Dear All,
If you receive summergrowing bulbs at this time of the year, I would not store them dry until next spring. Big mature bulbs may survive but it will deplete a lot of their reserves, smaller bulbs may not survive an entire year of enforced dormancy.
I would plant the bulbs into a well draining substrate to avoid rotting due to excess water. Water once after planting and keep them cool and shady, especially if you live in a hot climate like the Californian Central Valley. Most probably the Cyrtanthus will be of the evergreen type, but leaves cut off for practical reasons. It should make new leaves . But more important is root growth. This will help the bulbs to refill their reserves. If summer growing bulbs would start into growth after planting now, water more and keep them going as long as the plant indicates. Which means as long as the foliage remains green. A summer growing bulb started late in the season may extend its growing season into early winter and go dormant later than usually or it may even skip its first winter dormancy and remain green. If that happens keep watering it through winter but on the sparing side, not to kill it with an excess of water. Eventually a healthy bulb will return into its normal growing rhythm. It is a matter of observation, the plant will be telling you what it wants. Planting in pots will give you more control than planting in the ground. You can transfer the potted bulb into the opoen garden later once you understood its needs.
If the Nerine bulbs are labelled "From Exbury" they are definetely N. sarnienesis hybrids which behave as winter growers and not as summer growers. N. sarniensis is triggered into growth by cooler temperatures and the onset of autumn rain in mediterranean type climates. So they may start earlier in the San Francisco climate than in the Central Valley. Provided your gardens are frost free they would be best planted now in the open garden, watered in once after planting and then wait for the onset of growth without any more water. Once leaves appear the plants should not be allowed to go dry until the leaves wither naturally which should be about next May. Nerine bulbs need at least one growing season to establish and do not like root disturbance, so be patient with them, they most probably will not flower this autumn.
If Nerine bulbs arrive with leaves at this time of the year, they are summer growing N. bowdenii or their hybrids. Plant immediately, water well and keep them watered well into autumn. N. bowdenii is a summer grower and will lose the leaves in autum and resprout in spring. The dormant bulbs are tolerant of winter rain so these can be planted in the open garden. They may lose their leaves now due to the stress of being uprooted and have spent time in the mail, if that happens, plant them immediately, do not damage the roots provided they have not been snipped off and keep watering them but not as much as if they had leaves.
Hope that helps
Uli
If you receive summergrowing bulbs at this time of the year, I would not store them dry until next spring. Big mature bulbs may survive but it will deplete a lot of their reserves, smaller bulbs may not survive an entire year of enforced dormancy.
I would plant the bulbs into a well draining substrate to avoid rotting due to excess water. Water once after planting and keep them cool and shady, especially if you live in a hot climate like the Californian Central Valley. Most probably the Cyrtanthus will be of the evergreen type, but leaves cut off for practical reasons. It should make new leaves . But more important is root growth. This will help the bulbs to refill their reserves. If summer growing bulbs would start into growth after planting now, water more and keep them going as long as the plant indicates. Which means as long as the foliage remains green. A summer growing bulb started late in the season may extend its growing season into early winter and go dormant later than usually or it may even skip its first winter dormancy and remain green. If that happens keep watering it through winter but on the sparing side, not to kill it with an excess of water. Eventually a healthy bulb will return into its normal growing rhythm. It is a matter of observation, the plant will be telling you what it wants. Planting in pots will give you more control than planting in the ground. You can transfer the potted bulb into the opoen garden later once you understood its needs.
If the Nerine bulbs are labelled "From Exbury" they are definetely N. sarnienesis hybrids which behave as winter growers and not as summer growers. N. sarniensis is triggered into growth by cooler temperatures and the onset of autumn rain in mediterranean type climates. So they may start earlier in the San Francisco climate than in the Central Valley. Provided your gardens are frost free they would be best planted now in the open garden, watered in once after planting and then wait for the onset of growth without any more water. Once leaves appear the plants should not be allowed to go dry until the leaves wither naturally which should be about next May. Nerine bulbs need at least one growing season to establish and do not like root disturbance, so be patient with them, they most probably will not flower this autumn.
If Nerine bulbs arrive with leaves at this time of the year, they are summer growing N. bowdenii or their hybrids. Plant immediately, water well and keep them watered well into autumn. N. bowdenii is a summer grower and will lose the leaves in autum and resprout in spring. The dormant bulbs are tolerant of winter rain so these can be planted in the open garden. They may lose their leaves now due to the stress of being uprooted and have spent time in the mail, if that happens, plant them immediately, do not damage the roots provided they have not been snipped off and keep watering them but not as much as if they had leaves.
Hope that helps
Uli