Agapanthus root cuttings

Oh the joy! I found a remnant of my seed-raised Purple Cloud Agapanthus in the border today I waited five years for the ***** to flower, had a huge potful of healthy plant which promptly perished, so I thought, once planted out over here.
There's one tuft of green leaves with healthy roots which I've re-planted, but lots of healthy roots with no top-growth. Has anyone attempted root cuttings of Agapanthus? Did it work? Do they need heat? Merci buckets for any advice....

 

Not sure about root cuttings, I think you need bulb offsets for propagation.

Mine dont have top growth at this time of the year.

 

Thanks, Pete. All the old (rotten) bulb remnants were tangled up with the roots, so perhaps the healthy roots will form new bulbs in time? The soil here is reasonably well-drained and average temps are around 15C, so plants like agapanthus, iris and nerines are sprouting new leaves

 

So why did it die once you planted it out?

 

I agree with Pete , off sets , I do understand the top growth has died but the roots look ok , sorry to say if the bulb part doesnt feel solid it wont grow from just the roots , at least you still have the one , mine in the garden are showing no growth but the plants I have in the greenhouse started into growth weeks ago , to be honest I would of left alone and just waited to see what happened before splitting digging it up .
Dont know anything about Aquitaine and the weather etc , but I think the weather just too cold and wet over the winter , did you cover it up ie cloche, old bracken would of helped.

Spruce

 

Don't know about your weather there, but I think that Purple Cloud [here] is regarded borderline hardy?

 

Isn't it strange that some plants will propagate from roots and others won't? And that there is so much variation in hardiness even within the genus. Isn't it the case that the more evergreen they are the less hardy?
When it was planted out, it was in a 1m diameter pot and the winters here were very short and mild in comparison to UK. It was planted next to a cistus which has spread considerably since, giving quite a bit of protection. Then came 2011/12 with ten days of snow and -17C. Ceanothus, acacia, teucrium and eucalyptus are all still recovering! This winter has been mild but wet.....
As the agapanthus was buried under the cistus anyway, I've nothing to lose by rescuing the remains I'm just happy to have found it!
Do you chaps know of an Agapanthus called 'Queen Mum'? A pretty bicolour.
They'll both have a good, thick mulch next winter!

 

Queen Mum was hard to get hold off a couple of years ago , but has become very popular I have seen a huge clump in full flower at Wisley very nice !

I used to have over 25 different varieties but the winter of 2010/2011 had all but 3 I was gutted some I had grown from just small plants , have you seen Enigma one of my favorites white on the outside and blue in the middle of the flower but alas not that hardy , you are correct the evergreen varieties arnt as tough well not for me .

I have grown my own from seeds from the plants that survived they seam to be doing ok up to now

Spruce

 

That sounds about right for 'new' plants, we're at least two years behind here.
There's only really Jacques Briant that introduce a limited number each year. Perhaps they'll get around to Enigma in 2015 It sounds pretty.
I love raising plants from seed, but an awful lot of patience is required and so many just don't come true, which is a shame. Then there's the compostI've given up on bought-in stuff and am going to mix my own from now on. An average of two seedlings per tray/packet of seed tells me that it'll have to be an improvement!

 

two years I have had them flower from seed not that long , as long as its blue I am quite happy , red one would be good though

 

Not exactly red, but how about this?

 

interesting and what is it ?

Spruce

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veltheimia_bracteata

 

I thought it was bit like a redhot poker"Kniphofia" , same family , I have a 3 on order "Scorched Corn" should be here soon .

http://www.specialperennials.com/Other_Perennials/Plant_List_Kniphofia.htm

Spruce

 

You are sooo lucky to have all those mail-order nurseries available Red hot pokers are a lot more dependable, though....have you tried growing them from seed too?