Moraea
Leo A. Martin (Sat, 11 Jun 2005 09:56:27 PDT)

Hans wrote

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vegeta

I have read M. alticola is a summer-grower from high altitude and it
grows in very wet or swamp conditions. It is supposed to tolerate USDA
zone 6.

The rest are winter growers.

I have never been to Africa but my friends who have been there in the
winter say they always saw bulbs growing in the wet ditches by the roadside.

I am growing a lot of Moraea species from seed but none have bloomed
yet. I read they do well in sandy soil, maybe half or more sand, and
very deep pots. My seedlings are in pots about 150 mm deep. When they
are mature I will use deeper pots still.

They like water during the growing season. Don't let them dry out when
growing. They should remain completely dry when dormant. I find most
winter-growing bulbs bloom and grow better if they are stored dormant in
a very warm place.

I have read many things about fertilizing and I don't know what is true.
I used ammonium sulfate, about 5 grams per liter, once a week for my
seedlings.

The winter growers don't mind a little frost at night. They were fine
here at my house with night temperatures down to -5C for short periods
of time.

Mature plants should like a lot of winter sun, especially in Germany.
Maybe also M. alticola likes a lot of sun in the summer there.

For now, you might plant the species in separate pots that are very
deep. Water them all once lightly. Put the winter-growers into a warm
spot to dry out and store them in a very warm spot.

I would put the M. alticola in a sunny spot and water it a lot, even
before it grows. In the fall when the leaves start to turn yellow stop
watering and let it dry for the winter.

In the fall put the winter-growers into a sunny spot and begin to water
them heavily. They should sprout and start growing. I have found here
that most of the winter bulbs need a lot of water in the fall to wake up
and grow.

A great book is

The Moraeas of South Africa
Peter Goldblatt (text)
Fay Anderson (watercolors)
Annals of Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens 14
1986
ISBN 0 620 09974 7

I found mine at Rainbow Gardens Bookshop in the US for 40 dollars but
that was some years ago. Today I see it there for 50 dollars. I think
you can find it in the EU.

http://www.rainbowgardensbookshop.com/

If you really like bulbs you should also get
The Color Encyclopedia of Cape Bulbs
J.Manning P.Goldblatt D.Snijman
Timber Press
0 88192 547 0
2002

This one is still only 55 dollars, which is very cheap for such a
wonderful book. It covers the winter-rainfall portion of the Cape.

Leo A. Martin
Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Continue, because you must.
--Goethe