Hardy Crinum - Planting depth

Paul Tyerman ptyerman@ozemail.com.au
Tue, 29 Jun 2004 17:08:17 PDT
At 01:09  29/06/04 -0500, you wrote:
>Results so far- all for C. x powellii:
>
>	Elizabeth Lawrence's Charlotte garden	Zone 7?  28" deep.
>	Devon England	Zone 7/8	2 ft
>	Florida W. Coast	Zone 8?	above ground
>	Kansas City	Zone 5/6	18 inches minimum
>

Jim,

Obviously enough I am not in what could be considered a hardy climate by
anywhere other than Australia but I thought I would just add another
observation to your listing of the desires of C. x powellii.  Here in
Canberra, Australia where we are mild by most of your standards (in a big
way <grin>) I originally planted my C. x powellii with the bulb about half
submerged (which was how the clump was growing where I originally got it
from).  A few years later the largest bulbis about 10 inches or so across
and appears to be virtually sitting on the surface now, with numerous (to
say the least) offsets surrounding it, many of flowering size as well.
They are currently dormant here and I can take a picture of the dormant
clump if anyone thinks that would be useful?  It is certainly apparent just
how obvious the bulbs are.

To be honest, until I read this discussion I never even realised that
Crinum SHOULD be buried.  I've always seen fairly exposted bulbs.  Now I am
wondering whether I should have buried recent plantings (i.e the last 12
months) of bulbispermum, moorei (not sure if this is true moorei or not....
a lovely soft pink very floriferous crinum that grow in a few gardens
around here), plus a few other hybrids and species I have received from
various people here in Aus.  In my climate (Zone 8/9 I think.... minimums
down to around -8'C each winter) I have always seen crinum bulbs obviously
at the surface with a large amount of bulb exposed.  This includes at the
National Botanic Gardens here in Canberra where they have C. flaccidum and
angustifolium growing in established clumps with the bulbs pretty much
fully exposed.

So, given that my x powellii has pushed itself upwards not downward, maybe
they prefer to be at ground level here?  I'm just wondering now whether I
have done the right thing planting my other Crinums as I have?

Cheers.

Paul Tyerman
Canberra, Australia.  USDA equivalent - Zone 8/9

Growing.... Galanthus, Erythroniums, Fritillarias, Cyclamen, Crocus,
Cyrtanthus, Oxalis, Liliums, Hellebores, Aroids, Irises plus just about
anything else that doesn't move!!!!!


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