PBS Forum

Hello Martin,

Very interesting pictures! I do not grow these plants and was not even aware they existed, so I cannot help with material..... sorry. 

I would think that they are not sent into dormancy by hot weather, that is the mechanism which makes winter growing bulbs go dormant. But tropical summer growers are happy with warmth unless they are of high elevation habitats. Maybe you are lucky with seed set this season....

Bye for now 

Uli 

Dear All,

Reading the thread of perishable recalcitrant seed, I want to make one suggestion:

A solution could be if those members who have the space, the right climate and the willingness to do so would sow the fresh seed at the right moment (before it germinates and becomes vulnerable) and grow the seedlings on for one or maybe two seasons. And then send the seedling bulbs to the BX. Small bulbs are much tougher than perishable seed. I have accepted this kind of seed and am doing that for the EU-BX right now. For me it does not matter to have yet another pot in the garden to look after. In my Mediterranean climate all seed pots do not need greenhouse space.
Being a European member I cannot comment on the other suggestions but I want to thank Robert and the Shoal Creek folks for offering their help.


Bye for now 

Uli 

Hello Nan, hello All,

Here are two links which explain the process of chipping bulbs, the srgc one is the best, scroll down a little to get to the article.




�https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/types/bulbs/propagation

https://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2019Oct251572001288IRG_118.pdf

Happy propagating!

Uli 

Lovely!

Sorry, there is no picture

Dear Members living in the EU,
The EU Seed and Bulb Exchange EU BX_05 is now closed.
We do thank all the donors who made this impressive exchange possible. We also enjoy very much dealing with all of you, thank you for your friendly and constructive comments. Martin will now start the distribution which may take some days because the list is so vast.
There will be a (smaller) second round, so the donation remains open until further notice. This and the opening of the second round will be announced through the same channels

If there are any questions: Do not hesitate to contact Uli at johannes-ulrich-urban@t-online.de
Happy growing!
Martin and Uli

Another note for those ordering Oxalis and Gladiolus bulbils.

Dear All,

For those of you who have ordered Oxalis bulbs or Gladilus bulbili from the current EU BX, I would like to give some instructions how to start them

Oxalis: It seems to be inevitable to have shipped Oxalis bulbs sprouting. So far they have always been faster than me although I try hard to repot them earlier every year. I still find a lot of them starting to sprout in completely dry substrate. If you receive sprouted bulbs, do not worry. The only negative aspect could be that some of the autumn flowering species will not flower well this season but otherwise they will produce healthy leaves and new bulbs. Even if the shoot tips might be damaged. Place the pale shoots horizontally on the substrate and cover with about 3cm of substrate. Do not attempt to plant them upright and do not expose the pale shoots to sunlight, this will burn them. The horizontally placed shoots will sprout within days and produce normal plants. Water once after planting, give maximum light and then wait until growth is visible before you water again. Oxalis benefits from fertilizing.

Gladiolus: Some Gladiolus are offered as tiny bulbils. It is amazing how many some species produce, it can be considered as a survival strategy. If the large mother bulb would get eaten, the predator would for sure miss at least some of the tiny bulbils. But sometimes they are deeply dormant and may not sprout after planting which is also part of the survival strategy. It is therefore advisable to give these bulbils an overnight soak in lukewarm water with a drop of dishwasher liquid. This helps the water penetrate the hard shell in order to break dormancy. Plant immediately after this treatment, water once and after that keep only barely moist until growth shows.

Happy growing!

Uli

Hello CG100, 
Sorry to call you by this name but I do not see any other.

Your statements are very interesting. Mainly because I would have thought that both species of Crinum grow entirely submerged. The habitat pictures show exactly that. But they are obviously very adaptive plants.
I do not think that the unknown species is wild collected. Aquatic Crinum are very popular aquarium plants in Europe and raised in large numbers from seed. The seed might be wild collected but it probably comes from aquatic nurseries in Thailand.
A mix up of species is always possible but may the different look of the plant be related to its growing conditions?
I would not be faint hearted when it comes to potting up but better in spring.

Bye for now 

Uli 

Dear All,

I got this message through the PBS website (in Flemish, I ran it through google translate)

Please reply to Bart directly if you can help.
His email is willemsenbart7@gmail.com. I do not know if he is in the forum.

I replied to him recommending to contact Marwood Hill Garden, Bert Zaalberg, Silverhill Seeds and Lifestyle Seeds.

But there may be more solutions. Thank you, Uli 

Here is his message:

10 years ago a friend gave me a Tulbachia. At the time I didn't know what kind of plant I was dealing with. I was told it was a small agapanthus. After further research I now know better and my collection consists of 21 species. Very little is known about Tulbachia here in Belgium and it is a plant that few have in their collection. I have been trying to get new varieties from seeds for about 4 years now. Which so far has not been a great success, but very nice. The reason I'm writing to you is if you can help me find plants or cultivated varieties. Because even the largest botanical garden in Belgium can't help me any further.
I sincerely hope you can help expand and improve my collection of this beautiful plant species that I am so in love with.
Thank you very much,
Kind regards,
Bart Willemsen

Yes, I entirely agree with Martin. I also have them from the same BX and I have the same leaf. Seedlings and plants growing from very small tubers have that kind of leaf. Once stronger they will have the typical ones. 
For you in Granada, you may experience the same phenomenon: my mature Arisaema candidissimum has flowered and leafed out in August, Arisaema consanguineum did so end July and a Typhonium species (do not  know off hand which one) believed dead has leafed out a few days ago. They are either confused with their growing rhythm or try to escape the worst of the summer heat. A. consanguineum seems quite happy and is self seeding.

I wish you good luck with your new home!

Uli 

Hello @Martin,

Yes, some Achimenes species do this and may also have handed this on to their hybrids. In some cases these aerial bulbils can even become troublesome because they drop and grow on in other pots.

Titanotrichum oldhamii produces a lot of minute bulbili. By the way, does anybody in the EU grow Titanotrichum? I lost my plant to mice and would love to grow it again, in a pot this time....

Uli 

There was Marcelle Sheppard in Texas who did a lot of breeding. I remember magnificent pictures of her plants. I do not know if hardiness was one of her criteria to select for, perhaps not an issue in Texas? I also do not know what happened to her collection and her nursery but it might be worthwhile looking into that.

Uli 

Hello Michael,

Good idea to start a Crinum thread!
I have grown Crinum X Powellii for very many years in Germany near Hannover which is probably zone 6b (can be prolonged down to minus 20 degrees centigrade, but not every winter) The US zoning is difficult to apply for Germany.
I found two disadvantages of this old hybrid: it produces a huge amount of foliage of which the tips are often torn and yellow. And many of the commercial bulbs are virused. It is worthwhile discarding these and buy a new one hoping for a better outcome. This applies especially to the white forms of which many inferior bulbs are circulating.

Crinum bulbispermum is probably as hardy but slower to form a clump under these conditions.

Uli 

Dear All,

Is summer already over? Look at my Amaryllis belladonna 'Rose Foncé' which is always the first autumn flower of the season around this time of the year. It is a good coloured cultivar and may have some Brunsvigia blood. The pale pink flowers that intermingle are of Podranea 'Comtess Sarah' a dwarf(er) shrubby  cultivar of the otherwise overvigorous vine. I had to take this picture at midday for the dwarf waterlily flowers to be open.
This clump of Amaryllis benefits from the irrigation of the neighboring plants  but is  not watered directly. The ones without any summer water will flower a little later.

Uli 

Dear All,

Today, during a drive through the bone dry lowlands of the Algarve hinterland, I came across this remarkable plant. At first, from afar I thought it was a dried up annual with silky seed. But then curiosity struck and I stood in front of a very fragrant "bush" with countless white flowers. The light pink sheen is made of the dark red pollen. It is again so amazing how a plant can even flower  in absolutely dry and very hot conditions. In some places it is quite abundant which gives a striking effect in the dry countryside. The plant is almost leafless and invests its energy into the abundant flowering. At closer inspection  I saw snails estivating well protected between the vicious spines, their shells hermetically locked. Would you have guessed? It is Asparagus albus.
Bye for now 

Uli