw - +11.3c & overcast

[YT]

There are 4 different Polyxena pots that were sown same time, December 2011. They started to bloom in autumn 2014 but the smallest one still have single flower.

[Maggi Young]

Do the white and pink versions breed true from seed Tatsuo?

[YT]

Do the white and pink versions breed true from seed Tatsuo?

Yes, I think so, Maggi. These are species and from Silverhill Seeds. Taller multi-flower white one is P. ensifolia and pink is P. maughanii.

[YT]

Polyxena corymbosa

[ashley]

Lovely plants and beautifully grown Tatsuo

[YT]

Thanks, Ashley. Polyxena is one of the easiest growing SA bulbs here.