As Worsleya was once one of the few bulbs this writer had not grown, we decided to give them a try.
The line of thought here was clouded by not being able to come by them easily when further North on the Main Island of Tasmania, often referred to as mainland Australia.
But no doubt, we will digress to this later.
In Victoria, when Dr. Libby Kerr suggested we grow these, I was put off by their huge price.
Naively, this writer thought that their price was a reflection of their difficulty to grow; keep alive. In this day and age, when singing tongues promise you the earth, without detailed cultivation notes, one automatically should have a danger sign posted before proceeding.
Sitting now in a cooler climate again, and with an ounce or two of dogged determination, coupled with Rene's inability to remove the phone which is permanently attached to my ear, I happened across a plantsman who had been growing these plants for a couple of decades.
At the time of ordering, it was not my intention to keep them past winter, should they grow. For, as anyone who has visited knows, we are bereft of space here.
I would very much like to thank Errol for dispelling several myths I have read over the years.
Myth one: Dormancy:
If your Worsleya loses its leaves totally it is not dormant; it will not come back after the spring thaw; the poor creature is dead.
Myth two: Degree of difficulty.
They are difficult to grow, They are difficult to grow. Hey man, look at the prices; of course they are difficult to grow.
Well perhaps they are, if you are arrogant enough not to follow their simple growing requirements; which are.
Drainage, drainage, drainage; with a deep root run.
Fact one: Frosts are death , with their cutting, fracturing embrace. So, we need protection both for our foliage and our long exploring roots.
We do not need a glass house, heated and all the rest of bankcard debt.
Drainage is so easily achieved by placing road gravel or scoria, in the bottom of your pot.
Said pot already had both extra holes and grooves cut into the bottom and up the base sides a little.
This is necessary for long and healthy growth, which with this extreme drainage; is the key.
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