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Old 06-03-2012, 09:27 PM posted to rec.gardens
Higgs Boson Higgs Boson is offline
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Default Seeds from bulb plant?

On Mar 5, 7:20*pm, "David E. Ross" wrote:
On 3/5/12 6:21 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:



On Mar 5, 9:45 am, "David E. Ross" wrote:
On 3/5/12 12:00 AM, Higgs Boson wrote:


A while back I requested ID on this plant:


http://tinypic.com/r/214wmjm/5


and response was Tulip.


It is doing well in pot, and producing what look like seeds. * I am
collecting these, and before I put time into growing them out, can I
ask: *Does a bulb plant like Tulip produce viable seeds?


Inquiring minds...


So Calif Coastal


TIA


HB


Yes, that is how new varieties are created.


Bulbs ususally form pods with the seeds inside. *You should wait until
the pod starts to dry on the plant before havesting. *You might better
wait until the pod starts to split. *If you don't wait, the seeds will
not be sufficiently mature to sprout.


Only allow a very few pods to mature. *Seed formation often weakens the
bulb and might inhibit next year's flowers.


--
David E. Ross
Climate: *California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary


Thanks to you, too, David. *Yes, I have been waiting till the pods
start to dry. *Will keep an eye out for splitting, and not allow too
many to mature.


HB


In some cases, bulbs will actually reseed themselves. *I have a bed of
grape hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum) in my back yard under a peach tree.


***Surprised they would be happy under a tree which would shade them,
at least in summer before tree loses leaves. Have I misunderstood
something?

*The flower stalks are short and very numerous, far too numerous for me
to dead-head them which would require me to go through the bed on my
hands and knees with my nose only inches from the ground.


Sounds like good exercise g

I now have grape hyacinth coming up in other places, even in the
decomposed granite
paths that wend through my garden.


***Now THAT is interesting!. Mind saying how many years this has
taken to develop?

HB

--
David E. Ross
Climate: *California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary