Bulbs that can be converted to another cycle--TOW
Mary Sue Ittner (Mon, 27 Oct 2003 12:15:49 PST)

Dear All,

The topic for this week is bulbs that can be converted to another cycle. I
couldn't quite figure out how to phrase this so it would be shorter and
clearer. I am hoping that all of you will share your experiences trying to
grow bulbs a different way than the would be found in nature. Have any of
you in cold climates been able to grow tender bulbs in the summer that
would not survive your climates otherwise? Have any of you with harsh hot
summers been able to grow plants that would like it cooler at another time,
say spring? I know that Lisa Flaum has been trying to turn winter growers
into summer growers and I hope she will share how it is going. Some plants
must respond to light and temperature one would think.

A number of years ago a man from Seattle told that he could grow Ferraria
in summer there and found it just wasn't happy in his long wet cool winter,
but grew quite happily in his cool dryer summers when there was more light.
I am wondering what other things could be treated this way.

Andrew Wilson sent me a piece of a Pelargonium. I'm not sure if is one that
counts as a geophyte, but he was definitely able to send this piece to me
that looked like a dry stick. Although it had gone dormant for the summer
already, when I watered it, it sprung to life and even starting blooming
late summer.

A friend told me of buying Sandersonia at the local farmer's market as a
late harvest flower in fall. This one obviously can be grown at different
times of the year.

Slightly related to this, has anyone found that when they buy a bulb from
another hemisphere that starts to grow at the wrong time that they can keep
it growing at this time. I got two bulbs of Boophone from Rhoda and Cameron
and I am wondering if I can keep them winter growing.

No one responded about Peter's Daubenya. Have others found that Daubenya
aurea is fall blooming for them instead of spring?

So please share your experiences everyone. I know there are some people
really eager to hear about this.

Mary Sue

PBS List Administrator, Wiki Worker, TOW Coordinator (Whew!)