[pbs] Research Question on Zephyranthes grandiflora
J.E. Shields
jshields at indy.net
Sat Dec 6 15:22:47 EST 2008
Hi Martin,
That sounds like an interesting problem. There is clearly something
associated with rainfall that triggers bloom in rain lilies.
I too grow my rain lilies in pots here in central Indiana. The pots spend
the summers outdoors in full sun and the winters inside a greenhouse,
usually dry and out of the way under a bench. Their winter treatment is
very probably suboptimal to say the least. In summer, I can get markedly
increased flowering of my potted rain lilies by standing the pots in
saucers and keeping the saucers full of water. Even so, a natural rainfall
does a better job of triggering flowering.
I wish you luck in your study. I will be eager to hear what conclusions
you can draw when it is finished; I'm sure others in this group will be
equally interested.
Best regards,
Jim Shields
in Westfield, Indiana -- a suburb of Indianapolis.
At 12:39 PM 12/6/2008 -0600, you wrote:
>My name is Martin Stone and my student, Shelton Slack, and I are working
>on a research project growing _Zephyranthes grandiflora_. We are at
>Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, about an hour north of
>Nashville, TN. We experience warm summers and cold winters and are
>located in USDA hardiness zone 6 which means in an average winter we
>will experience at least one low temperature between 0 deg F and
>negative 10 deg. F. We have divided my large, old, potted clump into
>smaller pots and are growing them in a greenhouse with temps no cooler
>than 65 deg. F. We want to observe their flowering and try to answer
>the old question about what induces flowering. They are growing well
>after having been potted since September. We would like to know:
>
>1. Is there a period after transplanting during which flowering does
>not occur? How long do we wait?
>2. Is flowering sensitive to the daylength?
>3. and the big question: Does anyone have clues into the nature of the
>flowering? There is not much scientific literature out there and the
>two main sources are a little dated and conflict.
>
>On a personal note, I have grown a potfull for the last dozen years from
>a single corm. They are all clones of the original plant, which is a
>bonus in this study. They stay outside until winter, when I bring them
>into the greenhouse. But in the summer, I water my pot with the hose
>every day and I see sporadic flowering. After a rain, there is a burst
>of flowers a day or so afterwards. I believe the flower buds are
>pre-formed and staying dormant until something about a rain event
>triggers them to elongate and open. Is it temperature fluctuation
>associated with a rain event? Is is cool rain water? Is it a drop in
>barometric pressure (seems unlikely but who knows?). What do you think
>and what are your observations?
>
>Thanks in Advance and I look forward to your advice and thoughts.
>My Best,
>Martin
>
>--
>Martin Stone, Ph.D.
>Assistant Professor,
>Leichhardt Professor of Horticulture
>Department of Agriculture
>Western Kentucky University
>1906 College Heights Blvd. #41066
>Bowling Green, KY 42101-1066
>Office (270) 745-5963
>Fax (270) 745-5972
*************************************************
Jim Shields USDA Zone 5 Shields Gardens, Ltd.
P.O. Box 92 WWW: http://www.shieldsgardens.com/
Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA
Tel. ++1-317-867-3344 or toll-free 1-866-449-3344 in USA
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