Polianthes geminiflora
Dennis Kramb (Fri, 25 Nov 2011 15:05:38 PST)

I resurrected an old message thread:

Okay, so I just re-read Dennis S's explanation about P. geminiflora. And
I'm finding it troubling to force a plant (seedling) into dormancy that is
quite happily green and growing.

I've heard advice to keep Hippeastrum seedlings green & growing their first
year or two. And my experience with Central American Gesneriads is that
they enter dormancy all by themselves, making it obvious to cut back the
watering.

So how do I bring myself to force these guys into dormancy when they are so
quite happily growing again on my windowsill?

Tough love?

I don't know if I'm that kind of parent. ;-)

Dennis in Cincinnati (where it was summer today)

On Mon, Jul 25, 2011 at 10:44 PM, Dennis Kramb <dkramb@badbear.com> wrote:

In winter I did that quite by luck. In winter time I kept them in a south
facing window where they got direct sunlight, but there was also a
fluorescent light for them too. They stayed ever green, and grew slowly.
I never allowed the soil to completely dry out. In summer, I set them
outdoors but they dried up once or twice in direct sun..... and they went
dormant. Now they are in a shadier spot getting regular water and they are
all coming back. I will keep them well watered as you suggested.

Thanks a bunch!

On Mon, Jul 25, 2011 at 12:53 PM, Dennis Szeszko <dszeszko@gmail.com>wrote:

Dennis:

A few notes about the culture of P. geminiflora. I have seen this species
growing in warm oak forests in Mexico that are seasonally very dry. They
grow in highly mineralized clay soils and are accustomed to a 6 month dry
season. Your mistake was in trying to keep them green during the winter,
when you should have let your plants die back naturally by withholding
water.

Recipe for success:

Water your plants and provide almost full sun from May 15 to October 15
but
then only just enough water (once per month?) to keep the soil from
completely drying out from October 15 to May 15. Almost all of the
bulbous
plants (Bessera, Tigridia, Calochortus etc) in the same habitat as P.
geminiflora react to the onset of summer rain by starting growth
immediately
after receiving a good soaking, so I'd be careful of overwatering during
the
dry season lest they commence growing unnaturally. This species grows in
warm temperate oak forests at around 1700 m., so it should adapt well to
growing outdoors in the US during the summer.

I hope this helps...

-Dennis

Polianthes geminiflora is a little perplexing to me. I thought I would
struggle to keep it happy through the winter, indoors under lights, but

in

actuality keeping it happy outside has been far more difficult. Most of
them died back, and are just now resprouting. I don't know what they
want... maybe more water, more shade, or less heat?

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