General Subjects > Flowers and Foliage Now

March 2024 in the Southern Hemisphere

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Robert:
Hi Fermi,

Sternbergia will delay blooming in our Sacramento garden unless I start watering them about 1 September. If I do not start watering them and the autumn rains are delayed they tend to bloom poorly. Back in the 1980’s I had a gardening friend that kept his Sternbergia plants irrigated all summer. They bloomed consistently each autumn and appeared healthy despite constant summertime irrigation. This is something I keep filed away in my brain as I begin experimenting with them in the open garden.

Acis autumnalis also seems tolerant of some summertime irrigation. Too much irrigation and they will grow but stop blooming. Acis autumnalis seeds around freely in our garden and performs well on the fringes of irrigated areas where they receive some very light irrigation during the summer. All of my other Acis species I keep 100% dry during the summer. The exception is Acis rosea. It seems to like some summertime irrigation. Interesting observations from our garden.

fermi de Sousa:
Hi Robert,
that's interesting that you find Sternbergia require some water/rain to come into flower or to flower well. The ones above are at the base of a rock garden which has not been watered but they are not sheltered so if it rains they get wet. I think if the rains had already started they probably would have been earlier.
Usually Sternbergia sicula starts the season here but they were a week behind this year
cheers
fermi

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