Dear All,
I lay my hands out to be smacked since I seem to grow more obtuse as I
grow older and "wiser".
The import of this discussion about winter vs summer growers continues
to elude me. I just don't understand. I grow everything which is not hardy
indoors during my winter/frost season (Oct - May). Inside, I have many
square feet of gro-light space. Also, I have a 30 ft, south-facing window
space. I can control the conditions under which I grow seed - light, water,
etc. Now, am I growing under conditions which obviate the need to worry
about winter/summer growing? I understand how some seeds would prefer to
have their biological clocks heeded and will not germinate readily if the
season is wrong. But does that have to do at all with water and light? Irids
are the ones I always have trouble with regardless of the time of year I
sow. Consequently, I grow very few of them, indoors. Outdoors, in my
climate, rain is possible any time of the year. Temperatures range from 0 F
in winter to 100 F in summer. Winter snow cover is rare.
Growing Mediterranean things outside seems tough. I do have a small
heated cold frame (oxymoron?) where I winter some hesperanthas, romuleas,
geissorhizas and one moraea. They don't bloom yet (except the occasional
romulea). I left those pots in the frame all summer without any water. The
temps must have soared there since the plastic dial on my max/min
thermometer warped. They are mostly growing again and are bigger in some
cases. Talk about malign neglect!
Anyway, I hope someone can enlighten me on these scores.
Cheers,
Dell
--
Dell Sherk, SE PA US Zone 6. Amaryllids, South Americans, Cyrtanthus,
Nerine, Hardy bulbs, and, after a lapse, Lachenalia and gesneriads.