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Help with acidanthera

adamadamantadamadamant Posts: 221
in Problem solving
I planted a pot full of acidanthera corms last year, fairly early on in the year, perhaps April or May, as directed on a specialist site.   So probably about 15 corms in a 15 inch pot, but it was fairly shallow, probably only a foot tall in total.  I had tall leaves but no flowers at all, and even now, in February, the leaves haven't fully died back.  The pot wasnt in full sun, which might have been a mistake, but it was on the corner of the patio where it got early morning sun and then some bright shade in the afternoon.  Should I start again with new corms, and if so does anyone know what I might have done wrong last year, or can I try again with the corms I have, maybe just treating them differently?  Thanks.

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Vendée, Western FrancePosts: 28,587
    Full sun is best so try and move the pot to a sunnier spot and give them an occasional liquid feed of rose or tomato fertiliser during the warm season.   Mine are in the ground now that I've moved to a sunnier garden and they flower in late October/November so are very good for late bumble bees and so on. 

    When happy, the multiply by offsets so my pack of 40 has increased exponentially.   The ones I have here were "passengers" in a pot that had been next to their own pot in my last garden.  
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • adamadamantadamadamant Posts: 221
    Thanks Obellixx  It sounds as though they are fairly robust too, which is good.  Another site I looked at seemed to suggest they wouldn't last more than a season or two, which is odd I admit, but is why I wondered about trying again with new corms.  Am grateful for the advice.

  • adamadamantadamadamant Posts: 221
    Actually Obelixx one more question - if I need to have them in a pot how much does the depth of the pot matter do you think?  Mine is quite shallow, am thinking maybe there isnt enough root room and I should invest in a taller pot for them?
  • ObelixxObelixx Vendée, Western FrancePosts: 28,587
    I planted mine in 60cm deep and wide pots before eventually moving them to the ground.   When we moved here with a pot full, in flower, it took about 2 minutes for the biggest bumble bee I've ever seen to find the flowers.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • adamadamantadamadamant Posts: 221
    That must have settled you in immediately!  Thank you for your kind advice
  • ObelixxObelixx Vendée, Western FrancePosts: 28,587
    Pleasure.  Hope you get some flowers this year.  They are lovely.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • AstroAstro Posts: 383
    I planted some bulbs last year, they didn't flower though weren't in the sunniest spot. I'll have another go this year as I lifted the bulbs. They have sword like foliage that looked good for months on end ,and snails and slugs left alone so I was pleased with them regardless.
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