I'm enjoying this Lachenalia talk; I grow eleven sorts here and so far have found them to be easily managed in most respects. Of the ones I grow, Lachenalia mutabilis, with its blue/maroon/yellow flower colors, is a favorite. Last year, all of my plants were left outside on a cold night and froze solid. When I discovered them, the foliage was hard. They probably had not been frozen for long - a few hours at most. But the foliage was hard. Most did not lose all of their foliage as a result of this, although some leaves went mushy. Only Lachenalia gillettii died outright. These must be very easily satisfied plants because this year's plants so far look fine; they have come back strong and left no doubt that I'm still in the Lachenalia business. So far I have not seen these offered for sale in grocery stores here in the Washington, D.C. area - and I've been looking, including Whole Foods. Jim McKenney Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7, where the mornings are frosty but there has not yet been a hard, killing freeze. My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com/ Webmaster Potomac Valley Chapter, NARGS Editor PVC Bulletin http://www.pvcnargs.org/Bulletins/ Webmaster Potomac Lily Society http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/ -----Original Message----- From: pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of MATTHEW MATTUS Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 12:47 AM To: Pacific Bulb Society Subject: Re: [pbs] Roots Out the Drainage Holes I grow some Lachenalia species also, and the collection both in sand beds, and in pots on the bench. I have to say, and this is only my opinion and experience, that I have not had a problem with roots entering the sand. In fact, I pretty much abuse many of the species, and they seem none for the worse. Perhaps my pots are larger, but I grow most in 5" diameter clay pots. Also, I do grow the African Beauty series that a few of the larger mail order catalogs carry. In an obsessive moment a couple of years ago, I researched on the Acta Horticulturae site, many research papers on the potential of Lachenalia as a commercial plant. The study resulted in 39 interspecific combinations between L. aloides, L. bulbifera, L. contaminata, L. mutabilis, L. orchioides, L. roodiae (?), L. rubida and L. unicolor. Of course, to those of you familiar with Lachenalia, these are generally the more showy species. Ten of these croses were not successful, but eighteen had flowered and we're being evaluated at that time. Now I am starting to see pots of hybrid Lachenalia at some local stores. I did see them at local Whole Food's, a large organic Supermarket in the US, and I saw a greenhouse full at a local Boston Nursery last Easter. In fact, since apparently no one had bought them, they we're past bloom and marked down, so I bought all that I could find. I suspect, as with anything new, it will take a while for these to catch on with the consumer. I grow the Brent and Becky African Beauty's in the summer, since they are available both in the spring, and in the fall. When planted in April, they bloom in late may or June, and are inexpensive enough to use in a window box or massed in the garden. I then harvest the bulbs, since they will freeze here, and repot them in the greenhouse. My greenhouse in Massachusetts is a cold glass house, kept about ten degress above freezing. I grow most of the Lachenalia from seed, and a few from leaf cuttings, which has been very successful with some species, especially the L.aloides types, and L. pustulata. I grow them in pumice, large perlite, sand and sometimes pure Promix. Like my Nerine and Oxalis, I keep most fairly wet, and some even in damp sand beds where the foliage can become very fleshy. Graham Duncan's book states that Lachenalia must have excellent drainage at all times, and that although they grow in a wide range of soils in the wild, they prefer sandy fast draining mixes, I must say that I have not had a problem with even pure Promix. I add a little extra pumice in with it, but nothin fussy at all. Surely, I will have something go wrong, and this streak of luck may change, but I can say the even though my pots are in damp sand or never dry out, the soil mix is fairly fast draining yet somewhat rich in organic matter. I also keep some in pure sand, but can't see a difference yet. They all receive full sun in the winter, which helps not only with the flower color, but in keeping the foliage in character, especially the reticulated leaf forms. Out of the 29 species that I currently have, the lesser known L. aloides varieties of aurea and vanzyliae lead my list of favorites in the collection. L. aloides var. vanzyliae is dark green flowered, and I believe it is even nicer than the other green flowered species, L. viridiflora since it has darker spotted foliage, and is denser growing (although, it blooms in late spring, and L viridiflora is a Christmas bloomer, which is very nice too). The samller species, almost succulent or prostate species are a personal favorite and these include L. pusilla, L. trichopylla and L. latifolia, where the leaves hug the ground. I obtain the seed from the usual S.A. Sources, including Silverhill, in the late summer, and sow deeply in square 3" pots. The seeds germinate quickly, and within four years, I have flowers. Starting Lachenalia from seed if very easy, and thanks to Mark Mazur who encouraged me five years ago to start, it has been a joyous success. However, I have had little luck getting seed from my own plants, As for repotting, I repot in July, while the bulbs are dormant, but that said, I have also freely dumped a few blooming pots into a larger container for a flowershow, or fro a photoshoot, or to bring into the house for a display window that I have. After a few day, I bring them back into the greenhouse, and either leave them in the pot if it has drainage, or I dig them out, and repot, in bloom, into a new pot with soil and gravel to help hold them stems in place. I still get seed set, and the bulbs are large by the end of the winter, I can't say that I have lost any. As a note, I take leaf cuttings during bloom, and taking the advice of some other research articles on commercial propagation, I take only two leaf sections, since the closer the leaf is to the stem, the more bulblets it will form. I use sterilized agar in glass jars, with a growth agent in On 10/24/06 9:40 PM, "Alberto Castillo" <ezeizabotgard@hotmail.com> wrote: Matt Mattus Worcester, MA Zone 5b USA > Judy wrote:> So much to consider: large pots to mimic in-ground conditions, > smaller > pots so soil doesn't sour - good thing the plants know who they are > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.ibiblio.org http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php