Tecophilaea/plant mixes, etc.
Lee Poulsen (Mon, 01 Aug 2005 14:20:24 PDT)

Well, I grow my Tecophilaeas in the same mix I use for my Cape bulbs
(such as Lachenalia). I also grow them on exactly the same schedule and
watering as those. They come up a little later in the fall, but
otherwise I grow them under the same conditions. I also don't water
during the summer. But I do keep the dormant pots in shade all through
the summer. So they may still get as warm as ambient temperatures,
which are often in the 90's F (upper 30's C) during the day. My mix is
based on a standard potting soil made of peat, sand, shredded bark,
compost, etc. mixed with generous amounts of gravel, Turface, very
small scoria, pumice, and commercial cactus potting soil so that it is
very well drained, but still retains plenty of moisture.

I will re-note that summers in Chile and California are significantly
drier than in the other mediterranean regions of Australia, South
Africa, Maui highlands, and the Mediterranean basin. (See the rainfall
plots I made that Mary Sue put on the wiki at
<http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/…>.)

--Lee Poulsen
Pasadena area, California, USDA Zone 9-10