17-02-2003, 07:16 AM
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Alstromeria from B&Q
eddy wrote:
i have a bagfull of these crowns in a bag.
i want to get them in pots right away , but i read that the roots dont
like any disturbance so i am wondering if its wise?
Maybe they wont cope with a moving later.
legend seems to have it that they are somewhat fickle ...difficult to
get going..
I've had a conspicuous lack of success with Alstromeria
from purchased bare-root crowns, in the US, Southern
California, near Los Angeles. From four lots, about twenty
distinct crowns, only one plant resulted. Several other
people have reported similarly sad results. I've found that
self-sown seedlings can be dug up carefully and
immediately potted with a better-than-90% success rate.
[Note that I was, for c. 20 years, Propagator & Nurseryman
at the Los Angeles Country Arboretum, so the dismal results
with the Alstroemeria are embarrassing, to say the least.]
I have, however, started quite a few in pots, from seed, and
had no problem with shifting them to larger pots or
planting them out in the ground. The key, here, seems to
be to exercise great care to avoid breaking-up the root-ball
or disturbing it in any way, and to use a loose, highly-
organic potting mix.
I'd suggest planting the crowns in (rather small) pots as
soon as possible, using a house-plant or African violet
potting mix, perhaps with a little coarse sand added --
something mostly-organic and moisture-holding but well-
drained.
If any of them sprout (and this may be quickly, or it may
take a few months), you're well on your way. Let them get
well-established in the containers, then plant out in a
sunny, well-drained location, amending the soil with
abundant organic material and digging this in deeply (two
feet or more). (Opinions seem to differ as to whether they
are best planted at the same depth, or a little bit deeper;
they'll eventually work their way to whatever level they
want.) Guard vigilantly against slugs and snails. Don't
expect flowers until at least the second year -- they'll put up
many (small at first) blind growths, but won't develop
flower buds until the succulent roots have stored a large
amount of food.
And yes, I've found them mysteriously fickle, in some
respects -- they certainly don't like bare-rooting, and some
years a clump has been in continual bloom for as long as 18
months, while other years (with not perceptibly different
conditions) it's gone out of bloom or even completely
dormant during both the hottest and the coldest month or
two. Once a plant decides that it's happy, if it does, it will
gradually increase in size -- gradually, but irresistibly;
they're too slow, under my conditions, to qualify as
"thuggish" but they might need a firm hand unless you
have lots of space.
Don Fitch
Covina, CA. USA
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