Re: Was Cloud-Cover, Becomes Ginger Lilies

Tim wrote:

>Thanks to Dave and Deborah for more on Cloud-Cover and related
>products. I will ask SPK if they still do something similar.

SBK Tim - and if I remember rightly now, PBI as well.  If you get that
all too common look of total confusion that most garden centre staff
seem to suffer, simply explain that it's the stuff you spray on
Christmas trees to stop the needles falling too quickly.

>Dave: I was intrigued by your seed-setting H. gardnerianum. The brute
>flowers well here - and, like yours, is putting out fat Churchillian
>cigars of new growth at the moment - but nary a sign of a seed pod.
>Ever. In 1998 I could understand it, since we hardly had a summer to
>persuade the poor creature into flower (it finally made it in late
>October) but it doesn't set seed even when we have a real, long, hot,
>dry summer, with consequent profuse flowering. Why not, darn it? (That
>was a squeak of outrage.) Which insect does the S.W. have which the
>N.W. doesn't? Have you ever spotted which wee thing it is which does
>the trick? 

My large clump of Hedychium densiflorum sets with the help of small
bees which i suspect are leaf cutting bees, since they are barely two
thirds the size of the more conventional, honey bee.  However, many
species of Hedychium are quite capable of self pollination -
especially smaller flowered types such as densiflorum.  H.
gardnerianum set well with the help of my little finger, since the
pods contain seeds resulting from crosses with H. densiflorum and H.
coccineum 'Tara'.   I'm hoping to get the progeny of gardnerianum x
coccineum 'Tara'  crossed onto a good form of coronarium at some
stage.

>And more generally: as a matter of interest (masochistic interest,
>since it doesn't happen here), which other ginger lilies set seed in
>cultivation - in the UK? - or in the Med? - or (more likely) in CA?  

The governing factor seems to be average minimum temperatures which
enable the pollen grains to germinate when they come into contact with
the stigmatic surface.  Most Hedychiums seem to need around 17 - 18C
in order for this to take place.  Late flowerers rarely see these
temperatures for long enough.  Down here, Hedychiums start in July and
carry on until November and normally, it isn't until late October
before the daytime temperatures really start dipping below these
levels.  This year we were seeing 20 - 22C quite regularly well into
November and normal 'early flowerers' such as the S. African
succulents - Delosperma and Lampranthus decided to come into flower
again, carrying on well into December.  In fact the magenta flowered
D. cooperi is still flowering despite an unusually dull and wet
December.

Dave Poole
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