Orange Bulbs

Jim McKenney jimmckenney@starpower.net
Wed, 17 Mar 2004 06:58:15 PST
Alberto wrote:

>When planted in exposed positions the foliage turns a sickly looking shade
of >apple green and do not flower. 


Yes!!! That's what happened here. They grew like weeds, had foliage over
three feet high and lots of it, but had a peculiar green color. I thought I
had goofed up with the fertilizer. 

However, these plants were in pots, big pots. I doubt if they were ever
exposed to temperatures below 65 degrees F, and in fact they grew freely
during our sauna summer. By the time the plants were mature, they were
getting temperatures over 85 degrees F probably 24/7 for weeks on end. 

At the end of the summer I dug them and almost threw them away. I relented,
and the corms (big! ones) were stored dry in a plastic bag during the
winter. They are in complete agreement with you about being winter growers:
although stored dry, they are nevertheless sprouting and the new growth has
successfully punctured the plastic bags.

Are these edible? I should be able to get something good out of this!

Jim McKenney
jimmckenney@starpower.net
Montgomery County, Maryland, zone 7, where I'm still on St. Patrick's time
and am tempted to give some of the Chasmanthe corms to a gullible gardening
friend, telling them they are a new super Crocus on steroids: that's what
the corms look like to me. 









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