LEWISIA-2012

[krisderaeymaeker]

Nice pictures and plants anyone, thanks  !
Here Lewesia rediviva is flowering now . One of my favourites , maybe the best flowers of all . But on the other hand we get a very short period of joy with this one ....

[Martinr]

Nice rediviva Kris. They are several weeks from flowering here.

[TC]

Here is one of B&Q's cheepos - it cost me 5p last October !!.  Not bad flowering for that price.

[Lesley Cox]

Yes, a pretty good 5p's worth Tom.

[ranunculus]

My lewisias this week.

[Croquin]

These ones are almost getting wild in the garden, striving without care and having survived the -20°C of last winter as well as the +40°C and extreme drought of last summer - not bad a reward for a few seeds dropped there.



Do you know how long is it usually blooming ?

[Martinr]

You should get 2-3 weeks but shorter if temperatures soar. If you deadhead you'll probably get a second flush in late June.

[Croquin]

thanks Martinr.
do you know if self-sows and spreads easily in a garden ?

[Martinr]

Croquin, it depends............If it is a fertile clone it should set seed.They germinate quite freely in the sand plunge of my Alpine House. They do not survive winter outdoors here very easily as it is usually too wet and they rot off at the neck. Some will grow outdoors here in the right position but I've given up trying for the moment. You may do better than me if you have fairly reliable snow cover. It might be worth collecting some of the seed and growing under glass until you find out if they will self sow in your garden.

[Croquin]

thanks for sharing Martin.

I'll collect some of the seeds and leave the others.
I suppose that you have to sow them as soon as they ripe, is it coorect ?

[Martinr]

You can sow them straight away or keep them and sow early winter

[Croquin]

OK Martin, I'll sow ASAP, so that plants have grown a bit before winter and can eventually bloom next spring.
Or, as I fear, is it the kind of plant that has patient seeds requiring exposure to cold, waiting until spring to germinate ?
If it is seasonal germination, nothing.
But if it is germinating after cold stratification, maybe I can manage something ?
What would you say ?

[Martinr]

I would sow when ripe and leave exposed to the cold (but not too wet) through winter in a cold frame or something else which will stop them being very wet, I doubt they will germinate this year but you never know!

[David Nicholson]

I'm having my worst Lewisia season ever with only one cotyledon flowered so far. The only thing I have done differently this year is to grow in plastic pots rather than in clays-ah well!

One that doesn't seem to have been affected-Lewisia columbiana var. rupicola

[Martinr]

David, you're not alone. Most Lewisia growers I've met at shows this year have been grumbling.