I dead head all my Eucomis to avoid having clumps of seedlings in the spring, and still get the occasional volunteer. For seeds I want (hand-pollinated species for our species bank and my latest crosses) I cut the whole stem when the lowermost ovary is about to open, let the whole thing dry in a paper bag, then separate the seeds. Because I have the luxury of a greenhouse, I sow the seeds immediately (August-Oct) in disposable kitchen containers using moist perlite and snap shut so there is 100% RH but no standing water. On a sunny windowsill these will germinate in a month or less. When the individual blades are a few inches long, I transfer them to promix in flats with 24 cells and grow on through winter and spring in the greenhouse, then move to larger pots and ultimately plant out. I get first bloom in 3 years and sometime 2 years.
Under open pollination conditions, I have noticed a few plants are relatively sterile and therefore open pollination seems to involve more self- than cross-pollination; for instance my hybrid 'Great White' produces almost no seed from open pollination, but when I hand-pollinated with a E. montana hybrid, the seed yield was massive. Here in East Tenn, the blooms are visited mostly by honey bees, bumblebees, and small black sweat bees (usually gathering pollen).
I have pole-evansii and it does indeed tower over all the others, although 'Great White' is substantially heavier, broader, and more robust. Just planted last year and it bloomed nicely but I haven't yet used it for breeding. This summer was unusually hot (90 degrees every day in Aug-Sept) but here we always have some 90+ days and lots of sun in the summer. The folks who grow in the Pacific Northwest might have more pertinent tips for your climate.
Bob Lauf
On Friday, November 27, 2020, 09:29:02 AM EST, Brian Whyer via pbs <pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> wrote:
I am growing what I believe to be this bulb here in SE UK. It grows ok
but not massive in stature, and does not increase much in number by
clumping and I suspect wants higher temperatures than we get in general.
This and several other Eucomis, probably all hybrids, grow ok here and
most produce seed but I get very few self-sown plants, and none so far
round around the E p e Is it because it is too cool here before the
seeds rot. Should I collect them now and sow in the warm?
I have grown Eucomis before from seed but just odd hybrid? plants from
seed acquired from the ground somewhere in the past.
Brian Whyer, SE UK, wet and cold, frost last night, but rarely serious
over the last few years. Snow a rarity now it seems. Rainfall ~20" pa.
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