Southern hemisphere bulbs issue.

I love the look of Oxalis massoniana, as it looks similar to Oxalis obtusa (flowers not quite as nice), but the issue is that it's from the Southern Hemisphere (S Africa), and that's exactly where I failed with the O. obtusa. Is there a way of getting around this awkward southern/northern hemisphere paradox? Obviously the plants won't grow in the joke we call a winter.. is this best grown as a conservatory plant or is there possibly a nifty way around it?

 

I've never seen the northern/southern hemisphere to be an issue.
The issue is with plants that grow in the winter naturally, ie. short days, and go dormant during the long days.

Some can change I believe and grow during our summer, but others wont, and still try to grow during the winter.
All you can do is provide a higher temperature, during that time, for those plants.

 

I see, well my Oxalis obtusa died down in summer and was lost forever. Not sure what happened.. it was in a good place. Unexplained.

 

Just my thoughts Stephen, I 've never grown the plants your refer to, I'm just thinking generally.
Was it outside?

 

I brought it from a plant fair in summer, it looked great for a week or two, then the flowers died out and so did the foliage.. I kept it overwinter, nothing appeared throughout summer. It was kept in an unheated Greenhouse in summer.

 

I've just done a google.
It appears to be spring flowering in habitat. (September)

 

hmm interesting, I may have thrown out a good plant! I was convinced they were winter flowering hence the lack of activity. Time to try and fine another now!

 

S. Africa always has me beat, with its winter wet areas and its winter dry areas, I can never remember which is which .
This appears to come from Namaqualand and Little Karoo.

 

A lot of S.African bulbs have adapted though. Think of Gladiolus, the hybrid ones come from there, as do Agapanthus, Crocosmia and Galtonia. All of those flower in the proper season over here.
A lot of the Oxalis are from South America and again many of those have adapted.

 

Some plants can be switched to grow in our summers, and some can't.
I think it has more to do with daylength than temps. For eg with my succulents I have Conophytum and Mitrophyllums which both genera are winter growing.

The thing with a plant like this is to respect the growing time table.
Water when it needs it. And keep at a minumum of 5*C, and it should be ok.
Then dry off in the summer and allow it to be dormant when it wants to be.

 

You're not alone Stephen!
My Feraria crispa has struggled this winter. At the old house it was in the conservatory and did well. Now it is in the cool spare room and is struggling - I put this down to the poor light in a UK winter? So next year I need to heat the greenhouse.

Fear not though - the Albuca shawii that you have seeds for is summer flowering and can bloom in the first year from seed (one of mine did last year).

 

Some Gladiolus, Agapanthus, Crocosmia and Galtonias come from the summer rainfall, Eastern areas of South Africa.

 

Feraria come from the Western Cape and are definate winter growers.
I would imagine a room/windowsill isn't light enough.
Mine did ok in the greenhouse.

 

As I thought then................

 

Never managed to get Albuca shawii to flower from seed in the first season Albuca humilis yes, but not shawii.