Overwintering dierama in the mid atlantic

Mike Rummerfield via pbs pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net
Sun, 01 Nov 2020 18:44:04 PST
Yoli,
I also am in zone 7, but with a very different climate than you.  I grow a
number of Dierama, mostly the smaller species, outside in the ground and
they do well for me, which is a surprise.  I would have guessed that with
our wet winters and freezing temperatures that they wouldn't survive.  It
fairly frequently gets well below freezing here in winter, sometimes for
weeks on end.  All of mine stay evergreen with the older leaves turning
brown as they are replaced in spring by new leaves.  I do not mulch them or
provide protection.

My guess is that well drained soil is the key.  I grow them in three types
of locations -  on south facing slopes, raised beds, and locations with
perfectly draining soil (even if the soil is compacted).  I rarely, if
ever, water them any time of year, but then our summers are on the cool
side, and they may receive moisture from nearby areas that are watered.
My oldest clump (somewhere around 20 years old) is at the far end of the
garden and never gets watered.

I have not had as much luck with them in pots, and have lost a number of
them that way, seemingly to rot when they are overwintered in the unheated
hoop house.   The few that have survived in pots (so far) grow in a very
well drained medium kept on the drier side, especially during winter.  I
don't try to grow them in pots for long, just long enough to put on a
little size before transplanting in the garden with as little root
disturbance as possible.

Good luck.  I hope you're able to keep your sole survivor alive.  As you
said, they are beautiful, especially in bloom, the long wands swaying in
the slightest breeze.

Mike
western Washington state
zn. 7, cool mediterranean
elevation:  1000 feet
annual avg. rainfall at my location:  55 inches (yes, your read that right)


On Sun, Nov 1, 2020 at 9:33 AM Yoli via pbs <
pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> wrote:

> Hello all,
>
> I would like specific help in overwintering a 4 year old seedling of
> unknown dierama sp. The seed was obtained from plants growing in the San
> Francisco area and was told they were white flowered. Thirty germinated and
> over the last 4 winters they died one by one. I really want to save this
> last one!!!
>
> I am in zone 7 Maryland.  The last few years I let the pot get cold outside
> until moderate frosts threaten then brought into a cold dark basement where
> the temp stays at 45°, watering sparingly every several weeks.The plant
> seems to stay green late into the winter.  Should it be in a cold sunny
> place? Should it go completely dormant?
>  I've killed several mail order plants as well over the years and so this
> beautiful bulb eludes me still.
>
> Thank you..
> Yoli
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