What's looking exotic in November 2012

Mine did something weird this Spring. First time for me, and a bit hard to describe, but I think similar to what I have seen others describe.

I got some initial growth, but it was stunted and didn't seem to amount to anything. That was chitting, and then potting up. Subsequently, quite a bit later (after I thought they had probably snuffed it!) I got some separate growth, which then became the normal climbing part.

I wondered if the new growth was related to creating a new tuber, or something like that?

Mine (Gloriosa) has died down now. Do I overwinter it dry, in its original pot/compost? or something else?

 

I can add some images tomorrow, the exotic ones are plants that I trade ( work plants)- I hope it does not look Spam...

 

Kristen - I really don't know about overwintering. But, as you see them for sale in the spring as bare tubers, I suspect that you overwinter them as a dry tuber as well. In which case it probably doesn't matter where it is as long as its fairly dry. I intend to cover mine with dryish compost so they don't get overdry, and probably keep it cool so it will lose less of its internal moisture.

I don't know either about the new growth. But I understand that they produce a pair of tubers joined at one end, and the growth comes from the other ends. I have seen it written that you should seperate the two pieces as although each piece will start to grow, one usually becomes dominant and causes the other to wither away. That could be what happened with yours. If you had two growing points, one could be the cause of the other dying off.

 

I've always just left Gloriosa tubers in their pots bone dry stacked up under the bench frost free.
It works.
Usually by the following spring they are starting to show growth before I pot them up.

 

Just the one plant in bud Simbad. Lost a few to a] too much sun and heat in the greenhouse and then b]red spider mite.

Must admit that all I do is repot and put somewhere warm.
I have a couple of seed grown G.lutea, and have just sown seed for an orange variety too.

My suspicion is that it was more likely last years tuber trying to have another go Kristen - immature tubers will grow for the full season even if they do not flower (I've only experienced this with small bought tubers).

As far as overwintering them, leave them in the this years pot/compost in a dry state. Pot on in April.

 

Oh no not red spider mite!!!!!! I' ll keep a lookout for that, just moved mine into the greenhouse,kept them outside all summer.

 

Cool enough now for them not to be an issue I think. On the plus side I still have a few left, and the ones that I lost were very useful in as much as everything else was left alone.