Olsynium douglasii winter treatment

Dan Pogust via pbs pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net
Sat, 09 Oct 2021 13:50:00 PDT
Hi Cody,

I’m in Portland, OR and I’ve seen personally where Olsynium douglasii grows
and I also know a handful of people who grow them as well. I used to have
one but I was very cautious with my winter watering regimen my first couple
years growing bulbs and I lost a handful of things including (I think) the
O. douglasii. As an East Coast transplant, it feels a little wrong to water
something in the winter haha.

I also grow Lewisia rediviva which grows naturally amongst O. douglasii in
the gorge in some locations. I have found that if I didn’t water
extensively during the winter, my Lewisia would have tiny flowers that
lasted a day or so. My bulbs and rhizomes usually didn’t pop up until
December/January and then May/June/July dormancy was right around the
corner.

I’ve since realized that I need to begin watering as soon as the weather
turns. As soon as the days are in the 70s, I water things. If we get a day
where it’s over 82, I skip watering and mist everything to cool down the
soil + pots. I now water almost every sunny/partly cloudy day with a
watering can (for even distribution) and things do amazingly including that
Lewisia.

So whether or not my Olsynium douglasii made it through dormant and
unlabeled, I like to think that my Lewisia (very drought tolerant) may be
that Canary in the Coal Mine to tell me that the changes I’ve made since
have been good.

TL;DR: I water when we /should/ be getting rain  which is in later
September/early October /and/or when the weather turns and that is the
ideal time to begin watering in the PNW.

I also use a very fast draining, aerated mix that I discovered randomly
over the years. I would adjust the frequency of watering for your own
needs. Start date should be the same for you if not maybe a little earlier.

I know some others in the PNW have not started watering as much as I have,
but I have excessive, baking southern exposure that dries things out like
crazy.

Hope this helps! Good luck!
Dan
Inner Portland, Oregon, 2.5 miles from the Willamette

On Sat, Oct 9, 2021 at 13:31 Cody H via pbs <
pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> wrote:

> Hello bulb experts,
>
> I acquired a few forms of Olsynium dousglasii this spring, all originally
> from the Columbia gorge region. They went dormant in late June, and I kept
> them in the shade and most mostly dry for the rest of the summer, with just
> a very occasional splash of water—same treatment I use for my
> summer-dormant Tropaeolums. The Tropaeolums are already showing signs of
> life. The Olsyniums look healthy (small buds atop little clusters of
> healthy looking roots), but I don’t expect them to break dormancy until
> late winter.
>
> My question is: do any of you grow Olsynium douglasii in pots? What do you
> do with the plants over the winter? The Columbia gorge is wettest in the
> winter, but I hesitate to let them get too wet in their pots while they’re
> dormant. I have lost things in the past though from desiccation during
> dormancy as well. Curious what works (or didn’t work) for others?
>
> Thanks in advance for your advice!
>
> Cody
> Rather moist maritime-premontane zone 8a-ish
> Western Washington at the foothills of the cascades
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