Albuca Spiralis

[maggiepie]

I received some Albuca Spiralis seeds in my lucky dip surplus seeds, they have germinated in a baggie with damp vermiculite, not sure what I am supposed to do with them now.
Any advice would be appreciated.

[Ezeiza]

Pot them in VERY gritty soil. They are desert plants and the habit of corkscrew leaves is obtained when they are grown on th edry side. Full sun. Frost free. Grow for as long as possible. Baked dry in summer.

[maggiepie]

Ezeiza, can they all be in the same pot until they get bigger?
I must say I was really pleased when I received the seeds in the lucky dip and had googled them.
They look to be very interesting plants.

[Ezeiza]

Actually, seedlings left together in the same pot to compete with each other, far outgrow those that are given ample space.

They are fantastic plants. Another similar one is Albuca circinata.

We grow most or all our South African bulbs and corms in a 10 cm. (12 cm. at times) pot for the first season. For the second season on they are given more space mainly because of the depth many of them try to reach.

[maggiepie]

Thanks for the advice, I hope they aren't doomed.
I do wonder though, when they would flower ( providing they survive) in a cold zone, do you think they could flower indoors?
Where do you live?

[Ezeiza]

I live some distance away, near Buenos Aires, Argentina.

I don't think your plants are doomed. Something important for these plants indoors is air circulation. A small fan moving the air around will greatly help.

Yes will flower from the third season on. The flowers are miniature, a dull greenish yellow, nothing to faint at, but all Albucas are fascinating in their complexity.

Best
Alberto

[maggiepie]

Thank you Alberto, you have really cheered me up.
My house has plenty of air movement in winter, the air exchanger helps.
Winter is so much easier to bear when you have interesting plants to look at and tend to.

[Carlo]

One other note Maggie,

Although they are dryland plants, make sure not to make them TOO dry as seedlings. They need some critical mass before they start getting the 'lean' treatment...

[maggiepie]

Thanks Carlo, I hope I can muddle through and keep them alive, I haven't potted them up yet.
 I should do that today.

[maggiepie]

My little seedlings are doing well and even showing signs of starting to curl, am wondering when they might start to go dormant.
At the moment they aren't showing signs of it but the weather has been cold lately after some hot days.
Hoping someone might have a clue 

[Lesley Cox]

Albucas generally, being summer flowering, will go dormant after flowering and (?) seed set, probably autumn to late autumn. I'd keep them going as long as possible though, to get as much size as you can, before sleepy time.

[Ezeiza]

Hi Helen:

             Curling is realted to water stress conditions. If they are well watered the leaves may even grow stiff.

             Typically, seedlings behave diferently than adult plants. They may grow without signs of going dormant long after mature plants of the same species are. The longer they grow the fatter the resulting bulbs, as Lesley says. Under normal conditions, they bulbs will be dormant for the summer and resprout very early in the autumn (here in February, which is later summer). In many Albucas, the fleshy roots are perennial.

[maggiepie]

Lesley and Alberto, I was under the impression that they flowered in winter here, I think I must be doing everything backwards.
How do you prolong growth for as long as possible??

[Ezeiza]

In my mild climate, if they are winter growers like you Albuca spiralis, when spring arrives I move the pot gradually to a hakf day shade or even the whole day out of direct sunshine. Of course in this latitude the reflected (indirect) sunshine is strong.

Albuca spiralis flowers in spring and is dormant in summer.

[maggiepie]

My seedlings have not gone dormant as yet.
I just tipped out some of the soil to see if they had made bulbs.
It looks like there's no room left in the pot.
Not sure what to do with them now.
The pot is a 3X3.5 inch pot.

Any advice would be appreciated.