Albuca

Jane Sargent jane@deskhenge.com
Sat, 23 Apr 2016 08:21:11 PDT
Thank you all!
I bought the Albucas at the end of February or early March, from Logee´s 
Greenhouse in Danielson, CT, with which I have had happy dealings for 
years. Their tag says "Albuca spiralis Frizzle Sizzle (I know--it´s just 
a tag.) They are in 4" pots with rapidly draining fluffy and gritty 
potting mix. One is a split bulb which made 2 flowers, and both halves 
are independently sprouting. The other is a singleton about an inch and 
a quarter across, light green and of the laminated, waxy consistency of 
a Boweia, and it is sprouting as well. When I bought them, each of the 3 
bulbs had about 5 or 6 slender spiraling leaves from 4-7"tall, and a 
flower. The leaves are very narrow, a cylinder with one flattened side, 
and the mature leaves are flat at the attached end where they leave the 
bulb. After flowering, some of the leaves turned brown and dried up, but 
new ones are sprouting. The leaves, old and new, are hairless and 
smooth. They are matte. I thought they might have a wax coating, but 
rubbing them doesn´t make them shine and has no effect. The tips curl. 
The flower spikes were about 16" tall with many florets covering them, 
greenish-gray but with a little bit of greenish-yellow in the central 
parts. The impression they gave was dull green. When they withered, I 
cut them off. The flowers were in good shape with some florets still 
opening when I got the plants, so I can´t believe they started flowering 
as early as October.  A few weeks after losing their flowers, they began 
to sprout new leaves out of their centers, and now the tips are making 
their first little ringlets. The plants at present look vigorous and 
enthusiastic. Their windowsill is at the corner junction of two large 
windows, facing south and west, with a skylight above, but this is 
Massachusetts, not Africa. I wish I could try to grow Albuca in the 
ground in my Mexican garden, but that´s not Africa, either. Dry winter 
and wet summer.
It´s nice to know that bees pollinate them. I always like to know where 
a plant fits in. This may very well be something other than spiralis, 
but it is quirky and charming. Should Albucas stay in little pots or 
have something roomier eventually?
Jane

On 22/04/2016 11:14 p. m., pbs-request@lists.ibiblio.org wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
>
>     1. Re: I want to introduce myself (Christian Treder)
>     2. Re: scilla maderensis vs pot (Vivien Bouffard)
>     3. Re: scilla maderensis vs pot (arnold140@verizon.net)
>     4. Re: scilla maderensis vs pot (Hugh Povey)
>     5. Re: I want to introduce myself (Karl Church)
>     6. Re: I want to introduce myself (L. Cortopassi - G. Corazza)
>     7. Mexico and Albuca (Jane Sargent)
>     8.  Mexico and Albuca (Monica Swartz)
>     9.  Mexico and Albuca (Talley Ho)
>    10.  Mexico and Albuca (Travis O)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2016 13:54:03 +0800
> From: Christian Treder <realtreder@gmx.de>
> To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Subject: Re: [pbs] I want to introduce myself
> Message-ID: <6668082B-425E-4922-8553-CC14ABA3476C@gmx.de>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
>
> Hello Karl,
>
> I?ve checked the webpage ?Brazil Plants? and indeed - I found pictures of that small species there. I have written Mauro Peixoto now and hope for the best.
>
> Nice to hear that you have such a good collection already and that you are sharing material through the SX and BX. I hope I can also contribute some more hippeastrum material to the exchanges in the future. For now I have to keep working on building my collection first. As mentioned before I only have very little so far.
>
> Are those 2 yr old hybrids your own? Do you also grow other plants or mainly hippeastrum?
>
> best wishes
> Chris :-)
>
>> On Apr 22, 2016, at 1:20 PM, Karl Church <64kkmjr@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Chris,
>>
>> Not sure if it's been discussed but Mauro Peixoto of Brazil Plants may be a
>> source. I have about 25 species and probably 100 different hybrids most of
>> which are only 1-2 yrs old. I try to share seeds through the SX, as do
>> several others. Some even share bulbs through the BX.
>>
>> Nice to hear from someone else who's into Hippeastrums.
>>
>> Karl
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2016 04:38:19 -0400
> From: Vivien Bouffard <vbouffard55@msn.com>
> To: <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Subject: Re: [pbs] scilla maderensis vs pot
> Message-ID: <BAY407-EAS3795F49F5906DA0BFE0F016BC6F0@phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Arnold, they grew under fluorescent lights.  Interesting that Nick had the
> same experience with timing.
>
>   
>
> Vivien
>
> Norwood, MA
>
>   
>
>> Message: 6
> Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2016 13:39:24 -0400
>
> From: Arnold140 <arnold140@verizon.net <mailto:arnold140@verizon.net> >
>
> To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
> <mailto:pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> >
>
> Subject: Re: [pbs] scilla maderensis vs pot
>
> Message-ID: <206B9BDF-C37F-4FD6-9BB9-4A36530D816A@verizon.net
> <mailto:206B9BDF-C37F-4FD6-9BB9-4A36530D816A@verizon.net> >
>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
>   
>
> Hi Vivien:
>
>   
>
> How did you grow them. Greenhouse, sunny window or what?
>
>   
>
> Thanks
>
>   
>
> Arnold
>
> New Jersey
>
>   
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>   
>
>> On Apr 21, 2016, at 1:01 PM, Vivien Bouffard <vbouffard55@msn.com
> <mailto:vbouffard55@msn.com> > wrote:
>
>> We all seem to have glommed on to the offer from Easy to Grow Bulbs!  I
> planted all three at the same time, two in one pot and one solo.  Nothing
> happened for a very long time and finally one of the bulbs sharing a pot
> started to make roots and then send up a stem.  Shortly thereafter, the solo
> bulb did the same.  It was a few weeks later before the third bulb started
> to send up growth.  All bloomed nicely, but on their own schedules.  I'm
> hoping they won't be one-shot wonders.  They haven't gone dormant yet.
>
>> Vivien
>> Norwood, MA  (Z6)<
>   
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2016 05:24:35 -0500 (CDT)
> From: arnold140@verizon.net
> To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: Re: [pbs] scilla maderensis vs pot
> Message-ID:
> 	<25925904.52718.1461320675202.JavaMail.root@tvweb133081.mailsrvcs.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
>   Vivien:
>
> Thanks, mine are growing on a sunny shelf in a cool greenhouse.  Six inch leaves but not a sign of a flower bud.
>
> Arnold
>   
>
> On 04/22/16, Vivien Bouffard wrote:
>
> Arnold, they grew under fluorescent lights. Interesting that Nick had the
> same experience with timing.
>
>   
>
> Vivien
>
> Norwood, MA
>
>   
>
>> Message: 6
> Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2016 13:39:24 -0400
>
> From: Arnold140 <arnold140@verizon.net <mailto:arnold140@verizon.net> >
>
> To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
> <mailto:pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> >
>
> Subject: Re: [pbs] scilla maderensis vs pot
>
> Message-ID: <206B9BDF-C37F-4FD6-9BB9-4A36530D816A@verizon.net
> <mailto:206B9BDF-C37F-4FD6-9BB9-4A36530D816A@verizon.net> >
>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
>   
>
> Hi Vivien:
>
>   
>
> How did you grow them. Greenhouse, sunny window or what?
>
>   
>
> Thanks
>
>   
>
> Arnold
>
> New Jersey
>
>   
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>   
>
>> On Apr 21, 2016, at 1:01 PM, Vivien Bouffard <vbouffard55@msn.com
> <mailto:vbouffard55@msn.com> > wrote:
>
>> We all seem to have glommed on to the offer from Easy to Grow Bulbs! I
> planted all three at the same time, two in one pot and one solo. Nothing
> happened for a very long time and finally one of the bulbs sharing a pot
> started to make roots and then send up a stem. Shortly thereafter, the solo
> bulb did the same. It was a few weeks later before the third bulb started
> to send up growth. All bloomed nicely, but on their own schedules. I'm
> hoping they won't be one-shot wonders. They haven't gone dormant yet.
>
>> Vivien
>> Norwood, MA (Z6)<
>   
>
> _______________________________________________
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> pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
> http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php
> http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2016 05:45:03 -0500
> From: Hugh Povey <hpovey@talk21.com>
> To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Subject: Re: [pbs] scilla maderensis vs pot
> Message-ID: <110C0DDD-37C6-4CFE-9DEB-BA9E7B1BB263@talk21.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> Definitely over analysing. All the same batch from the same field and grower. Once into their regular cycle they should flower relaibly every year. Any bulb which is harvested and then cleaned and dried for shipping,cooled then kept in a stock can become confused about when it should flower. In the spring turn off the water and allow to become naturally dormant. When it is started back into life again in the fall by water and lower night temperatures it will spout quickly and flower in 4-6 weeks.
>
> Hugh
>> On 21 Apr 2016, at 14:23, Nicholas plummer <nickplummer@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> My three bulbs also started growing at different times and bloomed several
>> weeks apart.  I think someone else reported the same thing. The consistency
>> makes me wonder if they have three batches of bulbs and send one of each.
>> Or perhaps I am over-analyzing a coincidence.
>>
>> Nick Plummer
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Apr 21, 2016 at 1:01 PM, Vivien Bouffard <vbouffard55@msn.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> We all seem to have glommed on to the offer from Easy to Grow Bulbs!  I
>>> planted all three at the same time, two in one pot and one solo.  Nothing
>>> happened for a very long time and finally one of the bulbs sharing a pot
>>> started to make roots and then send up a stem.  Shortly thereafter, the
>>> solo bulb did the same.  It was a few weeks later before the third bulb
>>> started to send up growth.  All bloomed nicely, but on their own
>>> schedules.  I'm hoping they won't be one-shot wonders.  They haven't gone
>>> dormant yet.
>>>
>>> Vivien
>>> Norwood, MA  (Z6)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> pbs mailing list
>> pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
>> http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php
>> http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2016 07:10:36 -0700
> From: Karl Church <64kkmjr@gmail.com>
> To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Subject: Re: [pbs] I want to introduce myself
> Message-ID:
> 	<CAGquAQhiyUtiDGOd9sqk3TUOW+yOz-ZVrVKyG=D_Q26ohjVZSw@mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
> Chris,
>
> I have a variety of bulbs, most acquired through the BX. My other addiction
> is Adeniums. I have 6 species and lots of hybrids. I grow most of both from
> seed and am just starting to see some put forth blossom. Over the next few
> years I expect to have all my species producing flowers. To think, this all
> started as a hobby and became an addition.
>
> Good Luck with yours.
>
> Karl
> On Apr 21, 2016 10:54 PM, "Christian Treder" <realtreder@gmx.de> wrote:
>
>> Hello Karl,
>>
>> I?ve checked the webpage ?Brazil Plants? and indeed - I found pictures of
>> that small species there. I have written Mauro Peixoto now and hope for the
>> best.
>>
>> Nice to hear that you have such a good collection already and that you are
>> sharing material through the SX and BX. I hope I can also contribute some
>> more hippeastrum material to the exchanges in the future. For now I have to
>> keep working on building my collection first. As mentioned before I only
>> have very little so far.
>>
>> Are those 2 yr old hybrids your own? Do you also grow other plants or
>> mainly hippeastrum?
>>
>> best wishes
>> Chris :-)
>>
>>> On Apr 22, 2016, at 1:20 PM, Karl Church <64kkmjr@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> Chris,
>>>
>>> Not sure if it's been discussed but Mauro Peixoto of Brazil Plants may
>> be a
>>> source. I have about 25 species and probably 100 different hybrids most
>> of
>>> which are only 1-2 yrs old. I try to share seeds through the SX, as do
>>> several others. Some even share bulbs through the BX.
>>>
>>> Nice to hear from someone else who's into Hippeastrums.
>>>
>>> Karl
>> _______________________________________________
>> pbs mailing list
>> pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
>> http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php
>> http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2016 19:36:21 +0200
> From: "L. Cortopassi - G. Corazza" <cortocora@gmail.com>
> To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Subject: Re: [pbs] I want to introduce myself
> Message-ID:
> 	<CAK-yN6dL2d1SCJu9qaCu=OATKYcm2DcZG=6f_W3Rc5+srBs2GQ@mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
> Hi Chris,
> I am growing about ten species of Hippeastrum, some are small plants from
> seed at the moment. I do not grow Amorphophallus now. Yes, we could trade
> some species in the future. :-)
> Gianluca
>
>
> 2016-04-22 16:10 GMT+02:00 Karl Church <64kkmjr@gmail.com>:
>
>> Chris,
>>
>> I have a variety of bulbs, most acquired through the BX. My other addiction
>> is Adeniums. I have 6 species and lots of hybrids. I grow most of both from
>> seed and am just starting to see some put forth blossom. Over the next few
>> years I expect to have all my species producing flowers. To think, this all
>> started as a hobby and became an addition.
>>
>> Good Luck with yours.
>>
>> Karl
>> On Apr 21, 2016 10:54 PM, "Christian Treder" <realtreder@gmx.de> wrote:
>>
>>> Hello Karl,
>>>
>>> I?ve checked the webpage ?Brazil Plants? and indeed - I found pictures of
>>> that small species there. I have written Mauro Peixoto now and hope for
>> the
>>> best.
>>>
>>> Nice to hear that you have such a good collection already and that you
>> are
>>> sharing material through the SX and BX. I hope I can also contribute some
>>> more hippeastrum material to the exchanges in the future. For now I have
>> to
>>> keep working on building my collection first. As mentioned before I only
>>> have very little so far.
>>>
>>> Are those 2 yr old hybrids your own? Do you also grow other plants or
>>> mainly hippeastrum?
>>>
>>> best wishes
>>> Chris :-)
>>>
>>>> On Apr 22, 2016, at 1:20 PM, Karl Church <64kkmjr@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Chris,
>>>>
>>>> Not sure if it's been discussed but Mauro Peixoto of Brazil Plants may
>>> be a
>>>> source. I have about 25 species and probably 100 different hybrids most
>>> of
>>>> which are only 1-2 yrs old. I try to share seeds through the SX, as do
>>>> several others. Some even share bulbs through the BX.
>>>>
>>>> Nice to hear from someone else who's into Hippeastrums.
>>>>
>>>> Karl
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> pbs mailing list
>>> pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
>>> http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php
>>> http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/
>> _______________________________________________
>> pbs mailing list
>> pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
>> http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php
>> http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/
>>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 7
> Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2016 14:43:23 -0400
> From: Jane Sargent <jane@deskhenge.com>
> To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: [pbs] Mexico and Albuca
> Message-ID: <571A70CB.507@deskhenge.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
>
> My name is Jane Sargent, and I am not at all a bulb expert. I have two
> gardens, one in zone 5 Massachusetts and one in southern Mexico, at
> least zone 10 and akaline. I am hoping to find contact information for
> good plant sources in Mexico, because sending plants from here involves
> all kinds of paperwork. I want these plants for my Mexican garden, not
> my Massachusetts one. Any help would be appreciated.
> My second question concerns 3 Albuca spiralis plants growing on the
> windowsill in Massachusetts. They flowered, and afterwards, to my
> amazement, began sending up lots of new little twisty tentacles instead
> of going dormant. They are beginning to look like the spawn of
> Chthulhu.  Do I continue to water them? Fertilize them, and if so, with
> what? Does anyone know what pollinates their flowers in nature? And will
> they go dormant sometime?
> Clueless,
> Jane
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 8
> Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2016 20:54:40 -0600
> From: Monica Swartz <eciton@utexas.edu>
> To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: [pbs]  Mexico and Albuca
> Message-ID: <p06240806d3408f401f1d@[192.168.0.4]>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"
>
> Hi Jane, that doesn't sound like Albuca spiralis which flower when
> the leaves are dying down. It could be A. hallii which flowers before
> the leaves start. However, A. hallii is very early for a winter
> Albuca, blooming for me in early October here in the N. Hemisphere,
> and is one of the first to sleep (mine went dormant 3 weeks ago).
> When did your plants get their first water of the season? Maybe they
> are confused about where they are, did you import them? Are the
> leaves slightly hairy/downy (spiralis)? If it is A. hallii, NO
> fertilizer and very good drainage is necessary (pure pumice or
> equivalent) and as much sun as you can give them. The leaves spiral
> tighter in more sun. A. hallii doesn't like to freeze, mine are
> protected on frozen nights, but go down to freezing nearly every
> night for part of the winter. A. spiralis is more forgiving both with
> temperature and drainage. Both go dormant once temperatures reach the
> 80s.
> Of course, you may have one of the summer-growing species instead.
> The only one I grow that has flowers before the leaves is A. crispa,
> but it usually only puts out one leaf at a time, not the octopus arms
> you described (A. hallii is like that). I'm worried about your plants
> as A. hallii is difficult at the best of times. Let us know more
> about the flowers.  monica
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 9
> Date: Sat, 23 Apr 2016 02:37:06 +0000
> From: Talley Ho <talleyho69@hotmail.com>
> To: "pbs@lists.ibiblio.org" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Subject: [pbs]  Mexico and Albuca
> Message-ID:
> 	<BLUPR18MB0227937EBF6BE53963E4F7ABCE600@BLUPR18MB0227.namprd18.prod.outlook.com>
> 	
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Hi Jane.  This will be my first post though I have been a PBS member for several years.  Your message spoke to me as I too have a US home as well as a winter home in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mex.  We have found that a number of bulbs grow quite well there, the best being several species of Hymenocallis and the same for Hippeastrum.  As sources go, we have always relied on our local viveros who are extremely knowledgeable and happy to talk to and supply those with a rather intense interest in botanizing.  Especially around Xmas are more things available of interest.  Most commercial items are coming down from Cuernavaca.  I would also check Mercado Libre (Central American equivalent of ebay) on the internet.  We have used it successfully, though not for plant materials, a few times.
>
> Can't answer your question about A. spiralis--perhaps someone else...
>
> Good luck with the search for good plant material and feel free to PM me.  Cheers, Ray
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 10
> Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2016 20:13:31 -0700
> From: Travis O <enoster@hotmail.com>
> To: <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Subject: [pbs]  Mexico and Albuca
> Message-ID: <COL403-EAS245F565E7A32A664D2B52B1BB600@phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"
>
> Albuca appears to be pollinated by bees:
>
> http://m.aob.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/…
>
> Travis Owen
> Rogue River, OR
>
> http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/
> http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Subject: Digest Footer
>
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>
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