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Today's Topics:

1. Re: Summer treatment of Nerine sarniensis (J.E. Shields)
2. Re: Pancratium (ang.por@alice.it)
3. Re: Summer treatment of Nerine sarniensis (J.E. Shields)
4. Re: Summer treatment of Nerine sarniensis (Lee Poulsen)
5. R: pbs Digest, Vol 66, Issue 8 (ang.por@alice.it)
6. Help Cultivate the Eastern Cactus & Succulent Conference!
(James Waddick)
7. Re: Summer treatment of Nerine sarniensis (MATT MATTUS)
8. > (Donald Barnett)
9. Re: Proboscidea althaeifolia (Unicorn Plant/Devils claw)
(Eugene Zielinski)
10. Fritillaria imperialis (James Waddick)
11. Re: Fritillaria imperialis (Lauw de Jager)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:05:20 -0400
From: "J.E. Shields" <jshields@indy.net>
Subject: Re: [pbs] Summer treatment of Nerine sarniensis
To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <5.1.0.14.2.20080711135743.02884168@pop.indy.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

Anyone who ordered Nerine bulbs from Nick de Rothschild will need to get
them through summer in good health, as those sarniensis hybrids are all
winter growing, as far as I know.

I've summered sarniensis hybrids with limited success for many
years. Leaving the bulbs in the greenhouse over summer, as I do for
Haemanthus and Lachenalia, is not good. As the others reported, the bulbs
dry up and barely survive.

One summer they sat outdoors under a table, getting some rain but not full
exposure, and did very well. Another summer outdoors, wetter, did several
of them in.

This year, I am summering the sarniensis hybrids in my basement. I guess
I
should probably spritz them lightly with water once or twice before autumn
comes.

Jim Shields
in central Indiana (USA)

At 09:59 AM 7/11/2008 -0700, you wrote:

*************************************************
Jim Shields USDA Zone 5 Shields Gardens, Ltd.
P.O. Box 92 WWW: http://www.shieldsgardens.com/
Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA
Tel. ++1-317-867-3344 or toll-free 1-866-449-3344 in USA

------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:49:12 +0200
From: <ang.por@alice.it>
Subject: Re: [pbs] Pancratium
To: <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID:
<DAEBCA2255C7414DB7588D8D8EE1DE6104A28BD5@FBCMST06V01.fbc.local>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Pancratium illyricum should be the hardiest of the genus, it growing cycle
is quite short indeed, leafing out in late March (here in zone 9b) and
withering in late June, so the bulbs don't increase so much ever year. I
have raised many from seed and after some years they are still very small.
Anyway, even P. matitimum and canariense are quite slow from seed.

Angelo Porcelli
Apulia - south of Italy

Alice Messenger ;-) chatti anche con gli amici di Windows Live Messenger e
tutti i telefonini TIM!
<http://maileservizi.alice.it/alice_messenger/…>

------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:49:41 -0400
From: "J.E. Shields" <jshields@indy.net>
Subject: Re: [pbs] Summer treatment of Nerine sarniensis
To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <5.1.0.14.2.20080711141141.039fef48@pop.indy.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

I forgot to mention that Nick recommends using fertilizers that have no
nitrogen in them. Sir Peter Smithers said the same thing. So I made up
my
own Nerine Fertilizer: equal partsd b y weight of Potassium sulfate
[K2SO4] and of Dibasic Potassium Phosphate [K2HPO4] which gives a
fertilizer with N-P-K of about 0 - (15 to 23) - (35 to 40) depending on
whether you use the USA or the metric ratios.

Nitrogen causes all but the thread-leaf Nerine species to get sick. The
sick plants look like they have a virus infection, but I have no idea what
the actual problem is.

Jim Shields

*************************************************
Jim Shields USDA Zone 5 Shields Gardens, Ltd.
P.O. Box 92 WWW: http://www.shieldsgardens.com/
Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA
Tel. ++1-317-867-3344 or toll-free 1-866-449-3344 in USA

------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:55:20 -0700
From: Lee Poulsen <wpoulsen@pacbell.net>
Subject: Re: [pbs] Summer treatment of Nerine sarniensis
To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <4877AC98.7090506@pacbell.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Nerine sarniensis are sometimes called "Guernsey Lilies" because of a
bunch of them that naturalized on the island of Guernsey after a
shipwreck several centuries ago.

I couldn't find the rainfall pattern for Guernsey, but here is the
monthly rainfall data for Cherbourg, France, which is nearby. I seems
quite a bit of rain can fall even in the summertime. The average
temperature at the Guernsey airport is very mild as well. The hottest
average daily temperature is only about 61?F/16?C during July and August.

--Lee Poulsen
Pasadena, California, USDA Zone 10a

Average Monthly Rainfall, Cherbourg, France:
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug
Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
mm 92.8 69.9 62.8 53.2 49.3 43.4 51.9
63.1 74.2 108.9 117.4 111.8 899.3
inches 3.7 2.8 2.5 2.1 1.9 1.7 2.0 2.5 2.9
4.3 4.6 4.4 35.4

Clayton3120 wrote:

------------------------------

Message: 5
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 21:06:48 +0200
From: <ang.por@alice.it>
Subject: [pbs] R: pbs Digest, Vol 66, Issue 8
To: <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID:
<DAEBCA2255C7414DB7588D8D8EE1DE6104A28BD6@FBCMST06V01.fbc.local>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Yes Mary Sue, I refer right to that batch of seeds. The seedlings have
grown well and have erect coaling leaves

Angelo Porcelli

****************
Rhoda and Cameron gave away seeds of this plant to our group in 2004. Any
of you wish to report how your plants are doing?

Mary Sue

------------------------------

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End of pbs Digest, Vol 66, Issue 8
**********************************

Alice Messenger ;-) chatti anche con gli amici di Windows Live Messenger e
tutti i telefonini TIM!
<http://maileservizi.alice.it/alice_messenger/…>

------------------------------

Message: 6
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:15:54 -0500
From: James Waddick <jwaddick@kc.rr.com>
Subject: [pbs] Help Cultivate the Eastern Cactus & Succulent
Conference!
To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <p0624082ec49d608e50f4@[192.168.1.101]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"

Dear PBS Friends,
I am sort of surprised that there has been response or
comments about this plea for involvement.
I don't know anything about this group, but membership groups
of all kinds (including PBS?) are in trouble these days. Whether
local garden clubs, national societies and activities of all sorts.

I know that if I were any bit closer to MA, I'd consider
signing up and going.

And that is not so hidden plea to consider renewing your
membership and involvement in PBS.

Recently I was at a bigger garden center and found two
interesting bulbs in the rows of pots of labelled cacti and
succulents. One was an Ornithgalum with tufts of grassy thin leaves
coming out of exposed bulbs, and the other was a long emergent
exposed bulb, but I can't recall the genus. A familiar name, but an
odd plant.

Best Jim W.

--
Dr. James W. Waddick
8871 NW Brostrom Rd.
Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711
USA
Ph. 816-746-1949
Zone 5 Record low -23F
Summer 100F +

------------------------------

Message: 7
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:18:06 -0400
From: MATT MATTUS <mmattus@charter.net>
Subject: Re: [pbs] Summer treatment of Nerine sarniensis
To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <C49D383E.4D51%mmattus@charter.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

I continue to water my Nerine sarniensis only slight'y, during the summer.
Actually, it might better be said that I run the hose overthem two or
three
time during the summer. Hardly an expert, I did research a little bit by
reading some horticultural research papers a few years ago from Acta
horticulturae and switched my routine based on what commercial growers
we're
discovering about these Amaryllid's which included the fact that they form
staged flower buds two or three years in advance, deep inside the bulb,
and
that they actually have quite active root growth in the summer, contrary
to
the belief that they want to 'go dormant', the roots seem to grow more in
this time, and I think that my bulbs actually become more turgid when
provided some rain water during the hot summer, rather than allowing the
pots to dry out.

Last year, Mary Sue posted this fabulous article by Mr. Sloan, and it was
very helpful.

Since I have had a bit of luck with the Nerine sarniensis crosses I have,
I
will share briefly, what I do.

Soil - Pro Mix ( a commercial peat/Perlite based potting mix) and Gravel
50/50 is the ratio. Lately, for gravel, I have been using a product called
Espoma Soil Perfector, which I love for alpines and other South African
bulbs.
Pots - 6 inch square plastic pots
I begin watering around September 1, or the first weekend that we in New
England receive a Canadian cold front, signaling the end of summer.
I await for buds, which will show by the end of the month, and by
mid-October, many will be in peak bloom.

I do fertilize, but carefully, and only about once a month with only rain
water, or I move the pots outside to enjoy the late summer and early
autumn
thunderstorms. After that, until blooming, they get a weak 10.10.10 at
first, and later in the year, from February - May, with a 0.0.10, or a
0.6.10. These are the analysis of some organic fertilizers for Orchids or
Tomatoes, or root-boost/Bloom products, really, it's just a little of
whatever I can get which is low in Nitrogen. I try to stay away from salt
and soluable treatments.

The foliage dies around late May for me, and I used to move the pots up
onto
a wire bench, where summer temps can reach 110 degrees F, ( like this
year)
but just recently moved them onto a slightly damp sand bed, where the
cyclamen spend the winter, It is slightly damp, and then, I splash them
slightly.

The roots seem to like to delve deeper, into the damp sand bed, perhaps
looking for water, so I treat these Nerine in the same way one would treat
Cyclamen graecum, who are sharing this space....which also seem to need
water during the summer dormancy, something I learned from John Lonsdale
when I complained that my C. graecum never seemed to survive the summer in
the greenhouse, dry.

I have resisted repoting these pots on, from the 6" square plastic, and I
could use some advice. Four years ago, I repotted most of my Nerine up a
few
sizes, on from the 3 inch clay pots which I used to grow them in ( as
advised by Sir Peter Smithers). One year I tried 6 inch plastic pots, and
used simply Pro Mix potting soil, and kept a few dozen plants in a plunge
bed which was kept damp, and the result were so promising, that the
following year, I converted most of my collection over.

Now, my collection is not large, only about 70 pots, but these 6 inch pots
are not bulging, and many have four or five mature bulbs in them. Part of
me
want to pot them up into larger pots, since I do have one in a 12 inch
pan,
and it has magnificent foliage, but rarely blooms. I may break up some and
repot them individually again, and then I may keep some pot-bound.

If anyone has any advice, please let me know. My flowering rate did
improve
with the addition of a little water in the summer, to nearly 80% last
year.
But who knows, this year, I have been lazy, and it has been hotter than
usual, so many bulbs are actually smaller. But I did start splashing some
water this week, so we shall see!

Perhaps the biggest risk will be the heating costs for this coming winter.
I
just had my gas tank filled for the greenhouse, and it is nearly twice
what
it cost to fill in March!

Matt Mattus

Worcester, Massachusetts
USA

Zone 5B-ish

On 7/11/08 12:59 PM, "Clayton3120" <Clayton3120@cablespeed.com> wrote:

------------------------------

Message: 8

I have grown many of the Annual Proboscidea and was fortunate
to collect some seed of Perennial Proboscidea althaeifolia.
I have already tried about 10 seeds and after a month ive
given up. I can germ Proboscidea parviflora & Proboscidea
louisianica easily but not Proboscidea althaeifolia. Can
anyone give me some advice?