Bulbs that can be converted to another cycle--TOW
Mary Sue Ittner (Tue, 28 Oct 2003 16:23:00 PST)

Dear Angelo,

Zantedeschia aethiopica in spite of its name is one of the two winter
rainfall species. We saw it blooming a lot in the winter on our trips to
South Africa so it is not turned around for you, but growing as it normally
does. It has naturalized in Northern California, especially in spots that
stay wet for a long time.

Freesia alba has a wide distribution including winter rainfall areas and
year round rainfall areas so it isn't on an opposite cycle necessarily either.

The Boophone is an interesting one because some varieties of it grow in
winter and some in summer. What I am wondering is if I can make the one I
have that came from Rhoda in the Southern Hemisphere that was a summer
growing one become a winter growing one. As we continue to have really warm
temperatures here, it wouldn't recognize that it is fall. The Haemanthus
montanus I got from Rhoda did not start to leaf out until this week even
though I watered it when I planted it when I got it early summer and
occasionally there after. Now I think that was very considerate of it as it
seems to be emerging when it should, having experienced a longer than usual
dormancy.

Has anyone gotten Leucocoryne from Brent and Becky and gotten it to stay
summer growers? I have wondered if they like so many other things sold at
the wrong time of the year would revert to a winter growing schedule. Or
would it be one of those that you could dry out and store warm until you
wanted to plant them?

So Lisa Flaum, are you going to tell us what you have succeeded growing as
summer growers that normally are winter growers?

Mary Sue