Repotting the South African Bulbs

                       O.k . Let's get on with it 🌿🌿🌿

 

First things first , spread out some newspaper ; briefly reading the interesting article . Yep !  It's going to get messy !

                 It's been in this lovely blue pot for over twenty years ! 

            

                                "  Time tiptoes ...suddenly it's gone ."

These tiny bulbs have practically used up all the goodness of the earth There is hardly any compost left ......just the grit and stones I originally mixed in for drainage .

               I gently teased out the roots and removed all the stones .

I found little pieces of polystyrene in there too . I must have thought it would help to keep the roots warm through the cold winter months .  

 I have on occasion left it outside .

It's a lovely shallow pot , I might use it for the other bulbs Ledebouria cooperii .

 After I have teased these all out , I will need a much bigger pot .

I have been meaning to repot these bulbs for some time and did a bit of research to remind myself about the conditions they like etc .

I came across a great Wordpress Blog called The Belmont Rooster , talking about how he repotted his bulbs . Very inspiring and useful ! I highly recommend his wonderful botanical notes ...and now I find out that there are even more varieties of these South African bulbs . I love them and now I want them all ! 🤩

   I believe it is also known as Silver Squill . The leaves here are stunted in growth .

The bulbs should be much more plump , more like these in this pot . 

My other bigger shallow pot was already in use with a cactus in it ....I thought about switching it over but decided it was beginning to get too complicated .

            I decided to see how they would do in a deeper pot .

I feel guilty for having been so mean to them ....and now they deserve to be proper pampered !

 I mixed up the old compost with some new and perlite and expensive horticultural grit .

I plucked them all out and carefully planted them into their lovely new pot and watered them all in .

......and sprinkled a generous topping of yet more expensive horticultural grit about them .

             And now I've done that , I can hardly see them !  🙄 

 I am hopeful that they will plump up and their leaves will push up up and maybe they will even flower .

They are now in the greenhouse , next to the Bowea volubilis which is another South African bulb ,very weird , in fact a totally crazy thing that I love and can see is just waking up in the pot on the left hand side .

              This year it has three new shoots ...watch this space !

Next I wanted to send some of these bulbs up to my brother upcountry . I only have a small pot of these but I pulled them apart and put some aside for him and potted up the others quickly in the lovely shallow blue pot .

                                   Ledebouria cooperii 

They are smaller bulbs but a lot healthier than the Ledebouria socialis violacea bulbs which are quite withered . 

  I gave him some of the better ones in the other pot .🌿🌿

Next I tipped out the Ledebouria cooperii , the one with the stripey leaves and lovely pink flowers .

That job done . I had a quick tidy up in the shed . 

Packed them all up .Then off to the post office in the village to send them off .

Epie update -   🌿  We are still waiting .....

                                    Epiphyllum "Yellow "

                            Epiphyllum " Acapulco Sunset "

              Echinocereus viereckii subsp morricallii  

Interesting how this one opens in the morning , closes midday, opens up again before nightfall . I guess it must be moth pollenated , but not sure why it would close up midday when the sun is shining brightest . I guess it is protecting itself and that is how it lasts so long .

 I wonder if it will be there tomorrow morning ? 

               That's all fer now my lovelies !

  Sorry if you found this a bit boring today 😂🌿💚🌺💐🐝

                       love Debbie x

South American Cactus and Epiphyllum buds and South African bulbs

 

                                In my greenhouse 🐝💐🌿

                       Echinocereus viereckii ssp morricalii

                            🌿   This one has begun to open .🌿

So I hope it doesn't open fully over night then fade by morning . I will be up early to see it if I can .

                           Epiphyllum "Yellow"

        These Epies are keeping us waiting still .This one is almost there ! 💛

         🌿 Epiphyllum "Acapulco Sunset " 🌿 I can't wait to see this one . This will be the first time it has bloomed for me !   I think this one might take a few days longer still .

Tomorrow I am sorting out some of my overgrown Ledebouria socialis violacea bulbs . The ones in the blue dish are very cramped together now . They seriously need re-potting !

 I want to send some to my botanically insane brother upcountry . 🧅🧅🧅

 I also have this lovely striped variety ......which he will go gaga over when he sees it !  🤩

 Ledebouria socialis violacea ( the one with spotted leaves ) it has it's bulbs on top of the surface. This one goes dormant but doesn't disappear . I think my brother originally gave this to me years ago and I am ashamed to say that I have only ever repotted it just once !

 Ledebouria cooperii  ( the one with the striped leaves ) has bulbs below the surface and it completely dies back and disappears through the winter months . And for that reason I really must put a label into the pot .

Tomorrow I'm going to have a wonderful time getting my hands into the good earth , dividing and repotting and generally pampering them all . 

            Lovely little South African thing 🌿

Over in the shed , I remembered to sow another pan of lettuce seeds .

                                  And that really is all fer now !

               

                         🌻🌺     Love Debbie 💐 x   🌺🌻