Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Specific Families and Genera => Amaryllidaceae => Topic started by: Michael on September 16, 2007, 04:20:10 PM
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Anyone growing those rarities? I had searched the internet and they seem impossible to find for sale...
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...not growing them now, but I do see seed for sale from time to time. Worsleya, in particular, shows up once in a while...but is quite pricey.
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We talked about Worsleya before somewhere, can't remember exactly where, but our friend Per-Ake from Sweden (Norway) was growing it I think, or attempting to. Try the Forum index and search for Worsleya.
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see here:
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=269.msg6631;topicseen#msg6631
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There's a specialist Worsleya list (http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Worsleya_procera/) where seed is sometimes offered. As Carlo says it can be pricey.
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Paramongaia: see http://www.tomorrowsplants.com/plants12.htm (http://www.tomorrowsplants.com/plants12.htm)
Worsleya seeds are now 2 or 3 times a year offered in the mentioned yahoo-interest-group. Prices are usually around 5 US$ (sometimes up to 10 US$) per seed.
Regards
Erwin
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Jesus! Well i hope that means they have 99,99% of viability then...
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Well, as far as I read the germination reports of the group-members, germination rate was always very good ( >80%) -at least with certain clones (Cosh) involved. Choice of the right germination-medium seems to be most important (very very areated, like epiphyte-orchid-medium) for good germination. This is one of the most frequently discussed themes there.
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Yes some sources say to pot it up in 100% pumice, or gravel and orchid bark. Geezzz i never thought a bulb would be so excentric regarding potting medium... Almost could live like orchids do!
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It does so!
This is a lithophytic growing Amaryllid. Treat it as a Geophyte and you'll loose it!
Erwin
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Thanks for the advice Erwin! Do you grow that plant?
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No.
When I became interested in this plant, I thoght - wow, what a stunner, I must have it!
But as time went by, I became aware of several problems and the -maybe- hardest of all is lighting!
I am living in Austria (Vienna) and although not alpine, it still can get very cold here (down to -20C). Frost may occur in 7 months per year (Oct.-April). So this plant has to be kept indoors for at least 6 months per year. During these 6 months, you have to supply good light - and I mean really good, because Worsleya grows in full sun the whole year round! This means: it still needs 10000 or better 20000-30000 Lux even in the resting period. With lower light-levels you have the risk that it wont develop flowers. Worsleya really has very special needs!
Have you ever tried to supply 20000 Lux of light to a plant? I guess no-the only ones who have to deal with such problems are the weed-growers (cannabis). As such strong sources of light only high-pressure-sodium-lamps can be used, but then there is another problem: under this kind of light, the fabulous blue color of the flowers will not show, because these HPS-lamps emit strongly yellow light, which means: there's no blue which can be reflected! Moreover, since these HPS-Lights are all high power-lamps (400 Watt around) the whole thing will get very expensive (>10 hours per day for at least 6 months).
All in all: I admit, it may theoretically be possible to grow here, but the growing-efforts are too high and the possibilities to enjoy it: very low.
However: I think it is growable in the southern hemisphere + tropics + in some mild mediterranean regions.
Maybe this is the reason why it still has not spread yet over the whole world - even in commerce! It is hard to get, harder to grow and (last not least) hardest to flower and propagate.
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Oh... ok, thanks for the explanation. I like Worsleya mostly because of its leaves and not mainly on the flowers. It has a very nice folliage (looks like a palm tree ;D ;D) But of course i would be happy if it flowered to me. Please forgive my curiousity, but i would like to ask you one more last question. How many years untill have a flowering size plant? The plants seems pretty big on the pictures...
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After my knowledge need this plants a minimum of 10 years from seed to flowering .....
Hello Erwin ,
I agree with you 100% - my idea before some years was exact the same : I must have it !!!
Same with Paramongaia , Pamianthe and a lot of other ......
But I have now also decidet I will it not grow - it is impossilby for me....
This plants need a lot of space and a lot of effort....
The funny is : Now it was easier to get seeds and plants as before some years ....
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Hello,
in the interest-group, it is said that Worsleya needs 7-9 years BUT the source of this info was an australian grower, growing Worsleya for more than 12 years under nearly optimal conditions. With us -in europe- I think the truth will be nearer to the already mentioned 10 years.
This is definitively not one for the impatient cultivators!
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Hi all,
Worsleya is not difficult to grow from seed. In the Worsleya group I was able to have seeds for $2 each and viability is almost 100% in a few clones, in others much less. But after one growing season the larger seedlings are about 1,5 cm. I tried different mix and finally I have the more realiable for me and my climate. My larger bulb I bought a few years ago, now is growing very strong and I hope to see it blooming shortly.
Alberto
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Alberto do you have any pictures of your plants? I would like to see how you grow them.
Michael
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One for the Worsleya aficionados: at what age can the first flowers of seedling Worsleya procera be expected? My plants are now 3 1/2 years old and are growing into fairly substantial specimens - the brown scaly part is approximately 30 cm in length. I can't hold my breath for ever... ;)
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Rogan.... it seems you must hold your breath a little longer..... 6 and a half years, we've been told for Europe... you may speed up the race by a year!!
We have a thread about the matter...
I'll merge this..... ;D
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Thanks Maggi, I can see clearly now... :D
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I have been talking to my Worsleyas very nicely this year, but still no flowers. They are now 4 years 10 months from seed (top of pot is 25 cm in diameter) - perhaps next year? ::)
I got very excited in 2010 when my Pamianthe peruviana plant flowered for the first time; it was also sown at the same time as the Worsleya - this is the year, I thought!
Any more Worsleya news out there?
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This opened this morning. Grown in unglazed terracotta, with a growing medium largely composed of scoria (with a little pea gravel and decomposed orchid compost).
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Well done, Rob!
You must be in the banana belt down there! ;D
cheers
fermi
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Fantastic rob, I wish I had a blue hippie like that.
what other bulbs do you grow?
Hi Fermi, what do you grow?
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This opened this morning. Grown in unglazed terracotta, with a growing medium largely composed of scoria (with a little pea gravel and decomposed orchid compost).
Rob, I know the Worsleya growers will be green with envy for your flower and that super foliage.
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I know the Worsleya growers will be green with envy for your flower and that super foliage.
I owe it all to Dynamic Lifter ;).
George - I mostly try to grow cool-climate stuff like lilies. This is an aberration, a gift from someone. Fortunately it is robust and can take a good deal of neglect.
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I know the Worsleya growers will be green with envy for your flower and that super foliage.
I owe it all to Dynamic Lifter ;).
George - I mostly try to grow cool-climate stuff like lilies. This is an aberration, a gift from someone. Fortunately it is robust and can take a good deal of neglect.
As to the Dynamic Lifter- I couldn't possibly comment (I am wondering whether it's for you or the plant?? ;D ;) )
Now the Worsleya lovers are not only green they've all fainted with you suggestion that the planty is robust....... I thought it was the sound of another earthquake, but it was them hitting the ground! ;D ;D 8)
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Maggi,
When I recently bought some Disa from a local, I asked whether he had any slipper orchids. He said no, he only grew easy stuff. Worsleya is like Disa, easy. All it needs is good drainage and good light (and, in my case, not to be frozen to mush). It doesn't need to be watered every day, or even every week and responds well to fertiliser. Surely not earth-shattering news.
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My dad grows Worsleya in a warm greenhouse in the UK. They do well, and he flowered it this year - it was a good 3 feet tall and much more robust than Rogan's plant. I think it was about 5 or 6 years post acquisition as an offset. HTH with the question of how big it needs to be to flower - in short, really quite big I think!
Cheers,
Alex
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I suppose it will be a comfort that some folks find it straightforward..... makes you wonder why, then, it is so rare and expensive? (Where have I heard that question before??!!)
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makes you wonder why, then, it is so rare and expensive?
Hmmm...
The person who gave it to me told me that someone he knew started a nursery on the profits of selling a few. Last time I talked to him about it he was chiding me because mine wasn't off-setting fast enough for his liking. ;D
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Rob,
I think I've heard that story about the profits as well. Still no idea whether it is becoming mythical or not. ;D I too grow a small Worsleya. Not growing quickly for me at all, in fact still very nervous about it. Lyn, here in Canberra, grows and flowers hers easily as you would likely have seen on the ABA list. It really is beautiful in person, but I am thinking mine is going to take a LOT of years to amount to anything.
Thanks for showing us, and.... CONGRATULATIONS.