First, note the change in spelling, "Calochortus," which will help when searching for information on this species, and with our archive. I think Calochortus are self-fertile, so if Ana's sole flowering plant is producing seed capsules, the seeds inside will likely be able to germinate. It's worth putting a light-weight bag around the capsule(s) to protect them from being eaten and also to catch the seeds, which can fall out quickly once the capsule splits. Sow the seeds in fall, about the time it starts to rain where you are, and keep the seed pot moist. If you have a lot of seed, use several pots, because Calochortus damp off easily if they come up too thick. Seedlings may appear quickly or not until spring; in any case, don't let the pot freeze solid. When the leaves wither, keep the pot in a cool, shady spot and water again with the fall rains. Keep the young bulbs in the pot for another year, then turn them out and plant them in separate pots or directly in the ground where you can protect them from being eaten, for instance with some hoops with netting stretched over them. Don't try to dig up the existing plants, but it's worth scratching a bit of soil around what remains of the stem to see if there are stem bulbils (little structures with a rounded base and usually a sharp apex) attached to the stem just below the soil surface. Many Calochortus produce these, and they can be detached and planted separately in a protected spot. I found the best deterrent against rabbits was predatory dogs, but I had a fence around my entire property to keep the dogs in. Coyotes also help. Rabbits in the American West tend to have population cycles, and peaks in the cycle are usually followed by a peak in their predators the next year. Ana's Calochortus population may recover when the predators catch up to the rabbits. Jane McGary, Portland, Oregon On 6/29/2018 8:36 AM, Ana Weimer wrote: > Hello, > > I live in Murrieta on 5 acres next to the Cleveland National Forest. I have growing wild on my property Calochortus Weedii most of which have been eaten by the rabbits. This is the only one that got to bloom. How can I propagate this one? Do I collect the seeds and when? Or do I divide the bulbs? I plan to cage the existing plants next year to protect them from the rabbits. This is my favorite wild flower and am so lucky to have it naturally on my property and would love to know how to make more so I appreciate all the help you can give me. I am also willing to share! > > All the best, > > Ana Weimer > > -------------- next part -------------- > A non-text attachment was scrubbed... > Name: IMG_1501.jpg > Type: image/jpeg > Size: 2400241 bytes > Desc: not available > URL: <http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/pipermail/pbs/…> > -------------- next part -------------- > > > Sent from my iPhone > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net > http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… > _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/…
