December photos 2022

[Carlos]

Hi, Uli, they are early indeed! This is subsp. Validus, common throughout Portugal.

Carlos

[Arnold]

 
What have you added, over what sort of area? Reflectors/shades?

--I've added two four tube LED fixtures each about 15-18 inches above the plants.  The come on at 7 AM and turn off at 5 PM.  They are suspended from the greenhouse supports.

In reality, approaching natural maximum light levels would be almost impossible - cramming enough lamps in would be impossible. Ignoring the costs.........

--The cost of LED's has been minimal for me here in Northeast USA. I think the up front cost for LEDs is more than other systems but the operating costs are less. The idea was  to add a bit more light energy to the plants.  It's worked out well for the Ferraria's as they have started flowering consistently
 

[Martin Bohnet]

In reality, approaching natural maximum light levels would be almost impossible - cramming enough lamps in would be impossible. Ignoring the costs.........

--The cost of LED's has been minimal for me here in Northeast USA. I think the up front cost for LEDs is more than other systems but the operating costs are less. The idea was  to add a bit more light energy to the plants.  It's worked out well for the Ferraria's as they have started flowering consistently
 

So it seems that the difference of ~40° latitude in NJ to ~33° (Cape Town) can be compensated with LEDs effectively enough. My 48° on the other hand... still the LEDs help a lot keeping things from becoming too leggy.

One thing I can see with my setup is that many Oxalis fail to open up their flowers - this Oxalis tomentosa

IS leggy and needs a friendly direct blowing aid to open at least a bit. I really should learn to resist in the exchanges...

[CG100]

Different coloured/wavelength light produces different effects in plants.

Pretty much all wavelengths can produce growth but light of green-yellow-orange produces most growth per watt. Blue light controls inter-nodal distance and rather little is needed to keep growth compact. Lighting levels only have to be very low for plants to show phto-period effects, such as coming into flower - if memory is correct, red light is most effective.

Not only insolation varies across the globe, although we are considering mostly latitude here, but so does spectral content.

The big players in horticultural lighting systems - most especially Philips - have published masses of information and data.

[Arnold]

Massonia bredasdorpensis  Two year old seedlings.

[Arnold]

Daubenya zeyheri.

This may be an unusual one.  Leaves wit ha central mid leaf white strip.

Had a look at Bothalia Vol. 32.2 from Oct 2022  "Systematics of the genus Daubenya (Hyacinthaceae: Massonieae)  and the descriptions do not  state any    have a   mid leaf white strip.

[Robert_Parks]

So it seems that the difference of ~40° latitude in NJ to ~33° (Cape Town) can be compensated with LEDs effectively enough. My 48° on the other hand... still the LEDs help a lot keeping things from becoming too leggy.

One thing I can see with my setup is that many Oxalis fail to open up their flowers - this Oxalis tomentosa

IS leggy and needs a friendly direct blowing aid to open at least a bit. I really should learn to resist in the exchanges...

Yeah, some of the Oxalis want direct sun to open...low angle late afternoon light doesn't cut it either!

Robert
in chilly (for us) San Francisco.
The only Oxalis open today was atacamensis, which doesn't open and close

[Uli]

Try Oxalis namaquana. Bright yellow even open in rain with me. But do not let it escape from the pot in your climate. I found it near Leliefontein. It formed a mat of shallow soil on rocks in a wet place 
Pictures come later...... it is raining too much.....
Uli 

[Wylie]

I find that my South African bulbs do just fine outside in the rain, and it rains a lot here during the winter, as long as they are in well draining soil. Bagacina, a lava rock product, does well as an additive. Once the sun gets high enough, my oxalis will finally open. There are fields that are full of the dreaded O. pes-caprea that will be opening soon.

One of my hybrids, Gladiolus huttonii x Gladiolus undulatus is in bloom. I caught a photo when the first flower opened, but since then the wind has beat up the other flowers on it. It is in a raised bed with the neighbor's cement block wall in the background.

[Arnold]

Othonna cakilefolia 


Flowers not yet fully developed

[Arnold]

Othonna cakilifolia a bit further along.

[Martin Bohnet]

So it's New Year's Eve, 18°C in southern Germany, and I've got at least one bulb in flower outside: Colchicum szovitsii

'Tivi'.

To demonstrate how unusual this is: Heleborus niger (not unusual) with honey bees, and the last second of a truly remarkable butterfly. I don't think there is a long history of butterflies killed in Germany on December 31st in the open garden by a cat.

[Arnold]

 Lachenalia callista

[Arnold]

Ferraria ferrariola