Littonia

Cathy Craig batlette@cox.net
Sat, 09 Aug 2003 11:39:07 PDT
Hi all,

"Bryan Whyer wrote: Can someone tell me the natural growth pattern of
Littonia modesta? ...since then the Littonia extended it's stem by a further
18", and is still growing strongly. Is it just my timely feeding that has
given it a new lease of life, and might it flower again on this same stem,
which is now ~8' long? Previously I have assumed it's season was over after
flowering and slowly dried it off, but now, how long should I keep it
growing?"

I have been growing littonia modesta in a pot out behind the house, under
shade, for 3 years now. Last year it came to make two new bulbs which I
separated and replanted the whole lot into a larger (2 gal) plastic pot (I
may repot as I think they are now over-potted). This year the stem only grew
to about 3 ft, had one or two flowers, and produced no seed. But I was
largely preoccupied getting the front landscape in this summer and
everything out back got short shrfit. It probably didn't get regular water
and certainly no fertilizer. However: last year when I was paying better
attention, it grew to about 6 or 7 ft, flowered, continued growing another
foot or two, flowered there, then grew another foot or so and flowered at
the terminal. Last year it got a few waterings with a dilute liquid
fertilizer and watered regularly while in growth. Also produced three seed
pods, which I dutifully sent to Dell.

Unless I am really too busy to pay attention to my watering (those years
everything goes dorman early!), I water and occasionally feed everything as
long as it looks green or yellow green, then will gradually reduce the water
to nothing.

So I'd say, yes your fertilizing helped, and keep watering it as long as it
looks enthusiastic.


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