Gloriosa Question

Hello All.

I planted a number of Gloriosa bulbs/roots about six weeks ago and none have sprouted yet. I keep them moist but not wet, in warm sun. I dug down a bit today and the bulbs/roots are still firm. Could it be that they can just take a LONG time to sprout?

Thank you.

Erick

Mine sprouted quickly, but if the bulbs are still firm they ought to be okay. Our weather here in East Texas is much warmer, so that could have something to do with mine coming up so quickly. They could need a certain temp, like caladiums, before they sprout. Sorry I couldn't be of more help. I can tell you the bloo9ms are worth waiting for, have Rothchild and Lutea.

I do think they need to be quite warm for a period to sprout, would be better grown in pots in a cooler climate I think.

Thank you catlady. I completely agree with your logic and will take your most helpful advice.

Thank you azreno. It's always nice to get comments from you!

Erick

Your most welcome Erick. Hope you have blooms soon.

Many blooms!

If you have them potted be careful not to overwater! Just today I dug out mine because it was taking them forever to sprout too, and one of two bulbs had rotted...

mine have done bloomed and died down already. i have mine in pots and you do have to watch watering and another thing each year i replant mine in winter and move them back torward the top as sunlight helps them. i have had ones way down in the pot never sprout and since i start moving them back up each year they always bloom but mine have come and gone.

spring time for them here as once it gets hot they just die back.

My Gloriosas didn't sprout for about 6 weeks after I got them - now they are going gangbusters. I would say not to give much water until you see a sprout, and that patience is a virtue with this plant!

I have them both in pots and in the ground. The one in the ground sprouted quite a bit faster than the one in pots. The one in front is in full sun all day, and stays much dryer. Seems like the hotter and dryer it is the happier it is. The one I have in a pot, I put in an orchid pot to facilitate quick drainage, and quicker drying out. It's working pretty good and it appears that it is working on it's first bloom. Planted at the same time, the one in the pot is weeks behind the one in the ground.

Do these go to seed? I noticed that the flowers in front are looking as though they are turning into seed pods..

Rj

Eric, I hope you don't mind me posting a picture about this seed pod. I just planted these last month, so am very new to these as well.

See the flower on the bottom..it is drying out and looking like it will be a seed or seed pod..?

Oh, they are GLORIOUS! I transferred the survivor tuber into a raised bed. Hopefully now that it's in the ground it will be happier...
I don't know about the seeds, hopefully someone will!
Roberta

Yes, those are seed pods. When the foliage starts to yellow and dry out, leave the vines alone. The seed pods are slow to dry - be patient - I harvested those I got last fall, this past Feb. Then the tubers froze, but a wonderful friend sent me a few more, and that's what I have now - I am so enthralled by this vine!

I have many and they are going to seeds...lots of seed pods if you leave the flower on the vine it will turn into seed pods...
They are still green at this point but when they are dry I will pick them.
Tricia

okay..thanks for the info...I do leave them alone...they are interesting flowers...I call them Martian flowers...

I hope mine survives! Please "root" for me!
Rob

Rooting for you rob!!

Speak of root... I recently broke a piece off and stuck it in the ground and it rooted with no hormone powder etc.
It is one of my fav. vines in the garden. I live in zone 9a so I do not have to dig up the tubers in the winter.
Rob rooting for you too:) Sometimes they are a little slow at coming up and sometimes mine have come up in a week.
I just planted the last of my tubers 2 weekends ago but nothing yet but boy when they go.... they go wild.. Climbing up your fence!
Tricia

Thanks guys! I really can't wait!

I am carefully noting all of your observations/comments/advice and celebrating your successes! Thank you all. I just re-potted my healthy tubers and fully intend to post flower pics before our first frost.

Erick

Yes, please do!

I spoke to soon--- I checked this morning and have about 6 of them up already. Some are about 6 inches tall!! I love them so very much! How are yours doing Erick??
Tricia

aaarghhh! What on this earth am I doing wrong! lol

I planted mine long ways only a inch deep. It is still very hot and humid here and will be that way till Nov. I guess. I am watering it twice a day and it is planted in a part sun area along my fence.
I bet you -- yours will be fine... just remember to keep them moist.
Tricia

I tell ya...I put mine in a orchid pot and stopped watering it..it popped right out..seems to me, and I've only grown a couple to date, that shallow planting, and dry will get them going.

I stopped watering mine too. She's grounded!

Mine are planted in the ground about 1 inch deep. I go outside about twice a day since we are extrem. hot and humid here and do a quick watering. I looked this morning and one was about 12 inches tall just about 6 inches yesterday.
I am in zone 9a and they zoom here!

Rob on another thread somewhere they said if they do not have a growing point on the tuber they can take forever to get going. Someone said they actually keep them in peat or sawdust until they see the growing point. So perhaps the dry technique will be equivalent.

aah...that makes sense...peat or sawdust...I'm actually glad to have something like hot and dry...they do grow well here, I'm very surprised not to see more of them around.

Lavender, I do have a growing point...at least that! Gosh even my vines started from seed are doing better. I do think it suffered while it was potted...I tend to overwater everything. Hopefully now in the ground it will catch up...
Do you guys think fertilizing would do anything?

My opinion is ...generaly items that are tubors have all the goodies they require..I'd say yes with seeds..with tubors..no...what do the rest of you say?

I don't know if I'm thinking about this right or not, but I agree that tubers have all the goodies they need to grow so fertilizing it probably won't make it grow faster. But once it's grown and it's trying to store energy in the tuber for next year then fertilizer might be beneficial.

Slightly stupid question but..: why do bulbs benefit from fertilizer ( I assumed so since these are sold) but not tubers?

I don't think they're different from each other, I think they both would mainly need fertilizer to help with building energy for next year rather than to help them grow this year. I'm not sure though, I was just thinking through it logically, the function of the bulb/tuber is to store energy to make the plant grow the following year, then once it's grown then the plant works to build energy back into the bulb/tuber to store for the following year, so it makes sense to me that fertilizer would be the most useful when it's in the phase of trying to build its energy reserves for the following year rather than earlier in the process. I honestly don't know if that's the case though, could be fertilizer can help them when they're growing too, but it strikes me they wouldn't need fertilizer as much while they're growing as other types of plants would.

Yeah, it does make sense!

Some container grown gloriosas.

Few more:

Night vista

One more-

Ohhhh you are torturing me! Humilliated by a zone 5b gardener!!! I can't believe it! : )