Haemanthus, Massonia & Daubenya seed?

[heinz tessner]

Hello everybody,
I am looking for seeds (actually bulbs would also be welcom  ) as written above.
My main interest of Haemanthus is on the ones with habitus like Massonia.
Anybody know a source? 

regards from Germany
Heinz

[Lesley Cox]

Hello Heinz - I'm not sure what he has in this line but you may like to contact Dawie Human in Africa, who has a very long list of African plants as live material and as seeds. If he can't help, he'll surely know who could. His address is djhuman@mweb.co.za (Is that Zanzibar?)

There's also a seed firm in South Africa called Silverhill Seeds but I have no address for them. Try Googling maybe?

[Anthony Darby]

I think he lives in the Orange Free State in South Africa?

[heinz tessner]

@ Lesley and adarby
.co.za is (as adarby wrote) South Africa , in Africaans (I think) Zuid Afrika. Like in the Netherlands. If I am right it comes from the Buren in South Africa. "Buren" means (like our slang speak hear, Platt-Deutsch) farmer.

Also of course thanks for this address. I know silverhill, but have had no success with the seeds (tried every Massonia and daubenya, without germination). Of course my fault.

If you like to take a look, I post some pics of my small Massonia collection here
http://picasaweb.google.de/shimaha/Massonia
it ist the onlinewebalbum from google.
AS you can see, some small plants which MUST have some more sisters

Sorry fro my bad english, but I try not to make too much mistakes

best wishes from Germany

Heinz

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Heinz
Whenever I've got Amaryllid seed from Silverhill they arrive having already germinated in the packet! Especially things like Haemanthus. They had a service where they would notify you by e-mail as soon as the seed was ready to sow and that might give you better results. Try them again.
I'm still waiting for my seedlings to flower but that may be a few years yet!
cheers
fermi

[Anthony Darby]

Hi Fermi. Brilliant to see your smiling face on the Aberdeen report. Sorry I was unable to see you in person. I have some Haemanthus seeds germinating. Maybe you or Hans J. could tell me how best to grow them on and how long it will take for them to flower. Should I separate them or leave it until they need potted on?

Cheers

Anthony.

[Hans J]

( I have some Haemanthus seeds germinating. Maybe you or Hans J. could tell me how best to grow them on and how long it will take for them to flower. Should I separate them or leave it until they need potted on? )

Hi Anthony ,

You should let them in the sowing pot for the first year - I'm not able to say you how long it need from germination to flowering -but I think there is a minimum of 5 -8 years ( depending which species ) Some needs more than 15 years .....sorry

Greetings
Hans

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Anthony
I'd agree with Hans and say keep them in the same pot for at least 1 year; I tend to sow the seed into a 5" pot and let them bulk up for a couple of years then tease them apart (they have thick roots so it's not difficult to separate them) and either pot them up individually or in small groups in a large pot. I know some of the growers who sow a large number use those large foam boxes from the green-grocers ( like the fish troughs, but with ample drainage!) using a free draining potting mix. Feeding witha "tomato fertilizer" would probably help during the growing season. I think one problem you may have is that the growing season is usually the winter when you may find the ground may be a bit too cold to activate the slow-release-type fertilizers.
cheers
fermi

[Maggi Young]

(like the fish troughs, but with ample drainage!)

I'm a bit concerned that anyone should think the fish box troughs do NOT have ample drainage......it is, of course, VITAL to have appropriate drainage holes in the base of any trough... unless you're making a small pond, that is!!

[Hans J]

....I think one problem you may have is that the growing season is usually the winter when you may find the ground

Hi Fermi and Anthony ,

Here I have listet  the growing times of Haemanthus :
evergreen ( summergrowing ) :albiflos ,deformis ,pauculifolius ;
wintergrowing :amarylloides and ssp.,barkerae, canaliculatus, coccineus , crispus, dasyphyllus ,graniticus ,lanceifolius ,namaquesis ,norteri ,pubescens and ssp.,pumilio ,sanguineus ,tristis ,unifoliatus ;
summergrowing :avasmontanus ,carneus ,humilis and ssp. ,montanus ;

Greetings
Hans

[David Nicholson]

Those interested in Haemanthus may find this of use:-

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Learning/publications/plantsman/1205/Haemanthus.pdf

[Carlo]

David,

Thank you, thank you for the Haemanthus article. I know of the great value of the Plantsman (but can't afford to subscribe to EVERYTHING...).

To bring it back to the plants, how does everyone feel about forcing dormancy in these genera. Under my lights, they continue to grow, albeit slowly, and show little sign over the season that they have any interest in bed-rest. My inclination (perhaps naive) is to keep them going as long as they appear to want to grow. Comments?

[Hans J]

To bring it back to the plants, how does everyone feel about forcing dormancy in these genera. Under my lights, they continue to grow, albeit slowly, and show little sign over the season that they have any interest in bed-rest. My inclination (perhaps naive) is to keep them going as long as they appear to want to grow. Comments?

Carlo ,

In this article is written H. carneus as wintergrowing -but in my collection  look seedlings  of this species more like a summergrower - so I have asked some friends from Africa ..and they agree with me .

Greetings
Hans

[heinz tessner]

@all
seems it took quit long to get Haemanthus from seed to flowering size.
Shall I better try to get some bulbs to start with? I think so.

regards from Germany

Heinz

[Hans J]

Hi Heinz ,

Yes it's would be better to get adult plants .....but it is more or less impossible !
In Germany is not one nusery who sells this plants -in England sells it eralier Monocut ....but it is now closed .
Sometime you get H. albiflos ......
I have written to many german botanical gardens for this plants ....nothing !
You can buy it in Africa ....but think on changing hemispheres .
For me is still the best way with sowing....

Greetings
Hans