[pbs] Bulbs staying dormant

Diane Whitehead voltaire at islandnet.com
Wed Jun 4 10:41:18 EDT 2003


Dave McDonald of the Botanical Society of South Africa, who recently 
gave a lecture tour in western North America, mentioned that some 
gladiolus don't flower until there has been a fire.  Sometimes that 
has been for 15 years.  I asked whether it was some chemical from the 
smoke or ash that triggered flowering, but he said it was more likely 
lack of competition that did it.  I didn't ask whether these 
non-flowering gladiolus were putting up leaves every year.

So - are your pots of plants completely open to the sky, or are they 
overshadowed?

-- 
Diane Whitehead  Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
maritime zone 8
cool mediterranean climate (dry summer, rainy winter - 68 cm annually)
sandy soil



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