Whats Looking Good in August....

Pete, I doubt if it is day-length since I've had gardnerianum flower in early July following a near frostless winter. I'm think it may be down to the amount of growth plus the length of growing season and temperatures during that time. While the east almost always scores with having the hottest daytime high for the year, I strongly suspect that the average temperatures here may be higher and sustained over a longer period.

I've just done my reckoning for June, July & August and throughout that period, the average night-low was 16.7C and average day-high was 25.1C. We almost never see temps approaching 0C until after Christmas, so plants carry on growing and building up food reserves. Even if the starting times are roughly the same, the amount of growth they can pack in due to those higher reserves is greater, as is the likelihood of a longer flowering period.

Well done Waco. I've just noticed that one of my latest flowerers - H. flavescens has pushed out big fat spikes over the past few days. Give it another week and it will be a mass of very highly fragrant, soft yellow flowers. It is normally a late Sept - November performer, which brings welcome colour late on, but I'm not out so often by then and usually miss most of them.

 

Your probably right Dave, Its just that as the days get shorter they seem to make more growth, even during the hot spell growth wasn't that fast, but now new shoots are coming up all over, sadly shoots that wont flower.

 

on a similar note Dave, I know you grow amarylis/hippeastrums, I have been experimenting with amarylis X crinums, crinum x's and other such exotic bulbs. none are flowering, but then neither are my nerines which always do by the end of september. I think my hedichiums and all the rest will prbably just come out and give a show late sept. before the frost does for them.

 

I had a ferret about this afternoon looking for the first signs of Nerine buds - Nada! Usually by now, bowdenii and forms are just above the neck and flexuosa 'Alba' is just peeking out. They are late, but they've had a longer, hotter baking than usual. Even Scilla maderensis and Velthemia bracteata are taking their time and they always start leafing up by late August. My Hippeastrums flowered about 2 weeks later than normal, but that was due to the cold at the end of winter and start of spring. Thankfully, frosts won't be a problem here for a few months yet, so plenty of opportunity for autumn and early winter colour.

 

Not being critical DaveP, Pete and Waco ... shouldn't you be speaking in "what's looking good in September"?

Time is advancing ....