Hippeastrum 2008

[Paul T]

David,

No, I don't expect you do.    We do them very, very well here though.    Do you get enough sun to set up a covered bed outside or something, with glass overhead to keep it warmer and drier?  Otherwise as Lesley suggests the glasshouse would help.  The other possibility is to find a friend in a warm climate and send the bulbs to them for maturing each year, then returning them for flowering for you.  yes it is cheating, but it would work very effectively I think. 

[Lesley Cox]

But could one be bothered?

[Paul T]

Therein lies the question.  Depends on how much one wants the flowers.  I grow most of my special stuff in pots, but a lot of people would feel they couldn't even be bothered doing that!! 

[David Nicholson]

Mine are in pots under glass, maybe I kept it dry for too long this year. If they (I have two) don't flower next year I will stick them outside in the garden to fend for themselves, or die!

[Lvandelft]

David, the Sprekelia finished flowering some weeks ago and now they will need
a period of at least 10 weeks as warm as possible.
I would put them under the table in the glasshouse and repot them in Sept.-Oct.
We discussed this whole teperature matter last winter in the Narcissus Topic, but I don't know
exactly when.
I hope our Forum Mother can find this discussion when you cannot find it....

[David Nicholson]

Luit, are you saying that it is too late now for them to flower this year? If so I will do as you say. At what time of the year should I start to water them please?

[Maggi Young]

I hope our Forum Mother can find this discussion when you cannot find it....

alas, Luit, I cannot find it at the moment 

AHa! Later.... Luit found the place: Here is the place where we discussed this matter:
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=1195.msg26873#msg26873

[Hans J]

Very interesting advices - thank you Luit !

Do you have maybe also suggestions for Chlidanthus fragrans ? ....a other 'bad' flowering plant .....

[Lvandelft]

I hope our Forum Mother can find this discussion when you cannot find it....

alas, Luit, I cannot find it at the moment 

I remember I discussed this matter with Gerd, maybe he knows when it was?

[Gerdk]

I hope our Forum Mother can find this discussion when you cannot find it....

alas, Luit, I cannot find it at the moment 

I remember I discussed this matter with Gerd, maybe he knows when it was?

Luit,
I remember the discussion, which followed a pic with some of your Narcissus romieuxii (2007?) - but sorry, just as our FM, can't find it at the moment

Gerd

[Lvandelft]

Very interesting advices - thank you Luit !

Do you have maybe also suggestions for Chlidanthus fragrans ? ....a other 'bad' flowering plant .....

Hans, Chlidanthus comes from Peru, where I believe that the resting temps.
will not be decesive.
Here it will be more likely when plants, relatively new in culture and with a high
demand, there was not enough selection made of reliable flowering clones.
The only way could be trying to get new seeds from the original habitats and
then select by taking seeds from the best clones.
This might take many years, but will be the only way.

I remember that we tried to cultivate alpines which were according to literature
almost impossible to grow or propagate.
One of these 'must have' plants was Saponaria x olivana.
According to E. Wocke it was only to grow with the "sandwich" method,
otherwise almost impossible.
Now, after maybe 40 years, you can buy such plants in every Gardencenter.

Maybe I am totally wrong with my opinion.
In that case I did never write these words....

[Lvandelft]

I hope our Forum Mother can find this discussion when you cannot find it....

alas, Luit, I cannot find it at the moment 

I remember I discussed this matter with Gerd, maybe he knows when it was?

Here is the place where we discussed this matter:
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=1195.msg26873#msg26873

I can add that I this year took my bulbs inside just this week, but I think it will
work out the same way.

[Maggi Young]

Luit, many thanks for finding the place 

[Mick McLoughlin]

David,
News on the Spreklia. I went to open the greenhouse this morning and noticed a flower spike on the Spreklia, so don't give up hope yet.

Cheers Mick

[David Nicholson]

Thanks Mick, I gave mine a high potash feed yesterday, good leaf growth but no flowere stem YET!