Thanks, Alberto, for this second email about the Peruvian lomas. After I read your prior email (reproduced further below), I was very puzzled because the winter-growing variant grows so well and thrives here in Southern California under our typical climate conditions. In fact, I grow it with my South African Cape bulbs and Chilean bulbs and use a similar, well-draining mix. June, July, and August would correspond to December, January, and February in the northern hemisphere, which is the main rainy season in California in "normal" winters (which we're not having this winter--it has been very dry and unusually warm unlike all the rest of the USA). And of course it is otherwise very dry here most of the time, even in the winter during the dry periods between winter storms. What I have found is different about the winter-growing Paramongaia compared to the Cape bulbs and the Chilean bulbs is that even though the foliage thrives in cool winter temperatures like the others, it can't stand 0°C air temperature if exposed to the sky, even a little bit. But it has no problem whatsoever with even +0.5°C. --Lee Poulsen Pasadena, California, USA - USDA Zone 10a Latitude 34°N, Altitude 1150 ft/350 m On Jan 30, 2014, at 4:13 PM, Alberto <ezeizabotgard@hotmail.com> wrote: > Not from the lomas but from Andean west facing slopes in a very hot habitat. Not alpines. Temperatures more for a Hippeastrum than for a Meconopsis. People that have been there during the flowering season report the tremendous heat. Incidentally the plants grow in exposed spots in full sun, as mentioned. > > In the lomas the first part of winter is dry and the growing/rainy season is very short: June, July, August, (southern emisphere), perhaps September. More (normal to us) rainy seasons have reported as having a very adverse effect on seed production therefore the lomas bulbs must be grown very dry more like a cactus. > > For dry semidesertic plants ventilation (forced, that is) is most important. > > Peter, you are one of the top experts of the world in the field of bulbs. I have often wondered why people do not use a systemic insecticide drench on those growing bulbs susceptible to the fly attack. It seems impossible that a grub could feed on poisoned tissue. > On Jan 30, 2014, at 2:34 PM, Alberto <ezeizabotgard@hotmail.com> wrote: > > Peter, any occasional heavy rainfall would be lost in the scree slopes it grows in. The pattern is a long dry winter, late spring rainfall till the beginning of fall then drought again. > > It seems there is a winter growing /summer dormant Paramogaia in cultivation in the US as well and I have seen it at the fabulous collection of the UC Irvine Arboretum in flower at late winter. This is intriguing as there is not in Peru any area with winter rainfall. > > Given how impressive the plant is it is comparatively easy to grow of course following basic guidelines and drainage is a must. It makes big bulbs and offset regularly. > > >