Re: OT: Cape Bulbs in Pots

Bill Shear wrote:
> 
> Sorry for going Off Topic, but since some iris relatives are involved, I
> thought this might be of interest to some listers.
> 
> The past several years, I've been growing some Cape bulbs in pots during
> the winter and really enjoying their brilliant flowers.  It's relatively
> easy if you have a sunny window, especially one that gets rather cool at
> night.
> 
> Ferraria crispa is a very easy irid with exotic green and brown flowers
> produced on 12-18 inch spikes over a very long period.  Last summer I gave
> some of these away to iris-l folk and would like to hear how they are
> doing.  My largest plant now has a bloom spike emerging.
> 
> Hybrid Freesias are readily available in the fall from Dutch bulb dealers.
> Taking longer to bloom than Ferraria, they come in many bright colors and
> are incredibly fragrant.  Anyone with a bright window, greenhouse or sun
> room who doesn't grow a few pots of these is really missing something.  The
> bulbs are relatively inexpensive and so could even be discarded after
> blooming, though they are so easy to bring on and reproduce so fast this
> would seem a shame.  They're also irids.
> 
> Moraea aristata (another irid) is a charming miniature with flowers like a
> one-inch Japanese iris in rich violet and yellow.  Up to a dozen bulbs can
> easily be grown in a 4 inch pot.
> 
> Various species of Lachenalia are members of the lily family (or amaryllis
> family--I've lost track of the changes in this group of plants) that
> produce hyacinth-like spikes of tiny blooms in strange color
> combinations--like red, green and blue, all in the same flower.  The ones I
> grow multiply at a furious rate.  Because the flowering stems tend to be
> long and a bit drooping if you don't supply extremely bright light, they
> look good in hanging baskets.
> 
> All of these enjoy being potted up in a well-drained mix, and given some
> Osmocote once they are well up.  Another helping of Osmocote after blooming
> makes sure large bulbs or corms mature.  When the foliage begins to yellow
> in spring, dry them off completely and put them somewhere protected until
> next September or October.  Then remove the bulbs and repot in fresh soil
> mix.  Allow to dry slightly between waterings.
> 
> Give it a try!  Richard Doutt's book, CAPE BULBS, from Timber Press, has
> more information and color pictures.
> 
> Bill Shear
> Department of Biology
> Hampden-Sydney College
> Hampden-Sydney VA 23943
> (804)223-6172
> FAX (804)223-6374
> email<bills@hsc.edu>


Bill, I have a couple of Dietes rhizomes that Carolyn Schaffner sent me. 
They are in a 12-inch pot near a warm south window in rich soil 
(basically finished sheet compost/topsoil mix) and have grown 
wonderfully since I got them in September, but I don't think they're big 
enough to bloom. Of course, it's early in the season. Carolyn's has been 
blooming, at least last year...I'm really looking forward to seeing some 
here. P.S. The albicans seems to have settled in nicely in its bed with 
the rest of this year's acquisitions.

Cheers, Barb J.              lgjohnson@getonthe.net
Southwest Missouri Ozarks    USDA Zone 5b     AIS Region 18 (MO & KS)
AIS, HIPS, RIS, MIS  (in order of joining)
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