Alstromeria from B&Q
 

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..
what do readers think on this one?
(i am not sure what type these are ..)

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..
what do readers think on this one?
(i am not sure what type these are ..)

....... If I can add to the legend, yes I found them difficult to get
going but that was in fairly heavy soil. In different circumstances,
they proliferated to weed like proportions and I found it difficult to
get rid of them. Given the opportunity, they root quite deeply and it
can be difficult to confine them.

--
ned

Alstromeria from B&Q
 

ned wrote:

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..
what do readers think on this one?
(i am not sure what type these are ..)

...... If I can add to the legend, yes I found them difficult to get
going but that was in fairly heavy soil. In different circumstances,
they proliferated to weed like proportions and I found it difficult to
get rid of them. Given the opportunity, they root quite deeply and it
can be difficult to confine them.

They are peculiar. Very hard to get started but if you put them in
somewhere they like they can easily take over. The flowers are (almost)
worth it though. I'd plant some in pots and some directly where you want
them as insurance. They are even more fickle about growing from seed. It
will self seed to grow where you don't want it but refuse point blank to
grow if you try encouraging it.

Things that don't like root disturbance can always be grown in peat
pots...

Regards,
Martin Brown

Alstromeria from B&Q
 

in article , Martin Brown at
wrote on 10/2/03 9:30 pm:



ned wrote:

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..
what do readers think on this one?
(i am not sure what type these are ..)

...... If I can add to the legend, yes I found them difficult to get
going but that was in fairly heavy soil. In different circumstances,
they proliferated to weed like proportions and I found it difficult to
get rid of them. Given the opportunity, they root quite deeply and it
can be difficult to confine them.

They are peculiar. Very hard to get started but if you put them in
somewhere they like they can easily take over. snip

Just a bit of curiosity on my part. Which *colour* of Alstromeria? The
orange ones are bullies but the other, more subtle colours? Not bullies at
all, so far as I know.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk

Alstromeria from B&Q
 

"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...


ned wrote:

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..
They are peculiar. Very hard to get started but if you put them in
somewhere they like they can easily take over. The flowers are (almost)
worth it though. I'd plant some in pots and some directly where you want
them as insurance. They are even more fickle about growing from seed. It
will self seed to grow where you don't want it but refuse point blank to
grow if you try encouraging it.

Things that don't like root disturbance can always be grown in peat
pots...

Regards,
Martin Brown

The thing with alstroemeria is to start in pots until growing well (roots
coming out the bottom) then plant where you want them (remembering the valid
warnings that they can be too happy!) take care not to disturb the root
ball, but damage to the top is of no consequence as the stems already on the
plant normally die back on replanting anyway.
Seeds are best sown "Warm-Cold-Warm" although they normally germinate in the
fridge
In my experiance the shorter varieties make the best garden plants (but all
are good for cutting)

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

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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