Encouraging Calochortus to Set Seed

Giant Coreopsis giantcoreopsis@gmail.com
Wed, 14 Aug 2013 17:11:20 PDT
I’d appreciate any advice the *Calochortus* experts may have re: persuading
plants to set seed.  I have had great luck getting flowers and plenty of
pods, but a significant number of pods don’t produce viable seed. A capsule
develops (sometimes to full size) but stops developing before the seed
matures.  I am wondering if this is common in *Calochortuses* and if there
are common causes I can look to address when the season starts again.
(Everything’s
dormant now, I just happen to have a few minutes to pose the question…)



*More detail:*



·       We are located in the Los Angeles basin (closer to
Downtown/Hollywood than the beach, for those who know our micro-climates).  So
it’s not as warm as “The Valley”, but we don’t get the persistent marine
layer or coastal fog that they do in Santa Monica.

·       Plants are in full sun.

·       Plants are on hydro-zoned berms.  The soil is a mix of our local
decomposed granite and bark-based cactus mix (or peat moss, whatever I had
on hand) to a depth of 15”-20”. Below that, it’s adobe clay.  None of the
bulbs are anywhere near the clay at this point.

·       I stop watering after blooming ends.

·       Species include: *superbus, venustus, argillosus, luteus, albus,
amabilis, striatus, plummerae, palmeri (v palmeri and v munzi), clavatus *(*v
avius, v clavatus) *and* **weedii (various)*.

·       Blooms have been great for most of these.

·       Seed results have been inconsistent for most (with zero seed two
years running from *clavatus* and *weedii*).


Any thoughts are welcome.

Chris.



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