Nerine Experience

Mary Sue Ittner msittner@mcn.org
Tue, 28 Sep 2004 08:19:59 PDT
Dear Jim and Joe,

I don't believe either of you were members of our list when we discussed 
Nerine as the topic of the week. Hamish Sloan provided some first rate 
introductions I have referenced below. And there was discussion that month 
as well (April 2003).

http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbslist/old.php/…
http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbslist/old.php/…

When I complained to Rod Saunders about my difficulty getting Nerine to 
flower he told me I should be growing the winter rainfall ones. Since that 
time I am doing better getting the summer rainfall species to bloom since 
they are mostly all in pots where I can give them regular water and 
occasional liquid fertilizer. With one exception my ground is too dry in 
summer to have them in the ground. I am less successful with the winter 
rainfall ones which I should be able to grow which is a contrast from my 
usual experience. I ordered Nerine humilis (a winter rainfall species) from 
Rhoda and Cameron when we did a group order a couple years ago and it is 
now in synch with this hemisphere so perhaps next year it will bloom.

Nerine platypetala and Nerine angustifolia have just about finished 
blooming and N. masoniorum and N. filifolia are just starting. I grow one 
that Jim Robinett called a cross between N. flexuousa and undulata, but 
flexuosa is now considered to be undulata and the one I have in a pot is 
blooming now. For two or three years now some of these I planted in the 
ground have bloomed, but usually later than the container ones and so far I 
don't see a spike.

One of my pots of Nerine bowdenii has scapes, but not the other.

On the other hand the Nerine sarniensis that I got from the Zinkowsi rescue 
are hit or miss bloomers. I have tried more water in summer, more heat in 
summer, but haven't yet got it figured out. Two of my pots have scapes at 
the moment and one started opening yesterday, but many of the rest are 
producing leaves so they may skip this year (again). Many of the ones that 
have bloomed have been so incredibly beautiful that I am loath to give up 
on them. I have a few going from seed I saved so will be curious to see if 
those will be more reliable. They are still small at the moment.

Mary Sue


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