Re: Drimia [Urginea] maritima

Hi Moira,
This idea of baking of the bulbs makes sense and you're probably right ....but...I do wonder if this is the answer in the case of the Urginea. Where I live, anything in a rocky stony sandy soil will be baked over the summer down to quite some depth - no need to be above ground level. Could it be a dispersal mechanism, with offsets being knocked off by passing animals? 

Thats my thought for the day!!

Good growing
BrianO
----- Original Message ----- From: "Tony and Moira" <tomory@xtra.co.nz> 
To: <ottways@eircom.net>
Cc: <medit-plants@ucdavis.edu>
Sent: Monday, September 17, 2007 12:21 AM
Subject: Re: Drimia [Urginea] maritima




Tony & Moira Ryan, Wainuiomata, New Zealand
Climate ( US Zone 9). Annual averages:-
Minimum -2°C; Maximum 28°C Rainfall 2000mm
----- Original Message ----- From: "Brian Ottway" <ottways@eircom.net> 



Hi Pamela,
I'm sure that Urginea must grow wild along the Costa Blanca - in fact I would imagine it is quite abundant in places. However, I think that you have the same problem that I have here in the Algarve - the range of plants especially true Med plants available in the garden centres is very very limited. It can be so frustrating.
Urginea is abundant near me in rocky dry grassland. Most of the bulbs are protruding from the soil many of them perhaps a half or more above ground. I wonder if this is important when growing them in the garden? 
Brian
I think so, a great many different bulbs like to grow in this way with the necks, and sometimes even more of the bulbs, out of the ground and it certainly pays to respect their preference . It probably has to do with the ripening of the bulb by the sun, many warm -climate bulbs seem to depend on this for proper flowering.
Tulips on the other hand need the bulbs to be kept cool when dormant if they are to produce a viable flower. 

Moira
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index