PBS Forum

Allium moly, the form described as subsp. Glaucescens, to say farewell to April.

 Charles

 I have it.

I've been traveling and will scan and send tomorrow to you.  Can you send me an email address.

Well...turns out I do have at least one more flowering to share to close out April (4/29). A quick (4/30) add of 3 pics of the second flower opened today, on the Final day to close out April. I was really hoping to post a few flowers open together. Maybe in the coming May days...so long April!

Ixia PolyStachya. From our last BX.

Again I offer a Thank you to those generous folks that share The bulb Love!

if you have a normal kitchen microwave, I recommend micorwaving the pollen before putting it on the stigma. The precise instruction how to do this is here: https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Microwave
With this method I managed to get seeds of Hippeastrum and Albuca which I tried before in vain for many many years. It may sound more complicated than it really is. Depending on how many flowers there are, ou can try without microwaving as well, of course.
Good luck!

If anyone were to offer up some H. cleo photos I would create a PBS wiki entry for it.

I don't have any experience with the species but I recommend you try! Use a paint brush, q-tip or anything else to pollinate it. Do it as many times as you can to increase chances of selfing. Good luck!

Quote from: janemcgary on April 25, 2024, 05:24:58 PMWhen I started my bulb collection around 1990, I bought and grew from seed many species of Crocus at my home near Portland, Oregon. I've lost a lot of them over the years (especially to field mice) and have tried to bring in replacements and new species as often as possible. I can't import corms any more, but I have new seedlings most years and keep them carefully. Mark Akimoff's Illahe Nursery in Oregon is growing many different Crocus species, including some from my collection. Sadly, little seed is now being collected and offered for sale, but perhaps importation of corms from Europe will occur soon.

I read about you in the bulb garden newsletter! I got a letter with some articles from the pbs yesterday! Great articles!

Dear members living in the EU,
The spring seed and bulb exchange is now closed for orders. Please wait with any payments until you receive your order together with a payment slip from Martin.
The next EU exchange will take place in autumn and will be announced through all the channels. Please do not send any material to Martin in the meantime.
We wish you happy growing and a good summer!
Uli and Martin

This could be my send off for April...these flowers as with many of my bulbs this season are smaller than typical! Not sure what it is with the weather this season that's causing this?

Gladiolus Cardinalis hybrid.

These are darker striking beautiful Gladiolus flowers.

pic 4829 is from May 2023.

Some information on my donation:
Amorphophallus linearis has long relatively thin rhizomes which should be planted vertically into deep pots. If the pot is not deep enough they will coil in the bottom or even try to push through the drainage holes which might damage the tuber. This species, like many others can be propagated by leaf cuttings, using not the entire leaf but only a segment of the finely divided leaf.

Dioscorea discolor: The tuber should be started as soon as possible with some bottom heat, otherwise it will take very long to sprout. It is fully dormant in winter and must be kept completely dry but the growing cycle goes well into late autumn/early winter. It is an easy plant and can be grown outdoors during warm weather, partial sun improves leaf coulours. A happy plant becomes quite big in one season, it is a climber which needs something to cling to.

Kohleria warczewiczii: splendid plant, colour combination is very special. Becomes big but can be kept to a managable size by re-starting it from cuttings. No dormancy, produces only very few rhizomes if at all. I sent in cuttings and would appreciate a feed back by those who received it. It is the first time I sent in cuttings and I would like to know if it works for you. This gesneriad is very easy to grow.

Sauromatum horsefieldii: I recommend growing it in a pot because the number of bulbils is enormous. It might become weedy in the right condition.

Spathantheum orbinyanum: large summer growing plant with attractive Acanthus like lush foliage, fully dry dormancy in winter. The flowers appear before the leaves and look like a small leaf on a long stalk. Only when you look under the "leaf! you will recognise a typical Aroid flower. Strange smell.