South African Bulbs 2013

[SJW]

Another Albuca coming into flower - a slightly scrawny-looking Albuca nelsonii.

I know there's more than 100 species but anyone prepared to have a shot at identifying the plant in my previous post? A. setosa? longipes?

[fermi de Sousa]

First flowers (6-07-2013) on Hesperantha humilis from AGS Seedex 2007 - sown 11-06-2007, 1st seedling 6-06-2008!
cheers
fermi

[David Nicholson]

Albuca species ex JCA 15058 from seed sown August 2008 and now a regular flowerer at this time of year.

[johnw]

Is this the proper time to sow Massonia seeds from the seedex?

johnw

[Peter Maguire]

I actually sowed mine today! I was following advice from Darren (Sleep) who gave a talk at our group last year on South African bulbs - his results speak for themselves.
I had been keeping my seeds in the refrigerator over the summer and by the time of his talk last September he thought I was too late, so should keep them in the refrigerator over the winter/spring and so them about.......now.

I hope I got that correct Darren  , I should have taken written notes

[ArnoldT]

A Eucomis with a long lost label.  Flowers in summer.

[Darren]

I actually sowed mine today! I was following advice from Darren (Sleep) who gave a talk at our group last year on South African bulbs - his results speak for themselves.
I had been keeping my seeds in the refrigerator over the summer and by the time of his talk last September he thought I was too late, so should keep them in the refrigerator over the winter/spring and so them about.......now.

I hope I got that correct Darren  , I should have taken written notes

Should work fine Peter.

September would be OK actually, but not if the seed had spent summer in the fridge as most cape bulb seed needs a warm summer prior to first watering and cooler temps triggering germination in autumn.

Personally I store all my (winter growing) bulb seed at room temperature and only sow from late july until late september. Any bulb seed arriving outside this period stays at room temp until the following late summer/autumn. I've currently got a lot of seed purchased from Summerfield and Silverhill last winter which will be sown next month.

Exceptions to this timing are the Amaryllids with fleshy seeds which are sown immediately even if imported from the southern hemisphere in our early summer. The seed often germinates in the post and seedings need to be kept cool and will then stay in growth until the following April when they can be dried off and treated as normal for winter growers.

[johnw]

Wonderful, thanks.  I must have followed Darren's advice as I had the seeds at room temperature with a note to sow in August.

johnw

[Diane Whitehead]

Gladiolus undulatus from Silverhill seeds in 2009.  Sown in May, germinated in July.

Grows outside and flowered for the first time at the beginning of July this year.

So nice to grow something that hasn't lost its label and matches the pictures in the books.

[ashley]

Well grown Diane, a lovely thing

[Rogan]

In flower now: it has to be one of the most beautiful flowers around. I have been growing it for decades and still rank it amongst my most favorite - Babiana pygmaea.

This Lapeirousia spp. duo - L. silenoides and L. oreogena announce the approach of spring - loudly!

I also have a weird and wonderful little Romulea sp. in bloom: R. hantamensis; no picture yet as the ephemeral blooms close up before I can get the camera ready!   

Spring? - we haven't had winter yet! - one of the warmest and driest on record, or so I think?

[Maggi Young]

Great colours in the  Lapeirousia, Rogan - and I quite understand why that Babiana is your favourite - Ian and I both have a real passion for flowers that have that combination of white or cream with a blackcurrant throat - a perfect mix.

[Darren]

Really envious of those Lapeirousia Rogan!

They are absolute swines to grow here. The seed germinates OK but then the seedling bulbs tend towards semi-permanent dormancy. I suspect this is due to our low summer temperatures even under glass. I know some people in the south of England do grow them reasonably well but they have warmer summers and higher light intensity than we get here in the cloudy north-west!

But we have had a hot summer this year so maybe my dormant bulbs might wake up??

[Mark Griffiths]

lovely Lapeirousia, I may give them a go. I think I did try one from seed but they dwindled to nothing. Maybe time for another go!

[jshields]

Gladiolus oppositiflorus salmoneus -- this one is sort of hardy here.  Plant a lot of seedlings bulbs (bloom size) and a few will survive the first winter.  Over the first several years, the survivors will b loom.  Over the long haul they gradually disappear.  This one was lifted and potted before the final disappearance.  I'm rather attached to it now.



Add another point in August's favor!

Jim