From: pbs-request@lists.ibiblio.org
Sent: May 17, 2009 1:21 PM
To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: pbs Digest, Vol 76, Issue 17

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Today's Topics:

1. Re: Tulipa sprengeri (totototo@telus.net)
2. Re: pbs Digest, Vol 76, Issue 16-Gladiolus tristus (Paul Licht)
3. Isophysis tasmanica (Justin Smith)
4. Re: Isophysis tasmanica (Robert Hamilton)
5. Re: Isophysis tasmanica (Justin Smith)
6. Re: Isophysis tasmanica (Dennis Kramb)

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Message: 1
Date: Sat, 16 May 2009 10:47:12 -0700
From: totototo@telus.net
Subject: Re: [pbs] Tulipa sprengeri
To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <4A0E99B0.12099.152B26@localhost>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

On 16 May 2009, at 8:13, James Waddick wrote:

That makes two of us.

I've been growing it for about 20 years. Yes, it self-sows with reasonable
freedom _in_ _the_ _garden_ but not under wild-ish conditions. My house is at
the end of a long (300') lane that is rather wild, and over the years I've
tried to introduce various ornamentals there. Very few have established. Along
the line of my water line, which was backfilled with pit run gravel (i.e. sand
and gravel mixed), there is some Tulipa sprengeri, but it neither flowers
freely nor sets seed well, perhaps because of a lack of light from trees
overhead, perhaps from the lean soil they grow in, perhaps from root
competition with the trees.

In 1997 on a visit to Saltspring Island, I took along a huge quantity of T.s.
seed and spent an afternoon sprinkling it here and there along the rough
roadsides. To my knowledge, no T.s. blooms on Saltspring Island. I cannot say,
however, if this is because the seed was eaten by critters, or the flower buds
form but are eaten by deer. Whichever, it's clearly not easy to establish
outside the garden by scattering seed.

I believe the bulbs do, in fact, multiply if they are growing well. I
definitely have clumps of T.s. here and there.

It is a common plant as seed, uncommon as a bulb. Christine Skelmersdale wrote
a squib on the Broadleigh nursery for a commemorative issue of either the AGS
or SRGC bulletin, and remarked how difficult it is to find the bulbs when
customers order them. They burrow down very deeply in their special bed, and
aren't very large. I wondered at the time if fly screen would suffice to keep
them from burrowing more deeply.

When the AGS got its seed exchange going around 1950, E. B. Anderson, who ran
the exchange in its first years specifically said "no Tulipa sprengeri" in his
advice to donors. It was considered too common and weedy, I suppose. But otoh,
EBA was an expert bulb grower so his perspective was a tad biased. It's a plant
I wouldn't want to be without and I don't mind that it's gradually turning up
here and there in my garden.

I have a bulb or two of purported 'Trotter's Form' from exchange seed, but I
see no difference between it and what usually develops. I am not even sure what
the difference is supposed to be.

I suspect, Jim, that your difficulty with T.s. is (as so often the case) due to
climate. Our climate here, with its wet winters, bone dry summers, moderate
temperatures, and very few humid days is ideal for many Mediterranean bulbs,
hence T.s. does very well.

It may also be significant that our soils are naturally rather poor due to
leaching of soluble nutrients by heavy winter rains. They are quite deficient
in nitrogen, magnesium, and calcium in particular.

EBA used a strategy for growing summer-dry bulbs in the damp climates he
gardened in: he planted them among the roots of deciduous trees and shrubs. The
bulbs completed their growth cycle and were fading by the time the deciduous
material overhead started to leaf out and pump moisture from the soil
underneath. As long as T.s. gets adequate sun during its spring growth period,
it doesn't matter if it's shaded during the summer.

--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Maritime Zone 8, a cool Mediterranean climate
on beautiful Vancouver Island

http://maps.google.ca/maps/…

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Message: 2
Date: Sat, 16 May 2009 12:39:23 -0700
From: Paul Licht <plicht@berkeley.edu>
Subject: Re: [pbs] pbs Digest, Vol 76, Issue 16-Gladiolus tristus
To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
Message-ID: <4A0F166B.2010403@berkeley.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

A word of caution on Gladiolus tristus. We have lots of experience with
it at the Garden. It is a great flower and one I am very fond of, but it
has to be watched carefully because it does too well. There are areas in
the Bay Area region where it has a tendency to be invasive; it has
certainly moved around in our collection. I think it may be safer in
other regions of the country and we have lots of bulbs we can sell
inexpensively.

Paul Licht, Director
Univ. California Botanical Garden
200 Centennial Drive
Berkeley, CA 94720
(510)-643-8999
http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/

pbs-request@lists.ibiblio.org wrote:

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Message: 3
Date: Sat, 16 May 2009 18:38:51 -0500
From: Justin Smith <oothal@hotmail.com>
Subject: [pbs] Isophysis tasmanica
To: <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <BAY124-W5095CB9991B15BC9B6A557DE5C0@phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"

Hi all,

I have several small plants of Isophysis tasmanica but they don't seem to be growing any at all. They just sit there.

Anyone have any experience with this species?

Thanks in advance,

Justin

Woodville, TX

My Alophia drummondii are blooming more this year than they ever have before. Must be a good year for them.

_________________________________________________________________
Hotmail? has ever-growing storage! Don?t worry about storage limits.
http://windowslive.com/Tutorial/Hotmail/…

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Message: 4
Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 21:07:11 +1000
From: Robert Hamilton <roberth6@mac.com>
Subject: Re: [pbs] Isophysis tasmanica
To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <BA08E4F6-CD95-4D53-936A-9E9E5B43BB9D@mac.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed

Hi Justin,

I am not sure that this will help too much but wanted to share my
experience anyway.

I visited Bathurst Harbour in Southwest Tasmania in late February
this year ,on a kayaking trip. During this time we climbed Mount
Beattie which overlooks the harbour . Near the top there were
plants of Isophysis tasmania and Blandfordia punicea growing in
conglomerate. I have posted an image below . There were other
plants growing in more conventional situations.

Its an alpine plant which I am sure would dislike your Texas summers .

http://idisk.mac.com/roberth6-Public/?view=web

Cheers,

Rob in Tasmania

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Message: 5
Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 11:42:16 -0500
From: Justin Smith <oothal@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [pbs] Isophysis tasmanica
To: <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <BAY124-W37F00595F35A1009C560A7DE5D0@phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"

Thanks for showing the pic. Seeing the mountains in the background, it is a lot different than I had imagined. I was not aware that I. tasmanica was an alpine species. I guess I will be happy if I can keep them alive until winter when I can provide nice cool growing conditions.

Thanks again for posting the pic!

Justin

_________________________________________________________________
Windows Live?: Keep your life in sync.
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Message: 6
Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 13:06:21 -0400
From: Dennis Kramb <dkramb@badbear.com>
Subject: Re: [pbs] Isophysis tasmanica
To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <4A10440D.7010508@badbear.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Nothing happens when I click on the BathurstHarbor.jpg
Oh well....

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End of pbs Digest, Vol 76, Issue 17
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