PBS Forum

Interesting how different the media recommendations are for these plants. I guess I could use just about anything so long as I have good drainage... sounds familiar.

This is from Archie;

Now to the plants grown in pots. Remember I said that I am about to donate
seeds. They are easy from seed and very tough. I plant them in either pure
sand or a blend that has at least 50% sand, pumice, and my new favorite
minor elements decomposed granite and 3/8" granite. The decomposed granite
in small quantities holds moisture better than sand, but can hold too much
in large quantities. Pumice should not be more that 30%. They can tolerate
some organic matter and some regular dirt or compost in that mix, but I
generally haven't included any.

This from the Cactus and Succulent Review

I use a simple 50/50 mix of John Innes
No. 2 and grit – so very much the same kind of thing you may use for growing cacti.

Thanks for posting this, I had just stumbled upon this genus.

If by chance you are looking to read this, you will be sent to the latest edition, which I read through 3x looking for the Gethyllis article.
You will need to go to the back issues tab.



FYI - Its Issue 36 March 2023

Wow, what a great response!!!

I also live in CA, in Santa Cruz Co,

I dont have a plunge bed or garden for that purpose, my spouse gets almost all the in-ground growing area of our small lot. 

I might have access to some deep tree pots.

thanks again Archie.

Peter

I am very excited to have received a few Gethyllis bulbs in the exchange and was reading about growing them in a deep pot with very sandy soil.

Very Sandy? Course I would imagine, add some compost as well? ratios?

G. ciliaris longituba and maybe linearis.

Peter

Hi Brenna,

I am from Aptos, and I might be interested in some seeds. I have a permit but I dont know how long it lasts.

Peter

I've had a thing for these since trying to force them for a nursery almost 40yrs ago.

This clump was at least 10 yrs old and had never done a thing. We were redoing a spot in our landscape a month ago so I dug it up and sat it aside trying to decide with to do with it.

Two weeks later, still bare-root on a bench, there were signs of flower buds.

Currently sitting in a pot without any media, in the greenhouse it's saying, how do I look now!

(Don't mind the mess, the inverted tub covers my solar battery, the bin is sifted pumice and the the buckets are fertilizer concentrates that I dilute as needed.)

Yikes, mine are really dry. I will give them some water today and hope for the best.

Peter

Quote from: Uli on August 23, 2023, 03:07:23 PMRegardless if potted up or not, all seedlings which start into new growth get their first dose of a balanced fertilizer low in nitrogen.

Uli

Thanks, this leads me to my second question: Waking up. 

Triggers (horses of course), cooling temperatures, shorting days and rain fall correct?

Do you encourage this by watering them in the fall (its now almost September)? I am moving them outside from the protected dry area in my greenhouse but our "Indian summer" in CA is really just getting started.

I did some searching on the site but didn't find what I was looking for.

Last season I received an envelope "all the rest" full of seed packets.

Being enthusiastic I sowed almost all of them.

Most are dormant and many are winter growers so the season might be starting soon and I want to know if I should transplant some and send others to the bulb exchange.

I recall reading that its best to let them go another year.

Suggestions?

Picked up this little cutie at Peacock Horticultural Nursery in Sebastopol. The pattern is variable but present in both plants. Tubers I think..

Hi All, 
thanks for the comments and suggestions. 

I don't like gardening in the ground, it hurts my busted up back and my career has been teaching how to grow greenhouse and landscape plants in containers (and food in water).

I am also looking for a way to add beauty to the landscape and avoid having to move plants around every season.

Maybe I am naive that I can grow winter bulbs in place and have them go dormant while still being attractive.
I may add a removal top (cold frame style) and a shelf above it so I have have some other plants looking nice during the summer.

I am not worried about the weight of a free standing box. I have lots of 1 -1/2" square tubing and decent welding skills to build a raised bed. (Painted with rust encapsulating paint.) 

I still have to run this past the boss though the backyard is sort of mine.   
I have built a backyard aquaponics system, a 9x12' greenhouse out of square tubing and double walled acrylic, wicking beds for veggies among other enhancements.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I will continue my planning with the goal of having a beautiful area where I can place summer dormant bulbs (and maybe a few alpines) without having to worry about having to move them around seasonally.

I will not have any issue with weight, I have lots of 1-1/2" square steel tubing laying around to build the subfloor and legs. It might rust but not in my lifetime and its easy enough to apply rust encapsulator and weld-thru primer prior to welding it together.

I also have a fair amount of cedar siding that is left over from our recent home repair of the 60 year old south wall.

I can keep the area dry overhead though we don't get much rain here during the summer or into our hot fall season.

I wonder how my sifted pumice would work? I usually sift out the "sand" stuff and toss it, keeping the other 3 sizes sorted for various seeding or planting.

I will also need prior approval from my spouse, we have limited area and I am always encroaching on her horticultural interests 

I have been looking for a great way to keep my growing collection in a single space to have good sunlight in the winter/early spring and hot but protected summer temperatures.

Have read a few of you have these sorts of beds and having seen the beautiful Alpine beds at the Royal BG Edinburgh and Wisley I think this might be an option.

I have come across some 2x12 fir boards that I can use to make some nice raised beds (waist height for viewing and I don't bend very well anymore). I know they will rot reasonably quickly so I think I will want to add a liner.

I have built several aquaponic systems and ponds so I know how to make them water proof but I am now thinking about drainage.

I'll need lots of holes, and bulkhead fittings are a bit expensive, so I think maybe creating a series of sloped areas like a shower base might direct the water out quickly. Maybe use some of the tile set material under the liner.

Water does not move well from sand to gravel so that is not really a good option, and I have never used sand in a pond so I am not sure how to keep it in the base without it falling or clogging.

I can make it pretty deep so maybe the sand to gravel and perch layer will not be an issue.

Any suggestions or comments?

Peter

Thats it thanks!

not a geophyte right?

Peter

Quite tall, 4-6' maybe, clumping, may be a bit of a spreader.

Beautiful foliage for sure.

Fits into the tropical theme of the landscape.

Seed pods if anyone is interested.