Lachenalia 'Franzee'

Judy Glattstein jglatt@hughes.net
Wed, 25 Oct 2006 09:59:57 PDT
It was last year that Shoprite supermarket had the African Beauty hybrid 
lachenalia, several cultivars. Thought I'd written / asked about them 
then but perhaps I have a memory lapse. Anyhow, here's an update. I 
bought 'Franzee' as at the time it was the only one not past bloom and I 
was reluctant to spend ? hmm, I think $8 or $9 for an out-of-bloom 
unknown. This year I found lots of offsets when I repotted in September. 
Had sufficient for two pots. They are all growing away in excellent 
manner. The pot which has the larger size bulbs is showing clusters of 
small offsets tight to the main growth point. Perhaps hidden within the 
scales? No sign of flower buds as yet, but it is early in their cycle.

When I repotted this year I followed a piece of advice from Scott 
Canning, Director of Horticulture at Wave Hill, and added a pinch of 
bone meal to the potting mix. I put it towards the bottom of the potting 
medium and then added more unamended mix. I find that bonemeal 
throughout the potting medium may result in scuzzy yucky white mold-like 
growth on the soil surface. Anyhow, this year many of the lachenalia are 
showing a lovely rosy flush at the base of the leaves, and growth seems 
more vigorous. Any comments?

regards from Judy in overcast New Jersey where maples and tulip poplar 
(Liriodendron tulipifera) are bare


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