Ipheion sellowiana

Ipheion sellowiana
John T Lonsdale (Sat, 14 Apr 2007 04:46:16 PDT)

Very interesting, thanks Tony. I'm going to get all mine together today and
keep them moister until they really cry out for a dryer period. I've not
tried that, I tend to stop watering them when the narcissus they are with go
down, and that will be within the next month or so.

John T Lonsdale PhD
407 Edgewood Drive,
Exton, Pennsylvania 19341, USA

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USDA Zone 6b

John:

I haven't kept good notes on their dormancy period, but seem to recall
that they keep foliage most of the summer.

John T Lonsdale wrote:

"We only turn the irrigation on in this region in the summer months when
it gets very dry...say, no rain in 7-10 days, but it gets all natural
rainfall, which could easily be 6-8" in big storm. Moisture has not
proven to be a problem with Nothoscordum sellowianum."

Thanks Tony. Alberto Castillo always said that these plants prefer some
moisture when dormant, it actually helps them as they have perennial

roots.

I still have a natural aversion to keeping dormant bulbs moist during the
summer, especially when potted, but this is further evidence (I wasn't
doubting you Alberto!) that it could be a good thing for these fellows.
Keeping the plants dry like the major part of my bulb collection certainly
doesn't kill the bulbs but they do seem to take a long time to get going
each year.

When do yours go dormant and when do they green up again?