Growing now in a warm climate (souther Oregon - average highs 95F day, 55F night), im having issues with Bessera elegans (may now be elegantissima) setting seed. Should note this is the purple form of Bessera. Last year when left outside, the flowers were gnarled and many lacked pollen and dormancy was pretty much complete by end of July. All attempted seed pods were aborted.
This year growing inside under lights with temperatures around 75-80F day and 65-70F night, flowers seem normal at large, pollen production seems normal, but seed pods appear to be dropping again as well. When I grew this species coastally, I never had issues setting seed. Anyone have experience of what Bessera prefers for flowering and seed setting?
Thanks!
Colin
Southern Oregon
Zone 8b
Hi Colin,
I live on the east coast in zone 6a(Pennsylvania) and grow the purple form of bessera/elegantissima also. I get seed every year around the end of September. We are in the 90's+ this time of the year with humidity off the scale. I grow mine outside in full sun and water every other night from May to the end of September. I also grow mine in a quick draining potting soil which is about 50/50 potting soil and perlite in a terra cotta pot. At the end of the growing season, mine go into the basement pot and all without water until the next year. This has worked for me so far.
Very interesting. Diana Chapman said she knows of people in the central valley of California that don't have luck with the species due to the heat, but being in humid PA with days in the 90's and nights that likely don't cool off a ton, that says differently for sure.
Did you acquire your bulbs from Telos? I was wondering if since Diana raised the bulbs I got from her in a cooler climate, these may have adapted to cooler conditions and thus don't respond well to heat. Its odd how if left outside my plants were fully dormant by mid July, whereas for other people they don't go dormant until fall. Not sure what it is.
Here is a picture of the only gnarled flower from this year. Only this one flower on the inflorescence though. Last year growing these outside in the heat there were more like this, plus many flowers had barren anthers, no pollen produced at all. Only grew for about two months, fully dormant with leaves withered by middle/end of July. Could this be a symptom of virus, being expressed under stressful and harsh conditions? Years ago when I grew Bessera I never had any issues.
My Bessera bulbs came from Dylan Hannon's collection. I really don't do anything special to mine other than drag the pots out of the basement from their winter dormancy and that is usually the middle of May. I water once a week until I see growth then a little more often after that. I also lightly fertilize every couple of weeks.
I just went out to look at mine and they are just now starting to bloom. We have been under a heat advisory the last few days and today/tomorrow the heat index is going to be 100+ so I'm considering moving them to a cooler spot with some shade but honestly, these can take the heat and sun out this way.
As far as the deformity in your flowers, I'm not really good with diagnosing those things. It could be just a one off thing with yours and maybe next season they will be normal. I grow a lot of other bulbs and every once in a while I get a bloom that is not right but the next season it will be normal.
I grow the purple forms in Southern Kentucky in gritty sand beds and in Anderson mesh bottom flats filled with calcarous sand, pumice, lime tufa and what ever other gritty material i have. They get watered when they are potted or emerge and when it rains and once a week when it is 95- 100F. This year i have had little seed set only a few pods from hand pollination. It is extra hot this summer, days above 95, nights above 85F. And with a little rain it is rediculously humid. I think it is too hot for good seed set.
Hello Colin,
Did I get it right that gnarled flowers have occurred repeatedly? If yes, have you considered a virus infection? How does the foliage look like? Yellow streaks? Also deformed? It is also strange that your plants went into premature dormancy. Have they become accidentally too dry before that happened? If that would be the case it would be a natural reaction but if not it sounds like a disease.
Maybe it would be a good idea to discard a possibility diseased plant before it spreads and start again with healthy material?
But I must add that I have never grown this bulb myself.
Uli
Portugal, mediterranen climate with moderate Atlantic influence