PBS Forum

Hello Piotr,

This is a most interesting thread! 
Stagonospora is not really my problem with Amaryllids. The most annoying pest I have here in Portugal is Narcissus fly. I have never seen them but I find the empty, rotting bulbs. Some genera seem to be less affected, like Amaryllids belladonna and Nerine but Hippeastrum, Zephyranthes and Habranthus, Sternbergia and the larger Narcissus themselves are affected to the point of disappearing entirely. Growing in shade does not help. 
The second pest are voles. I have to grow valuable bulbs in pots. Hippeastrum and Iridaceae like species gladiolus, Ixia, Babiana are particularly vulnerable. And Lilium, of course.

Chileflora is notorious for their bad or non existing communication with customers, there were rumors that they had closed down but it is good to know that they are still there. I have grown some very good plants like Alstroemerias from their seed. The quality of their seed has always been very good.

If you are just starting to grow bulbs from seed: are you familiar with the WIKI? Here is a link to a very good article https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/files/00_others/McGary_bulbs_from_seed.pdf
I have also written one for the Bulb Garden which I can let you have. (Need your email address) I can only recommend to raise bulbs from seed, it is so rewarding. Nothing more exciting than the first flower from a batch of your own seedlings.
If you read several articles on this subject you will see that many ways lead to success which means that you will eventually find your own best way, this applies to the seed substrate as well. And then it is worthwhile sharing your experience because there is always something new to discover for others.

Bye for now 

Uli 

Hello again, Piotr,

I could maybe try planting some, but from what I read, most people observed that when they planted seeds with roots which did not have any leaves yet, they all died.

Have you tried that Uli?

Yes, I normally do not wait until I get a leaflet on floating seed. I keep thinking that the seed would use up all its stored energy germinating in water which does not contain any nutrients whereas in suitable substrate there would be nutrients available. I have lost some seedlings in the process of transplanting but this may have other causes like sciaridae flies for example. They are much more aggressive here in Portugal than they used to be in my former greenhouse in Germany. 
Another thing: I now think that there is a myth about papery Amaryllid seed being short lived. It is the fleshy green round type of Amaryllid which cannot be stored. The papery black seed can certainly be stored in appropriate conditions for several months without losing viability. If you consider the natural habitat and climate where most of papery seed bearing Amaryllid species come from, their seed must be able to survive the dry season following seed set. Fleshy seed bearers flower before the autumn rain starts and their fast ripening seed falls to the ground with the onset of winter rain, at least more or less. 
I am writing this because water flotation is not mandatory for papery seed. I only use it for seed which was stored for longer than might be good. If your seed puts out roots within days of floating this means two things: firstly the quality is very good (may I ask if it is from Chileflora?) and secondly it is from a desert plant which has to hurry to get a plantlet big enough before the moisture from the rain is gone for a possibly long time. Seed of desert bulbs must be able to survive for longer by the nature of its habitat.
If I have fresh seed from my own plants I sow directly in substrate and cover with a thin layer of white sand to deter my sciaridae. Excellent results.
I took the attached picture this morning. It shows seedlings of different ages, all planted after root formation but not leafing with the water flotation method. All of this seed was stored for more than 8 months at least prior to floating. The longest time from floating to root forming was in Cyrtanthus montanus with up to two weeks. 
The next candidate for flotation is seed of Pamianthe peruviana which was given to me but I do not know how old it is.
Uli 

Hello Piotr,

Welcome to the forum, you have posted at the right spot.
Your pictures are very good and explain the problem very well. However, I have no idea what happens to your seed. The roots look healthy, even the detached ones. The only cause for this I can think of it mechanical. Can you exclude that a pet, a bird or a child is attracted to the floating seed and manipulating it in some way?
Another thing springs to mind. You write that the seed is from Chile, so you have to consider a hemisphere swap. Did you sow/float all the seed? A spring sowing might work in the UK with a long spring and relatively cool summer but you might have better results with an autumn sowing as Rhodophiala is winter growing. The seed should maintain viability if stored in a fridge.
I also think that you can plant all those seeds which have a root. No need to wait for the first leaf. That may navigate round the dropping root problem. 
Hope that helps,

Uli 

Hello Wun-Ho,

If it is Chlorophytum it will show typical growth if allowed to grow older and bigger, like plantlets forming on the inflorescences. If you want to wait before disturbing it this will not take long but you could also dig it up and the roots will help identification as well.
Chlorophytum is a fairly weedy plant in my Portuguese garden and I am weeding it in most places because it spreads into smaller plants and overwhelms them after a short period. It might still be something else than Chlorophytum but I would carefully watch it.

Uli 

Chlorophytum?

Very delicate color! I like the blue anthers. Is it a photographic effect or do the petals have a slight blue sheen?

Hello Arnold,

Are you sure about the name? To me it looks like Freesia laxa red form. 

Hello Peter,

Probably all of us do not want to introduce a new weed to our garden or the landscape. 

This can always happen as an accident but most of it can be avoided by careful observation of new plants and quick, consequent action in case of doubt. If lots of unwanted seedlings appear, they can still be removed before they flower or when they flower, before seeding themselves again. Careful disposal is important in that case. Or if a rhizomatous plant wants to turn up everywhere. This has happened to me with an unnamed Tradescantia and with Ruellia simplex or some varieties of mint.
I have a large Oxalis collection which contains some species with weedy potential. All Oxalis are pot grown and only released into the open garden after several years of observation. Especially those which produce hundreds of papery mini bulbils around the stem base are dangerous and I remove the entire stem before it is fully dormant and will be shedding the bulbili.
The tricky thing is that in one garden a plant may be difficult to grow and needs pampering and in another setting or climate the same plant may be a weed. 
The orange flower is Moraea ochroleuca which is well behaved and slow to increase indeed with me, see what I mean? 
The beautiful Corydalis nobilis was impossible to maintain in my former garden in Germany but is a dreaded weed in Sweden. I could not talk my Swedish friends into digging up some of their weed for my garden......
I would not let my pleasure spoil by worrying too much about weedy potential, it is unpredictable anyway but avoid the ones which are already known.

Uli 

The purple flower is a Romulea but I would not be able to identify the species. If you look at the Wiki you will see how many Romulea there are and how difficult they are to distinguish.

The white flowers is a Freesia, same problem.... No idea which species this is 

Bye for now 

Uli 

Hello Emil,

Many Oxalis species produce the fleshy root your picture shows. But I do not think that this is a storage organ. The fleshy root only exists on actively growing plants but once they are dormant, no more trace of the fleshy bit. I do not really have an explanation why the plants do that, my guess is that it is a contractile structure which widens the soil around the underground shoot so that the future dormant bulbs can easily descend down the gallery created this way. To me it looks as if the underground shoot has been detached from the fleshy structure.
I had to learn the hard way that pulled up Oxalis pes caprae is quite capable of forming small emergency bulbils from its own substance before it dies. So no longer will it go to the compost place. Before I understood that I contaminated an entire compost with this weed....

Uli

Dear members living in the EU,
The first round of the Pacific Bulb Society EU spring exchange will be closing in a few hours, tonight at 24:00 Central European Time.
The donation time window remains open until further notice, there will be a second round in April, you will be notified through the same channels.
Bye for now
Uli

Dear All,
Here are some comments on my donation for the EU spring seed exchange:
Albuca pulchra: a tall summer growing and winter dormant species with greenish yellow Eremurus like flowers. Each flower has a long protruding green  bract, in bud the inflorescence looks like a long green paintbrush which wants to be stroked all the time.... The mature bulbs are very big, about the size of a grapefruit and take several years to get there from seed. Winter dormancy must be dry and frost free, best in full sun in a very large and heavy pot to prevent falling over. Albuca pulchra does not seem to be in cultivation. It is one of my favourite bulbs and I am very grateful to Monica Swartz who sent me these seeds some time ago together with other treasures. Seed set is abundant and germination straightforward at this time of the year.

Albuca nelsonii is a different story: It is an evergreen bulb and the white fragrant flowers form a tall scape well above the leaves. It makes a beautiful pot plant and can become quite big with many inflorescences. For frost free climates this is an excellent ground cover plant for dryish shade, but give it enough headroom for the flowers. It will tolerate full sun as a pot plant in northern gardens but is happier in dappled shade, especially in the south. Seed germinates easily and the young plants grow fast. They benefit from regular fertilizing. A good beginner's plant.

Clivia nobilis: very fresh seed, the fruits were harvested from the plant to be packed for Martin. Sow immediately, remove the red skin before sowing. Hanging orange flowers.

Cyrtanthus montanus and Hippeastrum evansiae. Seed of both species is from summer 2022. I have sown some seed for myself and got near 100% germination with the water floatation method. This means that the seed is placed on the surface of ordinary tap water in a suitable container. It will float until a rootlet or even a leaflet will appear. Keep the recipient with the floating seed warm and give filtered light. Watch for mildew or rot. Sinking seed is normally not viable. Once a rootlet appears plant into suitable seedling compost. Personally I do not wait for a leaflet to form in water but this will happen. But then it needs planting immediately because otherwise the reserves of the seed will be used up entirely as the water does not contain any nutrients.

Dahlia excelsa: Those of you who want to try this spectacular Dahlia ned to know that it is winter growing and winter flowering, it belongs to the so called tree Dahlias. It is less suitable for a frosty climate. Normally the first frost will destroy the top growth before it flowers. But it will still make a beautiful foliage plant and the massive tuber will survive a not too cold winter in a sheltered place in the garden with a very thick mulch which should be removed in spring. Slugs and snails may devour the upcoming new shoots. The plant has no dormant period and the tuber should not be stored dry like ordinary garden Dahlias. Dahlia excelsa and its similar looking sibling D. imperialis come from moist and temperate Mexican montane forests. In the right setting, protected from strong winds both are spectacular specimen, flowering around Christmas. The seed germinates best in COOL conditions and not in a propagator. The seed is very fresh and should give excellent results.

Phalocallis coelestis: not often enough seen.... An easy plant about 1m tall in flower with pleated leaves. No dormant period, so it wants to be kept moist year round. Very attractive plant for a large pot, it will produce its large Tigridia like blue flowers for a long time in summer. The individual flower is short lived but there will be new ones. Easy and straightforward from seed, may not flower the first year but for sure the next one from seed. Never let it dry out.

Oxalis triangularis: These funny looking rhizomes will produce dark purple leaves and pinkish white flowers in summer. It has a short winter dormancy. Unfortunately I forgot these rhizomes in a corner before posting them to Martin, so they went a little soft. I recommend soaking them in lukewarm water overnight (but not longer than that) before planting. In full sun the leaves are very dark. It is an attractive pot plant in its own right but also a good soil cover in large containers, that is how I use it. It is not invasive but in my former German garden I noticed that it can survive outdoors in the open garden, not reliably enough to be considered hardy.


Happy growing!
Uli

Hello All,

Some more pictures from my garden, some bulbs flower for the first time.

Arum creticum

, unfortunately the flowers are short lived 

Geissorhiza splendidissima

, first time flowering from Silverhill seed. 

Gladiolus splendens

Flower Colors:	red
Climate:	winter rain climate

, multiplies very quickly. This is a pot grown specimen, I cannot grow it in the open garden as rodents will feast on the corms.....

An excellent golden yellow Freesia Hybrid 

Gladiolus alatus

Flower Colors:	orange, white, yellow
Life form:	corm
Climate:	winter rain climate

from US BX, first time flowering. In companion planting with Oxalis obtusa and a fragrant yellow Lachenalia which was received as seed of L. aloides from Silverhill but which is something different 

Ornithogalum dubium

, wild form. An excellent form from Silverhill Seeds. It is smaller than the ones on steroids which are sold in garden centers but I never managed to keep the commercial ones alive after flowering. The wild form is very easy and reliable and flowers the third year from seed. Quite amazing as one year old seedlings look hair-like.

Dear members living in the EU,

In the meantime we have received quite a few items for the spring exchange.  The first round for mainly seed is scheduled for the weekend of March 24, 25 and 26. Exact timing will be posted. There is Clivia seed which should not be stored very much longer.
So, if you have items to donate for this first round, please send them as soon as possible to Martin and please let him know so that he can include your donation in the offering.
On the other hand there will be a second round for mainly bulbs in April which means that the donation time window remains open until further notice.
Please do not hesitate to contact Uli (johannes-ulrich-urban@t-online.de) if you have questions.


Martin Bohnet
Ludwigstr. 1
73035 Göppingen
Germany
 Martin's email:  <garak@code-garak.de>
Bye for now
Martin and Uli

Dear members living in the EU,

In the meantime we have received quite a few items for the spring exchange.  The first round for mainly seed is scheduled for the weekend of March 24, 25 and 26. Exact timing will be posted. There is Clivia seed which should not be stored very much longer.
So, if you have items to donate for this first round, please send them as soon as possible to Martin and please let him know so that he can include your donation in the offering.
On the other hand there will be a second round for mainly bulbs in April which means that the donation time window remains open until further notice.
Please do not hesitate to contact Uli (johannes-ulrich-urban@t-online.de) if you have questions.


Martin Bohnet
Ludwigstr. 1
73035 Göppingen
Germany
 Martin's email:  <garak@code-garak.de>
Bye for now
Martin and Uli