Brunsvigia gregaria

[Cris]

Hi,

I'm about to receive some seeds of this plant, but i don't know how to do to make them germinate.
I'm in Portugal, now the weather is hot, with the nights a little cold. I don't have greehouse.
Can you help me, please?
Thanks
Cris

[Carlo]

Cris,

What I'm about to suggest may be corrected, but I just returned from a trip to Portugal and suspect the weather you're experiencing is fine for the germination of Brunsvigia. The seed is typically sown fresh and green so don't delay when you receive it. A nice, well draining soil and a pot on your veranda ought to do the trick.

Viva Lisboa!

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Cris,
these seeds are thick and fleshy and should not be buried. The way I usually germinate Brunsvigia seed is to spread them out on the surface of the pot of a free draining potting mix which is topped with a layer of coarse sand. If the seed have already started forming their radicles, just push the root tip into the sand layer and they'll take it from there!
Keep the pot in a well lit but not hot area and keep the potting mix barely moist till the leaves start to sprout, then keep them growing with water or very weak liquid fertilizer fortnightly. When the foliage starts to yellow off keep them dry till autumn when they should be eased back into growth with a soaking (see Ian Young's Bulblog for that!)
They take a LOOOOOONNNGGGG time to flower from seed!
cheers
fermi

[Maggi Young]

Look at this link to see a photo of a Brunsvigia species in the wild....
http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantab/brunsvig.htm

without an idea of proper scale, don't they look like so many little pink blosson trees? 

[Cris]

Thanks for the replies.

I've already received them, they came already a bit germinated. I've sown them just like Fermides said.
I'll put a photo soon.

Carlo, I hope you have enjoied Lisbon.
Fermides, I'll wait paciently  for the flowers. I think the bulb must me very big to can flower, wrigth?
Maggy, what a wonderful field. That must be great to can see them "in loco".

Now the weather changed a bit, it started to rain, the cold at night is not so cold. I'm looking for a little greenhouse to put all the seeds inside.

[Carlo]

Some Brunsvigia (josephinae for example) are said to take up to 14 years to bloom! It is also reputed to be the world's largest true bulb (as opposed to the corms of Amorphophallus for example).

I've started  some seed of josephinae and will almost certainly be a grandfather before I see any flowers...

[Maggi Young]

We'll all wish you the best of health, then, Carlo.... and Cris... though Cris is SO delightfully young that she has more time than most of us to wait for  her bulbs to flower! Lucky girl! 
Carlo, you and the rest of us will just have to keep our fingers crossed!

[Cris]

14 years to bloom ? Oh, I've much pacience, but so much?
I thougt it was a waiting of 4 - 5 years  .
But, nevermind, just to can see the biggest bulb of all, it worths
 

Maggy, thanks for the words "so delightly young". I'm almost in the 40's
Well, when I'll 54 I hope to can show to all of you the amazing flowers of my Brunsvigia

[JPB]

Maggi, that photo of Brunsvigia is like the one (B. bosmaniae) in the excellent book "Namaqualand" by Cowling & Pierce. Indeed like a forrest! BTW, one of the best books on this region with stunning photographs, clear explanation of climate/geological history and detailed life-cycle descripitoins of bulbs, "vygies" and annuals. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in plants. 

Hans

[Maggi Young]

Hans, thank you for the details of this useful book!

[Cris]

Hi

My "baby" Brunsvigias seems to like here. The cotyledon  had already grown a bit. I'm very excited with these seeds.

That field with "little trees" is realy a show.

[Carlo]

My B. josephinae are still firm and  green but have NOT germinated yet. I've got them set up in moist paper towel so that I can photograph the progression from "green pea" seed to blooming plant...(even though I may go through several generations of camera before that happens).

I've done the same with the Welwitschia mirabilis that I've started...seed to adult is the goal...

[Maggi Young]

I've done the same with the Welwitschia mirabilis that I've started...seed to adult is the goal...

...and you are HOW old, Carlo? I know ambition can be admirable but I fear you may have bitten off more than you can chew, this time!!

[Carlo]

...apparently I'm either older or younger than you think.

[Maggi Young]

Doesn't really matter how old I might perceive you to be, Carlo, so long as your cardiovascular system is up to the term of about one hundred years that it may take the Welwitschia to get to maturity!!
Good luck!