katharinae On 28/06/2010, at 9:48 PM, jonathanhutchinson@rhs.org.uk wrote: > The correct spelling for the Scadoxus multiflorus subspecies is > actually katharinea, named after Katharine Saunders .... Not a lot > of people know that. > > -----Original Message----- > From: pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:pbs- > bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of J.E. Shields > Sent: 27 June 2010 19:46 > To: Pacific Bulb Society > Subject: [pbs] Haemanthus and Scadoxus Culture > > I'll post some notes on these two genera here in response to an > inquiry. > > HAEMANTHUS > > Most Haemanthus seem to be winter-growing, especially those native > to the > Western Cape and Northern Cape provinces in South Africa. These > include > the following: > > amarylloides > barkerae > canaliculata > coccineus > crispus > dasyphyllus > lanceifolius > namaqunensis > nortieri > pubescens > sanguineus > tristus > unifoliatus > > > Others are summer-growing. They are found in eastern South Africa, > from > Mpumalanga to KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape provinces. These > are: > > carneus > humilis humilis > humilis hirsutus > montanus > > When the bulb is dormant, keep it absolutely dry. The winter- > growing bulbs > stay in the greenhouse all summer long, with no water. We do move > the pots > to beneath the benches, and the glass is painted with a heavy coat of > shading compound. The exhaust fan runs most of the time, > controlled by a > thermostat set at around 80 F (ca. 27 C). The greenhouse air is > often as > hot as 125 F (52 C) on sunny summer afternoons. Mature bulbs seem to > tolerate this. > > The summer-growing bulbs spend the winter in that greenhouse and > the summer > outdoors in full sun (and rain). In winter, that same greenhouse > may get > as cold as 33 or 34 F (+01 C) at night. They spend the winters dry > in that > greenhouse. > > Finally, a few species, mainly from the Drakensberg, are evergreen > and may > need some water off and on all year long: > > albiflos > deformis > pauculifolius > > H. albiflos and H. pauculifolius grow like weeds, but H. deformis > barely > struggles along under my care. > > When you grow Haemanthus from seed, try to keep the young seedlings > growing > continuously for the first two years. This means they have to be > in a mild > (68-75 F or 20-23 C) environment with long daylight (fluorescent > lights on > timers for 16 hrs on/8 hrs off) for the entire time. Keep them well > watered and well fertilized. Finally at 18 to 24 months of age, > when their > parent-bulb growing season is starting, move them into the > greenhouse and > put them on their normal winter- or summer-growth schedule. > > SCADOXUS > > I only have experience with Scadoxus multiflorus katherinae, S. > membranaceus, and S. puniceus. All three are summer-growing and, > under my > conditions, deciduous in winter. All three go outdoors in Spring > (May, > here) after all danger of frost is past and stay there till September > (early autumn). > > S. puniceus is by far the easiest to grow. It blooms in February, > just > before the new leaves appear. > > S, membranaceus and multiflorus katherinae bloom less reliably for > me; I > have the feeling they would do better if they were grown evergreen, > but my > greenhouse conditions do not seem to allow that. > > I hope this is of some help to enthusiasts of Haemanthus and Scadoxus. > > Jim Shields > in hot and humid central Indiana > USA > > > Note: I have most of but not all of the Haemanthus species I > listed, so > there is a little extrapolation involved in my comments. > > ************************************************* > 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 > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ > > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/