Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Specific Families and Genera => Amaryllidaceae => Topic started by: Paul T on February 19, 2011, 11:03:22 AM
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Howdy All,
We've posted a pic or two in the "A Rhodophiala Question" topic, but I thought we should have a place to put together pics for those of us commencing the flowering season for this lovely genus. Hopefully Heinie and any others who're flowering them in the next while can post them here together. 8)
I mentioned in the other topic that we'd had rain the other night...... That was the 16th February, buds started emerging on the 17th, the following picture was taken on the 18th, and the first flowers will open tomorrow (the 21st). Pretty impressive response to rain, isn't it!!? ;D There's now 6 stems in the pot of Rhodophiala bifida, this is my red form that has only 1 or 2 flowers per stem.
Enjoy.
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Howdy All,
I never got back here to post the pic of the flower that opened on the 21st..... That is the red one below.
The pink flowered variety, also attached, has up to 8 flowers per stem.
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Those are beautiful flowers Paul. I like the photo where the 3 scapes just emerge above ground. I like to follow a plant's progress when that happens.
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The Rhodophiala bifida has just started here as well. These are planted raised beds in the Rock garden
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and next to the driveway,
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cheers
fermi
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Here are mine!
R. Bifida, Also starting after big rains(pics are last year's, but that's because I didn't take this years yet).
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And here I put other(R. Rhodolirion) taken this summer in the wild.
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You posted that somewhere else as well, didn't you? I remember that wonderful striping, quite unlike any Rhodophiala I'd seen before. Very nice.
Good work, Fermi. How many flowers per stem is your red?
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I have sowed three species about one month ago in moist sand and kept them in the fridge that way for about 3 weeks. Now I have taken the pots out. Should I keep the plants in the sand if they emerge or shgould I take them out and plant them in another type of soilmix? What mix are you using?
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I have sowed three species about one month ago in moist sand and kept them in the fridge that way for about 3 weeks. Now I have taken the pots out. Should I keep the plants in the sand if they emerge or shgould I take them out and plant them in another type of soilmix? What mix are you using?
Guus - See my posting Reply #14 at http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=2813.msg181471#msg181471 (http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=2813.msg181471#msg181471)
""25 January - I received my SRGC seed today. A package of Rhodophiala sp. ex BCW5132 was great to get. Does anyone have any information on this plant and who the collectors were?"
Seeds planted the next day (i.e. 26 January) came up yesterday (i.e. 15 February). They were planted halfway down a 7.5 cm. diameter deep pot."
Seeds were planted in a gritty bulb mix and kept at 18c. None seem to have any dormancy requirements but on the other hand some never sprout.
johnw
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Guus, Soil mix, watering, and temperature, depend on which Rhodophiala are you trying to grow. They need very different care.
Have anyone grown Rhodophiala Montana from seed?
Any tips?
Thanks!
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Guus, Soil mix, watering, and temperature, depend on which Rhodophiala are you trying to grow. They need very different care.
Have anyone grown Rhodophiala Montana from seed?
Any tips?
Thanks!
Santo - Can you give us some tips on the different care some species need? I will check tomorrow as I think I have some R. montana from seed. Ashley may as well.
johnw - tremendous rain and wind here tonight. +8c. Flash freeze predicted overnight.
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Good work, Fermi. How many flowers per stem is your red?
Hi Paul,
just 2 or 3; I've not had a flower yet on the ones I got from you (still potted - perhaps they need to be "liberated" into the ground?) to compare to see if they are the same clone. I had no seed set last year but the previous year got a pod - not sure if I self-pollinated it or used some other amaryllid (?Sprekelia) on it - it'll be some years yet before I know ;D.
Mine are all the same clone but in two locations and I've used pollen from one patch to see if it'll set seed on the other.
Santo.
That red is amazing! If you get any seed to spare please let me know! ;D
cheers
fermi
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Santo,
Seeing Fermi's comment I had to go back and look for the red. I'd only seen your striped pic, I somehow missed the red. That is one heck of a colour. :o A real "ox blood" type red. Wow!! I too would be interested in some seed (or some offsets from Fermi's seedlings sometime in the future if you can spare him some seed ;D). That is a gorgeous colour.
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Guus, Soil mix, watering, and temperature, depend on which Rhodophiala are you trying to grow. They need very different care.
Have anyone grown Rhodophiala Montana from seed?
Any tips?
Thanks!
Twelve good-sized two year old montana seedlings here in a 12.5 cm deep pot. The necks are above the gritty mix. At the time I sowed seeds oif 6-8 spp. As with the ones I just sowed these were no different: in a gritty bulb mix, soil moist, in plastic bags under fluorescent lights at 18-21c, up in approx. 21 days and then removed from the bags and placed in the greenhouse a week or so later. As bulbs here they are slow to break dormancy but are coming now as the sun is warmer and the greenhouse heats up, otherwise 4-5c at night in there. These montanas have out-stripped the other spp. Hopefully ezeiza will come to the rescue with precise information.
johnw
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I have picked up the R. Montana seeds from their habitat. The bulbs were as you say just under the soil level. The soil were very sandy. Where they are, I think it rains in Autum, in winter it snows, and in spring. The rain seems to be very poor, as there are nearly no vegetation. They have a dry summer. Till now I haven't been lucky to reach the second year. This one, with the last seeds I've got I'm been very careful.
About the R. Bifida seeds I have selfed them this weekend so I should have them in a while. If they didn't set seeds, I have got from last year. (They can have up to seven flowers per stem).
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John, it is a cold climate species that spends winter under snow and flowers in early summer/summer.
Repot in a long Tom and give it enough depth to speed their maturity.
Dry cool winter.
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John, it is a cold climate species that spends winter under snow and flowers in early summer/summer.
Repot in a long Tom and give it enough depth to speed their maturity.
Dry cool winter.
Thanks Alberto. They are in a quite deep plastic pot now but I have been watching for roots at the drainage holes, as soon as they appear they will go into a clay long tom. I think this one would be happier in a clay pot.
Are summers warm or hot in the Rhodophiala habitat? Wondering if some grow in cool summer areas.
Also is laeta difficult from seed? Or reluctant to produce viable seed?
Cyrtanthus contractus has just broken dormancy. Every year I wonder if it has survived as the previous year's leaves don't just die down gracefully, they die as if there is a serious cultural problem.
johnw
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It is Chilean. Summers can be short and hot but when the sun goes down it is quite cool.
Note many of these bulbs are not hardy although the foliage is, but this happens with many kinds of bulbs.
R. laeta comes from a region that could be compared to the Karoos, hot during the day, cool at night, basically arid. In any case not belonging to the group where montana could be placed.
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Here It is another Rhodophiala in their habitat.
Last weekend pics!
R. Bifida pink form.
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Rhodophiala at a roadside - difficult not to become enviously!
Thanks for showing this pics.
Gerd
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Rhodophiala araucana
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Alessandro,
How do you grow this difficult species? Very nice!
Josh
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Here is flowering :
Rhodophiala advena
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Thanks Josh
Hans a nice color
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Thanks Alessandro :)
Well done with R.araucana !
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Stunning flowers from both Alessandro and Hans!
Hans - My Rhodophiala advena from 1997 seed has just shot up its first bud. We will now see if it is correctly labelled.
Eleventh and twelfth flower stocks on araucana, one peach and one yellow.
johnw
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Thank you John !
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Hans - My R. advena opened today and it is the most miserable colour I have seen in a bulb, a very washed out plum. I will try to photograph it on the weekend. I'm hoping it will improve next year and have to wonder if the last 2 weeks of darkness might have caused the colour to be so shabby. Hans, have you seen any colour improvemnt after the first flowering of your Rhodophialas?
Nevertheless I crossed it with the peach araucana as yet another flower stock shot up and flowered in the last 3 days, the 13th stalk to date. The araucana had its first pod split open this morning and I caught the seed in the nick of time.
johnw
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John ,
I have tried to pollinate self my R.advena ...but it looks it works not .
To your question : I have this plant received in flowering size ....my own self grown need some year more for flowering
Hans
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Hi John
I read that you left the neck of the bulb above the soil. I have received a couple of bulbs and the neck is very long. I wasn't sure how to deep to plant the bulb. I will need a really deep pot if I have to cover the neck. Any advice would be appreciated.
Angie :)
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What I understand from Alberto
they need to be planted very deep
Roland
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Hi Angie ,
I use for my mature Rhodophiala pots for roses ( 12 x 12 x 20 cm )
http://www.google.de/imgres?imgurl=http://www.kakteen-schwarz.de/content/shop/temp_pics/251.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.kakteen-schwarz.de/content/shop/products/products_detail.php%3Ftype%3Dbehaelter%26id%3D251&usg=__sL2ee0juVjRbV3i-tYhu1Ywhwjk=&h=139&w=180&sz=10&hl=de&start=1&zoom=1&tbnid=1KFZEZYoBt8cRM:&tbnh=78&tbnw=101&ei=xeBEToWgAoil-gbxsPD-Bg&prev=/search%3Fq%3DTiefe%2BKunststofft%25C3%25B6pfe,%2Bvierkant,%2B12x12x20%2Bcm%26um%3D1%26hl%3Dde%26sa%3DN%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1
Please look here
Hans
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Thanks, just wasn't sure about that long neck on the bulb. I have some of those Rose pots , so will go and use them . Hope I can get it to flower one day and be able to show off my wonderful flower ;D
Angie :)
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Angie - re: necks of the bulbs
The seeds were planted deep in the pots (2" deep plastic), larger quantities in 4" deep plastic pots. This (the depth) was on the recommendation of Alberto and Ian. Still a bit of the necks have appeared just above soil level. I leave Rhodphiala seedlings undisturbed for 3 years or longer before transplanting as they seem to resent it, this may not be wise as the mix can get rather soupy. I use Deroma clay 5" long toms for the older bulbs and pack a lot of bulbs in the pots.
johnw
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Thanks John. I wish I liked just one species. Life would be a lot easier for me. I blame this forum, it's like holding a bag of sweeties in front of a kid. ::) ;D I want it all :-X
Angie :)
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Hi John
I read that you left the neck of the bulb above the soil. I have received a couple of bulbs and the neck is very long. I wasn't sure how to deep to plant the bulb. I will need a really deep pot if I have to cover the neck. Any advice would be appreciated.
Angie :)
I think that the better way, more similar to what is in nature, is to cover all the neck. Besides Rhodophiala seem to digg themselves down all life. The biggest bulbs might reach 80 cm. down. They are also the ones with the stronger scapes and more flowers. Some where I read that there is a relation between deep and flowering. I don't know if it is true, or if it is only age/flowering, but I would plant them minimun covering all the neck.
Hope it helps and soon flowering to you,
Santo
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Hi John
I read that you left the neck of the bulb above the soil. I have received a couple of bulbs and the neck is very long. I wasn't sure how to deep to plant the bulb. I will need a really deep pot if I have to cover the neck. Any advice would be appreciated.
Angie :)
I think that the better way, more similar to what is in nature, is to cover all the neck. Besides Rhodophiala seem to digg themselves down all life. The biggest bulbs might reach 80 cm. down. They are also the ones with the stronger scapes and more flowers. Some where I read that there is a relation between deep and flowering. I don't know if it is true, or if it is only age/flowering, but I would plant them minimun covering all the neck.
Hope it helps and soon flowering to you,
Santo
Repotted them so let's hope I get them to grow. Thanks for all your advice.
Angie :)
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Hi John - I read that you left the neck of the bulb above the soil. Angie :)
Let me clarify, the Rhodophiala species with necks appearing above the soil line were untransplanted seedlings in the original pot. I usually grow the seedling on for 3 years before the first transplant. Then when I move the seedlings into long toms they will certainly be planted deep with the necks well down and lots of grit over the necks. It is amazing how large the bulbs compared to the paucity of leaves - bulbs and necks very long and slender. I pack the pots full to avoid over-watering. 35cm deep pots would be ideal but who has the room for a dozen of them?
johnw
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John, while they are in the process of growing up they do not need individual pots. Once you find a pot deep enough you can plant all seedlings together in it.
The long neck as Santo mentions is very important for the plant to have the scape upright all through the process of flowering and seed setting. It is evident in the case of the larger Hippestrums where the inflorescences are surprisingly massive and heavy and must be displayed high above the surrounding vegetation.
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John, while they are in the process of growing up they do not need individual pots. Once you find a pot deep enough you can plant all seedlings together in it.
Alberto - I do plant all the seedlings together as I simply do not have the space to separate the bulbs and place in individual pots. I never thought of the tall inflorescences overtaking surrounding vegetation! What is the normal pollinator of the Rhodophialas?
johnw
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Here is my most pathetic Rhodophiala advena from NARGS seed. It has now changed from a dirty washed-out plum with green to a dirty pink with a bit of peach and white. I had hoped for a nice tomato red like Hans'.
Have crossed it onto R. araucana (salmon). I would have preferred to use pollen of a better form but I'd no choice in these matters as pollen is so rare.
johnw
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John:
John, it is the true Rhodophiala advena in its more common pale salmon form. Not one of the species to faint at but nice anyway and certainly not as fussy as others.
Is it plum color in England the purplish beetroot one or am I missing something?
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John: John, it is the true Rhodophiala advena in its more common pale salmon form. Not one of the species to faint at but nice anyway and certainly not as fussy as others. Is it plum color in England the purplish beetroot one or am I missing something?
Alberto - Thanks for the i.d. At least the name is correct! I'm not the best one to describe any colour, plum - or at least washed-out plum - to me is lavender mixed with a bit of purple or the other way round. Others?
johnw
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John,
I would considering it to be a light salmon color, it's still very beautiful to me! :)
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John, I would considering it to be a light salmon color, it's still very beautiful to me! :)
JoshY46013 - The colour has certainly improved somewhat in the last few days though the photo is flattering. The colour I was trying to describe was its colour when it first opened, it was quite a nasty colour.
johnw
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the colour of the flower when the anthers open would be the definitive one.
You asked what pollinates Rhodophialas: bees and flies (small native flies, not carrion Helicodiceros flies!). But of course can be other insects.
On the other side, It would be very good to have at least a few of the difficult Rhodophialas established under cultivation.
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John I would just be happy to get it to flower.
Angie :)
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That's the point, Angie. Chilean Rhodophialas are consistently difficult to grow (not to mention flowering!). But, this is true of many Chilean bulbs.
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Here In Buenos Aires with temps around 10C Rhodophiala Rhodolirion decided that it is no longer a winter.
At least one month before our mild winter ends.
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Two weeks until I start watering but I noticed yesterday that R. chilensis F&W 9700 has popped up 4 flower buds almost overnight. I've given it an early drink. Will post a pic of the flowers in a few days time.
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Darren, so important to treasure those F&W numbers as their collecting work will stop altogether any time.
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Sorry to hear that Alberto, though of course they have only sent out seed sporadically (via the Archibalds) for several years anyway. My involvement in the cacti & succulent hobby has made me more careful regarding collection numbers as in that field the data is treated with almost obsessive reverence.
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Just a note to say that the araucana (formerly my elwesii) salmon x advena cross has taken as well as advena selfed.
johnw