Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Specific Families and Genera => Amaryllidaceae => Topic started by: jshields on June 30, 2011, 08:32:06 PM

Title: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: jshields on June 30, 2011, 08:32:06 PM
Sprekelia howardii is blooming.  These are growing in 5.5 inch square pots; the flowers span about 5 inches across the faces.  The tepals are quite narrow.

Jim
in Westfield, Indiana
USA
Title: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: PeterT on June 30, 2011, 08:47:01 PM
WOW :o
Title: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: daveyp1970 on June 30, 2011, 08:53:11 PM
WOW :o
Can i add my WOW as well :o
Title: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: Maggi Young on June 30, 2011, 09:08:22 PM
Quote
Sprekelia howardii is blooming.

You guys are so boring... that's not just a WOW, that's an OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHH!!!!
Title: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: PeterT on June 30, 2011, 09:13:43 PM
How true Maggie, you express it much better !!!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: Maggi Young on June 30, 2011, 09:17:24 PM
 ;D ;D Thanks Peter, I pride myself on my perspicacity in such matters! ;) ;)
Title: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: Ezeiza on June 30, 2011, 10:43:00 PM
Jim, this is exceptionally rare in cultivation. What an accomplishment! Are they separate individuals?

Like the other, formosissima, they are both from North America.
Title: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: bulborum on June 30, 2011, 11:14:24 PM
And Jim

Do they make seed ???

Roland
Title: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: jshields on July 01, 2011, 12:36:03 AM
The seeds  these bulbs grew from were given to me by David Lehmiller.  I think Dave may have collected the original bulbs in Mexico with Thad Howard -- I have forgotten the exact details.  Some of these bulbs are starting to make a few offsets.  Some of them also produce a second scape right after the first.

The bulbs are each growing in an individual 5.5 inch pot.  Dave said that they really hate to have their roots disturbed, so I have not repotted these since planting them.  They are fertile, but self-sterile. I have several seedlings so I have produced some seeds in the past.  I am trying to pollinate these to make more seeds, of course.  I don't know the shelf-life of these seeds, but I suspect it may be somewhat short.  So I will probably donate any seeds I get to the Pacific Bulb Society BX for immediate distribution.

Jim
in Westfield, Indiana
USA
Title: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: santo2010 on July 01, 2011, 01:00:06 AM
Very Beautiful Sprekelia Jim!
Congratulations!
Title: Re: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: jshields on July 01, 2011, 01:44:24 PM
I grow these outdoors on our deck in summer.  That means they get natural rainfall here in Indiana, anywhere from 2.5 to 6 inches per month -- quite variable from month to month and year to year.  They are planted in a gritty mix:  Promix + sand + granite chicken grit,  2 : 1 : 1 by volume.

In winter, they are kept bone dry in the cool greenhouse -- the one with the winter-growing Haemanthus in it.  Temperatures stay above freezing.

Jim
in Westfield, Indiana
USA
Title: Re: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: Ezeiza on July 01, 2011, 02:32:30 PM
Thanks, Jim, for the info. They hate to have their roots damaged as all amaryllids do, but can be moved without problems with the root ball undisturbed.
Title: Re: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: BULBISSIME on July 01, 2011, 03:49:20 PM
CONGRATULATIONS and SOOOOOOOO beautiful !

never seen it before.. Many thank's !
Title: Re: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: angie on July 01, 2011, 04:50:53 PM
Had to have a look, a name like that it had to be something spectacular and wasn't disappointed  8)
Thanks for sharing

Angie :)
Title: Re: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: Alessandro.marinello on July 01, 2011, 09:56:14 PM
Jim
I rest to ask that dimensions have your  bulbs? I cultivate S. howardii, but still nothing flowers
Title: Re: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: jshields on July 01, 2011, 10:32:15 PM
I haven't dug around the bulbs to see how large they are.  I suppose perhaps an inch in diameter, maybe?  The pots are only 5.5 inches square.  Maybe I'll see if I can tell in autumn after they go dormant.  I don't want to disturb the roots.
Title: Re: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: Alessandro.marinello on July 01, 2011, 10:48:54 PM
Thanks Jim
my bulb being approximately 2 cm, creed is well not to disturb
Title: Re: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: jshields on July 12, 2011, 06:22:11 PM
I've ended up with only two seed pods on my howardii, in spite of having pollinated a half-dozen flowers.  If I can catch those seeds just as they ripen, I'll send them all to the Pacific Bulb Society BX.  If I miss them a day, they'll be scattered to the four winds.

The larger seed pod is about an inch (2.5 cm) in diameter.

Jim

Title: Re: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: bulborum on July 12, 2011, 06:56:41 PM
Jim

Why don't you use T-sac tea bags
see: T-sac (http://www.englishteastore.com/tsac.html)

Roland
Title: Re: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: jshields on July 12, 2011, 08:05:09 PM
Roland,

That is an excellent suggestion!  In fact I have some cloth string-bags in my work room.  I bought them many years ago, but I just never think of them. 

Jim
Title: Re: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: JoshY46013 on July 12, 2011, 08:25:18 PM
Hosiery works great as well!
Title: Re: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: jshields on July 12, 2011, 08:41:28 PM
I don't think I know anyone who owns hosiery!  I haven't seen my wife or daughter wear any in years.  I'd better stick with the string bags.

I have used the string bags a few times in the past.  They are strictly a short-term solution; they hold water and promote rot if left in place more than a couple days.

Jim
Title: Re: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: bulborum on July 12, 2011, 09:16:56 PM
T-sac tea bags cost only a few cent
and most important , they breathe

the ones in the poly-tunnels , I reuse a few times
I use mini clips to close them

Roland
Title: Re: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: jshields on July 20, 2011, 06:18:43 PM
The first seed pod split open this morning and I collected all ca. 50 seeds.  The second pod is almost ready to pop.

Jim
Title: Re: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: bulborum on July 20, 2011, 06:27:38 PM
Sounds promising :)
maybe 100 seeds  8)

Roland
Title: Re: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: PeterT on July 20, 2011, 08:21:31 PM
Congratulations Jim, We are all watching the PBS BX postings,  ;)
Title: Re: Sprekelia howardii
Post by: jshields on July 22, 2011, 07:25:37 PM
The second seed pod started to split so I collected it as well.  It looks like a total of around 75-80 viable seeds were obtained, since the second pod was rather smaller than the first.  As soon as they dry just a bit more, I'll send them off to the PBS BX. 

I look forward to a geometric increase in the number of bulbs of Sprekelia howardii growing in cultivation in the future.

Jim
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