May 2017 in the Southern Hemisphere

[rob krejzl]

Paul,

Glad I'd got my eye in. I could send you some Bomarea seed - though you might not thank me as it self-seeds rather prolifically. Thanks for the offer of seed, but I'm now reasonably confident about that one.

[vanozzi]

Thanks Rob, PM sent.

Looking forward to the mini daff season.

[Jupiter]

My Galanthus snogerupii are waking up, even earlier than reginae-olgae!

Edit: if you haven't read the page on G. ikariae subsp. snogerupii on the revolution snowdrops page, check it out. It's a nice piece of writing and very thorough examination of the subspecies.
Link here - http://www.revolution-snowdrops.co.uk/galanthus-ikariae-subsp-snogerupii/

[hamparstum]

Hi Paul, I was wondering if it's too  late to sow (inside) hardy Cyclamem. I got some seeds of C.coum ssp caucasicum. Last year I tried with C. hederifolium and C.graecum.  The former now has a set of three small leaves while the latter has dried up but has a fairly large bulblet that looks quite healthy. I don't seem to  understand the dormancy of the latter. They are both placed on a sunny window sill inside. I'm trying to figure out when to send them outside. Whether this cold season already or afterwards in early spring. For the time being they are in individual pots (7cm)watered from below.  I would appreciate suggestions. Thank  you. Arturo

[anita]

Arturo, I know you directed your inquiry to Paul, but I have had some experience in growing cyclamen in the Southern Hemisphere, which I gather you are in. I would sow the seed immediately. I personally tend to soak the seeds in a lukewarm water, with a very tiny drop of dishwashing liquid before sowing. The seeds seem to hydrate and swell within a few hours of this treatment and I then sow... for example I add the water after it's cooled from boiling the kettle for my breakfast cup of coffee and the seeds have swelled by the time I'm ready to garden after lunch. I then sow shallowly and top with small gravel. You should expect germination within a few weeks at this time of year.
Cyclamen coum are well and truly up in my part of the world so the seeds should germinate now. In relation to hederifolium that should be sending up leaves now. I tend to hold back on watering until I can see flower or leaf growth and then keep damp until the leaves start to senesce. I then dry off and water a little once a month - because I live in a very dry summer climate and I learned from bitter experience that I could lose bulbs like cyclamen and crocus to desiccation if I didn't hydrate the potting soil at least once a month.
Best of luck with the seeds... you might be interested in the post on C graecum I just started under grown from seed. http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=15449.0
I was amazed how big C graecum bulbs had grown since planting in late 2015.

[anita]

My Galanthus snogerupii are waking up, even earlier than reginae-olgae!

Edit: if you haven't read the page on G. ikariae subsp. snogerupii on the revolution snowdrops page, check it out. It's a nice piece of writing and very thorough examination of the subspecies.
Link here - http://www.revolution-snowdrops.co.uk/galanthus-ikariae-subsp-snogerupii/

Jamus, thanks for posting that link. Great reading. And maybe a snowdrop I can naturalise?? Afterall  C. hederifolium var crassifolium will grow in the garden, as does Arisaema vulgare.. so there's reason to hope. Interesting that the leaves of snogerupii (what a great name) are greener rather than greyer. I always associate greyer plants with drought tolerance and greener subspecies with higher moisture demands.

[hamparstum]

Anita !
Thank you so  much for popping in! Yes  I'm a southener too ( rara avis... Our summers are cool but bone dry for solid two months. Its raining today and we are setting into the rainy season which will change into snow sometimes during winter. With your advice I won't delay sowing my coum any longer. Thanks for the tips.
My hederifolium has a small bulblet and three green leaves. Its sitting in the sunshine during our short days in the window sill. Would you place it outside to get winter chills? Perhaps protected with mulch, in a semi shaded spot, still in its original pot (7cm)? Thanks in advance.
Arturo

[Jupiter]

Anita that's true. Mine will be flowering in a few days, by next weekend there might be six flowers open. Would you like to come up and see it in person? Snogerupii is one of the few that self seed for me. I had seedlings come up in the path last year. It'll be interesting to see if those will come back after the summer dry. I should have plenty of seed to share if all six flowers produce good capsules like they did last autumn.

[vanozzi]

G'day Arturo, just a little to add to Anitas' reply.From what I understand, cyc germinates best at 15c to 17 c in dark conditions, so best outside exposed to the elements.They will handle your temps without any worries..
Good luck!

[hamparstum]

Hi Paul , thanks, but my temps outside will be much lower now. Not more than max 10ºC. So perhaps I should try them inside dark in a cool room, until germinated. Then they could go to a cool greenhouse ( which I have). Thanks for the wishes.  I hope to post seedling pics in due course of time...
Arturo

[anita]

Hi Paul , thanks, but my temps outside will be much lower now. Not more than max 10ºC. So perhaps I should try them inside dark in a cool room, until germinated. Then they could go to a cool greenhouse ( which I have).
Arturo

Arturo, Don't bother about the dark. If the seed is thoroughly covered it's dark. I leave all my cyclamen pots out under a shady tree to germinate. They get sun at various times of day and still germinate in early autumn regardless. I'd cover the seed shallowly, cover with gravel (the gravel deters moss and helps keep the soil surface from drying out rapidly - I buy 5mm gravel from aqu-arium suppliers as it's thoroughly washed and weed free) and put into your cool greenhouse. If it's not already too cool the seed will germinate in weeks. If not it will germinate next year. I have a pot of repandum planted late 2015 that had only two seedlings germinate last year.. this year another dozen are coming up, likely more in the next few weeks. As Jamus has pointed out they are pretty tough little things!

[hamparstum]

Thanks to everyone, I'm picking up advice. All very useful!
Arturo

[vivienne Condon]

I was wanting some help please I have enclosed a photo of Nerine bowdenii (Merilna) Forrestii ( Forrest Form) 2009 this is on the original label exactly as it was given to me and I would like some history on it please,  I can not find any thing on Google and I would like to know more about its name and where the plant originated from. The flower spikes are approximately 60cm tall. Is it a plant collected by George Forrest or one grown by him or nothing to do with him.  Thank you Viv

[Jupiter]

Lovely Nerine Viv, can't help you as I know nothing about them. Well I'm happy to report that it's properly raining here in Adelaide, finally. We've had a dry autumn after a gentle (relatively) summer which has seen me running around with the hose trying to keep things moist. The last of the leaves are being knocked from the deciduous trees and which is a relief for me, I was getting tired of uncovering little plants in the rock garden buried under a blanket of wet leaves.

[vivienne Condon]

Thank you Jamus, Otto has explained its history to me as I was confused because I thought George Forrest had only collected plants in Asia. But my Nerine is named after a forest, not a person, so that clears that up. We still do not know the name of the forest but at least some of its history has been cleared up for me.