South African Bulbs 2011

[Alex]

No seed I'm afraid, but I didn't think the spots were likely to be virus I have to say - probably fungal?

Cheers,

Alex

[Darren]

Hi Alex,

I really struggle with B pygmaea. Not quite the same symptoms but foliage is often yellow and sickly looking and it rarely flowers. This year it looks much better and the only difference in culture is that I potted it into a much more humus-rich JI compost than usual, with a bit of ericaceous compost in it too. Worth a try?

Gordon Summerfield often says that cape bulbs need a very acid medium but I've found that this is not really necessary for most things - I do wonder if this is one of the exceptions?

[Alex]

Thanks Darren, very useful. I'll try that when I repot.

Cheers,

Alex

[Darren]

The sun shone this weekend and encouraged some more flowers to open.

The first is Geissorhiza corrugata, looking nice enough but nothing like it does in the wild where the light keeps the foliage curled up like springs. It made the show bench at Hexham where it was resoundingly sniffed at by the judges and then decided to shut as it was too cold for it in the hall anyway.

Then G. inaequalis (it says on the label - I have not checked).

Lastly the 'spectacular' Moraea citrina opened very briefly.. my index finger is for scale.

[Ezeiza]

Darren superbly grown plants. The Galaxia is very healthy looking

[Darren]

Thank you Alberto 

I also grow M. galaxia (formerly Galaxia ovata) from this group, which always looks healthy but never flowers (or at least it has never flowered when I have been at home to witness it).

Some little seedlings of versicolor are also doing well - perhaps big enough to flower next year.

You have to be a real enthusiast to grow these as they are so tiny and the flowers are so fleeting!

[Ezeiza]

True, but one thing is to grow them in Southern California or Sydney and another different one in Britain, as said before.

[Darren]

By the way - the Gladiolus 'scullyi' I posted on page 8 of this thread looks now more likely to be G. venustus (based on colour alone). I'll compare it to Goldblatt's key when I get chance but have edited my post to indicate my uncertainty. I have another (much paler) which is more likely to be true scullyi.

[Michael J Campbell]

Geissorhiza aspera

[Hans J]

here a rare plant :

Nothoscordum montevidense

[wooden shoe]

Very nice Michael, very delicate.

I was surprised to see Hesperantha oligantha already flowering in the start of the second growth cycle. It is also delicate and it was difficult to take a picture of it while it moved with every breeze.

[Darren]

Nice to see those two pics next to each other - they clearly illustrate the diagnostic difference between Hesperantha and Geissorhiza flowers - compare the stigma.

[daveyp1970]

Very nice Michael, very delicate.

I was surprised to see Hesperantha oligantha already flowering in the start of the second growth cycle. It is also delicate and it was difficult to take a picture of it while it moved with every breeze.

Rob that is really nice are you growing it outside.

[wooden shoe]

I prefer to grow all bulbs outside but for this one I dare not. I have choosen a kind of 'in between' method. I grow this in a mesh pot like you use in garden ponds. In winter I use a double plastic pot to cover the mesh and I have this in my unhetaed greenhouse. Everytime I have a big freeze I have to move all tender bulbs inside. Not very effective I must admit, but I only have a very small greenhouse. When the temperauture heats up I plant it outside in the biggest plunge bed that I have; my garden. If it's there I can stop caring, no need to water, no chance on funghi and exactly the same chance on slugs. If I get some offsets or seedlings I will test it on hardiness. The seller stated USDA 7, but I doubt it.
I have told to myself several times that I shouldn't get any more tender bulbs but so many times I start again.

[Ezeiza]

How tall is it? How are the leaves?