Strange things that plantspeople do with their plants....

[David Shaw]

Renate, how nice to find someone else who grows Sauromatum. I think it a most 'interesting' plant and even put it on the show bench in Aberdeen - unfortunately it did not flower until two days later. Maybe next year.
I don't find the smell offensive, I think cattle slurry rather than dead horses.

[WimB]

Hi Renate,

is your Sauromatum venosum flowering now? Mine normally flower in Spring. The picture that I have included is a picture of these plants now. They grow outside in the garden in a sandy soil against a south-facing wall and they survive frosts until -10°C. They multiply very quickly too.       

I still remember when I bought mine. It was 10 years ago. I placed it indoors on the windowsill because it is a bulb that flowers without being planted. One morning the flower was open and my mother came in and thought that our neighbours (mostly farmers) had spread manure over their land.
I think I laughed for ten minutes before I could explain that it was the flower and not the neighbours that were smelly.                                           

[David Shaw]

You grow them outside, Wim? I have a few excess bulbs so I might try that with one.
We keep ours in an unheated room over winter and take it into the greenhouse for flowering. The pots then go outside so that we can enjoy the foliage, probably the best bit of the plant. Ours are looking very much like yours do now. I am noticing that the younger the bulb the earlier the leaves come through?

[WimB]

David,

mine do very well outside but they get full sun and are growing against a wall in a sandy soil. They survived our very harsh winter this year although a couple of them (which were very near to the top of the soil) had rotted. The younger bulbs get their leaves first indeed, the older ones flower first and get their leaves after they have flowered so maybe that's the reason, the youngest bulbs need to make the more food for the following years.

[Renate Brinkers]

Hans, you are a bad, bad man - all those poor, poor "Raupen"
I tried babelfish for a translation of "Raupe" - it says Crawler-type vehicle. O.k. we call that a Raupe too but in first line we mean a caterpillar but for that I needed my oldfashioned Dictionary!

[Renate Brinkers]

David,

hmm, cattle slurry could be...
Are you sure people would be pleased if it flowers on a show
I cross my fingers for the next year and then you tell me what happens.

[Renate Brinkers]

Hi Wim,

some day we came back from England, after holidays. Before I puttet three on a window bench. They all flowered as we came back. I opened the door and puuuuh....

As I potted it late this year they start to grow now and I think I will have no floweres this year.

I heard from people who grow them succesful outside here, too and I think I should give it a try.

[Gunilla]

I agree with you Renate, Sauromatum is not a plant I would like to have with me in my car  .  Mine flowered a couple of weeks ago and filled the garden with a strong nasty smell of manure.
Luckily the flower only lasted from morning til afternoon. 
Our little sheltie was attracted to the smell. She likes to roll in smelly things and is very pleased with herself when she finds something really disgusting.   
Lots of flies seemed to like it as well.

[Maggi Young]

David,

hmm, cattle slurry could be...
Are you sure people would be pleased if it flowers on a show
I cross my fingers for the next year and then you tell me what happens.

Renate, if the flower had opened this year at the Aberdeen show we would have sent David, and his plant, outside   That is what we will do next year, also........can't have that stinky thing in the show hall all day.....we are trying to get MORE vistors, not drive those we have away!! 

[Maggi Young]

Gunilla, why is it often the most hairy dogs.... those dogs who are most difficult to wash clean who like to roll in smelly things? 

[Hans J]

Hans, you are a bad, bad man - all those poor, poor "Raupen"
I tried babelfish for a translation of "Raupe" - it says Crawler-type vehicle. O.k. we call that a Raupe too but in first line we mean a caterpillar but for that I needed my oldfashioned Dictionary!

I mean Frostspanner Raupen ...no idea what is the name in english ....

[Maggi Young]

Frostspanner Raupen .......... caterpillars who spin frost -like casings?  That would be chrysalises that look like icy webs, maybe?  No idea.... just trying to work it out!

[David Shaw]

Ian said that he appreciated a different plant for visitors to admire! I'm sure that you wouldn't really have thrown me out, Maggie, would you ?

[Maggi Young]

Oh, yes indeedy! Visitors could have admired it just as well from across the lawn outside!!  
That stink could put people off their soup... and that could never be countenanced!!  

[Hans J]

Maggi ,

after a lot of search .....thats not Frostspanner ....thats Eulen :

Phlogophora meticulosa /Angled Shades