Bulbs and Tubers

March is the time that I like to start off the tender bulbs and tubers. Wherever possible I like to store them dry over the winter in the growing medium. As I have been pushed for space in the ground here, plants such as Eucomis and Galtonia have been included in this group too.

So this afternoon the pots were emptied and everything potted back up with fresh compost.

Delighted to find a total of ten tubers in the Gloriosa pot


Hymenocallis festallis had produced far more offsets too than were showing. Potted these up in a nursery pot as they will be two or three years to flowering sized bulbs.



Bessera elegans had lots of baby corms though! I left them attached as they're still small.


All the above need to be started off under glass. The trick now is to refrain from over-watering them until they are in growth.

Arisaema are another that I like to keep under glass until they show signs of life. It was too dodgy to leave mine in the ground here (actually, I lost every single tuber that I left in the ground here), but at the new garden I'm hoping to have more luck. The one advantage to pot growing them though is that I can control the water they get whilst waiting for them to spring into growth.

No babies for the Eucomis bulbs though - just the original bulbs gotten bigger!
Potted up and in a nice sunny (but sheltered) spot now.

 

Interesting plants Longk
I've not had much luck with gloriosa recently, still got some tubers, but after a few years they just seemed to fizzle out.

I find eucomis to be hardy, infact its just showing in the garden now.

Growing a few Dahlias this year, not grown any in ages

Whatever happened to Gloxinias, nobody seems to grow them anymore, used to get flowers first year from seed even.
Guess the've gone out of fashion.

Achimenies(hot water plant), was always a good one as well.

 

Funnily enough, my Gloxinia is to be done tomorrow!
This is it last year...........


Ran out of cactus compost, which seems to work really well with them (not my idea, it was a tip that I got given). Need some to do the Scadoxus too.

Not keen on leaving the Eucomis in the ground here, but they probably will go in the ground at the new house which has nicer free draining soil.

 

I have been meaning to reply to this thread for some time, but only just got round to it.

LongK - I love your bulbs/tubers especially your Gloxinia. I have never tried them but my very small experience with other Gesneriads suggests they are worth a try.

I am afraid my bulbs get a bit neglected. Most are left in their pots and just kept frost free over winter. However today I emptied my summerhouse and greenhouse - again. I am just hoping that we don't get another frost - again, although I am sure quite a lot of stuff will take a small amount.


The stuff I put out today includes Tulbaghia violacea - above. Picture from BBC. It took two or three years to flower from seed, but there is no stopping it now. Its probably hardy for some people.

Eremurus - I don't know if that comes in your category. It did nothing last year, having bought it in the spring, but it has lovely growth on it now.

Agapanthus - I grew these from seed. I have a purchased bulb in the border that has survived the last three winters- so I think its time to plant out my young plants - that must be starting their third year now.


Asphodelius alba - picture from Wilkipedia. This was grown from seed in 2007 and has never flowered yet. Perhaps this is the year.

Gloriosa rothschildiana - I have a tuber left from last year - which never flowered, and three more from seed this year.

Ismene festalis (Hymenocallis festallis). Bought early last year - but hasn't flowered yet.

A couple of Eucomis. One is an orange colour, which didn't flower last year, but E. bicolor always does well.


Watsonia pilansii - picture from RHS. Another grown from seed, which has never flowered yet.


Gladiolus callianthus (Peacock Lilly). Bought last year - and not flowered yet.


Brodiaea laxa (Tritelia) - photo Choicebulbs.com. A sort of minature Agapanthus. This does flower reliably.

I recently bought a Scadoxus and Besera elegans - probably subconsciously suggested by LongK, who had just put them in a post - thanks Keith.


Babiana stricta - photo Bloms bulbs. Bought early last year - but they haven't flowered yet.


And Chasmanthe floribunda - photo Shrubs.co.uk
This has been a source of great frustration to me. I have two varieties of this - orange and yellow. Its a tender relative of Crocosmia from South Africa. All the sites say that you must not disturb the corms because they won't flower the next year. The first year I didn't realise this and I lifted the two corms, which are enormous - about 4 inches across. It had obviously been very happy because each corm had turned into 3 more huge corms. So I haven't touched them since, but they have never flowered for me and insist on observing South African time growing all their foliage over the winter and then doing nothing in the summer.

Perhaps this will be a good year and all my bulbs will flower.

 

That's the beauty of them!!

Certainly hardy in a sheltered spot around here.........

Stunning! I have A.lutea which clumps up really nicely, and very quickly too!

Many of the bulbs sold are sub flowering sized bulbs.

Love that orange one - do you know it's name?

Glad it's not just me then!! I've been told to keep them well watered, so here goes.........

I find it hardy too.........

Easy on the watering with the Scadoxus until it's in growth, which could be a fair while.

Now I'm jealous!!