Tim's helpful discussion included this:
> Having said all that, I don’t really know if xerophytic bulbs really
> grow in well-drained media or if that’s just a poor man’s substitute
> for a desert. Maybe a hardpan clay on a slope makes more sense.
>
>
Bob Nold also mentioned Juno irises growing well in clay. When I have
seen a couple of species in nature, they were growing in silty soil (or
perhaps loess) mixed with pretty large rocks, sometimes on a slope. The
soil was saturated when the plants were in flower.
I recall Fritz Kummert saying that both onco and Juno irises do well
with "unlimited" moisture when in growth and flower, but need to be dry
in their dormant period. This is probably true of many temperate-climate
bulbs we grow, especially those that get their main moisture for the
year from snowmelt. A lot of those appear to grow in very fine-textured
soils, but often on slopes.
The main place I've seen various bulbs growing in pure sand is coastal
Chile, and in fact the Leucocoryne species that do well here are in pure
coarse sand. So do many Alstroemeria species, but there is a volunteer
Alstroemeria revoluta in flower in a shaded clay area here, mixed in
with Smilacina (Maianthemum) and other liliaceous (sensu lato) plants. I
don't know what the pretty Asphodelus acaulis grows in naturally -- it
is from coastal Morocco -- but it flourishes in sand too.
I've been at my present home for 5 years now and am still figuring out
the microhabitats. It's my first experience gardening on clay, but
fortunately our major nursery industry means I can order almost any
amendment in large quantities, even in custom mixes. Also, I chose a lot
(0.6 acre -- 2.5 acres = 1 hectare) with considerable slope, though only
one part of it is steep enough to threaten my knees. And I picked a
non-upscale neighborhood, so I don't get complaints about my highly
eccentric landscape.
Jane McGary
Portland, Oregon, USA
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<p>Tim's helpful discussion included this:<br>
</p>
<br>
<span
style="11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-…"><o:p> </o:p></span>
<blockquote
cite="003401d2f11f$26320c20$72962460$@embarqmail.com/"
type="cite">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-…">Having
said all that, I don’t really know if xerophytic bulbs
really grow in well-drained media or if that’s just a poor
man’s substitute for a desert. Maybe a hardpan clay on a
slope makes more sense. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<br>
</div>
</blockquote>
Bob Nold also mentioned Juno irises growing well in clay. When I
have seen a couple of species in nature, they were growing in silty
soil (or perhaps loess) mixed with pretty large rocks, sometimes on
a slope. The soil was saturated when the plants were in flower. <br>
I recall Fritz Kummert saying that both onco and Juno irises do well
with "unlimited" moisture when in growth and flower, but need to be
dry in their dormant period. This is probably true of many
temperate-climate bulbs we grow, especially those that get their
main moisture for the year from snowmelt. A lot of those appear to
grow in very fine-textured soils, but often on slopes.<br>
The main place I've seen various bulbs growing in pure sand is
coastal Chile, and in fact the Leucocoryne species that do well here
are in pure coarse sand. So do many Alstroemeria species, but there
is a volunteer Alstroemeria revoluta in flower in a shaded clay area
here, mixed in with Smilacina (Maianthemum) and other liliaceous
(sensu lato) plants. I don't know what the pretty Asphodelus acaulis
grows in naturally -- it is from coastal Morocco -- but it
flourishes in sand too. <br>
I've been at my present home for 5 years now and am still figuring
out the microhabitats. It's my first experience gardening on clay,
but fortunately our major nursery industry means I can order almost
any amendment in large quantities, even in custom mixes. Also, I
chose a lot (0.6 acre -- 2.5 acres = 1 hectare) with considerable
slope, though only one part of it is steep enough to threaten my
knees. And I picked a non-upscale neighborhood, so I don't get
complaints about my highly eccentric landscape.<br>
<br>
Jane McGary<br>
Portland, Oregon, USA<br>
<br>
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