Nerine Experience
Mary Sue Ittner (Tue, 28 Sep 2004 08:19:59 PDT)

Dear Jim and Joe,

I don't believe either of you were members of our list when we discussed
Nerine as the topic of the week. Hamish Sloan provided some first rate
introductions I have referenced below. And there was discussion that month
as well (April 2003).

http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbslist/old.php/…
http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbslist/old.php/…

When I complained to Rod Saunders about my difficulty getting Nerine to
flower he told me I should be growing the winter rainfall ones. Since that
time I am doing better getting the summer rainfall species to bloom since
they are mostly all in pots where I can give them regular water and
occasional liquid fertilizer. With one exception my ground is too dry in
summer to have them in the ground. I am less successful with the winter
rainfall ones which I should be able to grow which is a contrast from my
usual experience. I ordered Nerine humilis (a winter rainfall species) from
Rhoda and Cameron when we did a group order a couple years ago and it is
now in synch with this hemisphere so perhaps next year it will bloom.

Nerine platypetala and Nerine angustifolia have just about finished
blooming and N. masoniorum and N. filifolia are just starting. I grow one
that Jim Robinett called a cross between N. flexuousa and undulata, but
flexuosa is now considered to be undulata and the one I have in a pot is
blooming now. For two or three years now some of these I planted in the
ground have bloomed, but usually later than the container ones and so far I
don't see a spike.

One of my pots of Nerine bowdenii has scapes, but not the other.

On the other hand the Nerine sarniensis that I got from the Zinkowsi rescue
are hit or miss bloomers. I have tried more water in summer, more heat in
summer, but haven't yet got it figured out. Two of my pots have scapes at
the moment and one started opening yesterday, but many of the rest are
producing leaves so they may skip this year (again). Many of the ones that
have bloomed have been so incredibly beautiful that I am loath to give up
on them. I have a few going from seed I saved so will be curious to see if
those will be more reliable. They are still small at the moment.

Mary Sue