South African Bulbs2012

[Michael J Campbell]

Romulea tetragona
Moraea polystachya
Lachenalia bulbifera

Oxalis versicolour, waiting for some sunshine.

[Lesley Cox]

A good start to the new year Michael.

[Michael J Campbell]

Freezia laxa hyb.
Freezia laxa azurea.

[ArnoldT]

Lachenalia bulbifera

[PeterT]

That is an early flowering for R tetragona Michael, is it always so early for you? Seedlings are apearing here but all mature corms died last winter.

[daveyp1970]

That is an early flowering for R tetragona Michael, is it always so early for you? Seedlings are apearing here but all mature corms died last winter.

Peter i have 2 year old plants you could have some,they are from your seed.

[PeterT]

Thanks they would be welcome Dave, I have a few things I must get to you too. Are you going to the Derby group plant sale on 5th Feb at Breadsall?

[Ezeiza]

Peter, Do you remember at which (app.) temperature your plants died?

[PeterT]

They survived winter 2009/10 Alberto, kept  fairly dry, the sand was frozen to 14 inches deep. temperatures here were about -15 degrees centigrade that December.

They did not survive last winter 2010/11 when temperatures here were recorded at -18 centigrade, (and nearby in Derby which is milder -20 C). There was no heat on in this green house and the sides were not fully glazed either winter.

the same goes for Massonias, Polyexenas, Ferrarias,  Solaria, Gladiolus Splendens, Gladiolus tristis (a few cormlets survived), Ixias, Babianas, Freesias,Anomotheca,  most of my Narcissus tazetta forms perished, Crinum moorei, (Dietes -three species died the first winter the fourth in the second), otherwise all these had been ok in the winter of 2009 /10

Some surprising things did survive, including a single cormlet each of two Ixias, one Freesia had a corm survive, one of my two pots of Gladiolus Flanniganii, Cypella, Libertias survived. One of my two pots of Miersia chilensis survived as did a tiny piece of my clump of Nerine gibsonii. There is a long list of oddments which did survive but there is obviously a threshhold around minus 15 C which many bulbs wont go below, no matter what skill is employed.

[Ezeiza]

Thanks, Peter, what a dreadful list of losses, sorry to hear of them.

[PeterT]

Most have been replaced now from my own seeds, swaps and some I bought.
I now have a fully glazed green house and a heater.  I have had a few white fly as a result 

[daveyp1970]

Most have been replaced now from my own seeds, swaps and some I bought.
I now have a fully glazed green house and a heater.  I have had a few white fly as a result 

Peter there are a few i can sort out for you when my stuff goes dormant.I will try to make it to Derby.

[Maggi Young]

Sadly, after the two harsh winters of 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 theyre are a lot of us with lists of plants now the dear departed.
As Peter has found, while some things managed to survive the first blasts, the second hard winter came upon them in a weakened condition and they succumbed.
I'm speaking here of bulbs generally, not purely South African species.

This winter is much milder so far but now we have growth too early, when the frosts may yet be devastating..... there's never a happy medium, is there? 

[Darren]

Most have been replaced now from my own seeds, swaps and some I bought.
I now have a fully glazed green house and a heater.  I have had a few white fly as a result 

Peter - i would not worry about the whitefly too much. I see a few in late autumn each year but never enough to do any damage. I think that if you only close up the greenhouse and heat if necessary (as i do) then temps are too cool for them to be happy. The few minor frosts we have had this winter have only prompted me to close the vents and doors overnight on four or five occasions. I have still to use the heater.

As Maggi says - growth is really advanced this season. I don't think it is purely down to the mild winter because my cape bulbs started into growth much earlier in autumn as well. I think perhaps they went dormant so early in our hot April that they were more than ready to grow again by september, and the cool late summer persuaded them autumn had already arrived! Though not a cape species, or a bulb, Ranunculus asiaticus popped up incredibly early and I already have one plant in flower.

[ArnoldT]

Gladiolus griseus