How do bloom times differ from North to South?

» CarolWallace - A reader question I can't answer

Posted by carol for Julie
1. Is the lavatera a perennial or annual for Zone 9 (Daytona Beach, Florida)? I planted seeds this spring and I have huge leaves and tall growth,
but no flowers yet.

2. What is the blooming season in my zone for Achimenes? How tall are the plants?

3. What is the blooming season in my zone for Tigridia? How tall are the plants?

Can I plant something in late summer or fall if planting directions in the catalogue (from a New York company) say "plant in spring"?

-- posted by CarolWallace

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» jfinn - Lavatera

I'm assuming the reader has planted a Lavatera trimestris cultivar such as 'Loveliness' or 'Mont Blanc' and not a shrubby type like L. thuringiaca. If so, it should be starting to bloom. Typically, sowing to bloom time on this species is about 3 to 3 1/2 months. I would try feeding the plant with a bloom booster type of fertilizer, low in nitrogen, high in phosphorus and potassium. Miracle-Grow with a formulation of 15-30-15 would probably do nicely.
Since it's listed as a hardy annual, this plant, if grown in a sheltered location, would probably make it through a typical Daytona Beach winter, unless cut down by a freeze. However, in my experience, Lavatera is an insect and disease attractor- at the end of the season it looks so pathetic one looks forward to adding it to the compost pile. Its ratty appearance coincides with our summer rainy season, running from June through September. Daily thunderstorms and humidity approaching 100% encourage powdery mildew and other types of leaf spot fungus. It's not a plant recommended for Florida- but what the heck - with some coddling, and good air circulation it can make it here. I grow 'Loveliness' myself for the flowers, which are excellent cut. Surprisingly, (at least to me!) Japanese beetles, which annihilated my Lavatera trimestris and thuringiaca in Virginia, seem to be absent here.

-- posted by jfinn

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» jfinn - Achimenes

Most species of Achimenes check in at 1 feet tall or less.
Some species, such as A.longiflora, found in older gardens, have a trailing habit. The newer double-flowered hybrids, particularly those in the Rose Series, are popular bedding plants and are thankfully replacing the ubiquitous Impatiens in the South.
Because of their small stature, they make excellent subjects in porch planters, hanging baskets, or as edging plants in shady borders. Growth commences in early summer; triggered by rain and warmth. Blooming follows approximately 1 month later and continues until fall, when the plants die back, and the rhizomatus tubers go dormant.
During their active growing season, Achimenes need ample supplies of water - witholding water tricks the plants into thinking they have entered the dry season - thus signaling the tubers to enter dormancy.
Since the ground doesn't freeze in Daytona Beach, the tubers may be left in situ as long as the soil is well-drained. If the soil is muck, and holds water in the winter, the tubers must be lifted to prevent rotting. Tubers should be stored in an open-mesh bag (the kind onions come in) with barely moist vermiculite, to prevent undue dessication. Replant in May in open soil. Potted specimens can be stored in the garage over winter; provide only enough water to keep soil barely moist.
Achimenes prefer rich, moist soil high in organic matter. In Florida, they require weekly applications of 15-30-15 water soluble fertilizer to produce the best floral display.
In Zone 9, and elsewhere, they should be grown in bright shade. Avoid getting water on the leaves of these gloxinia and african violet relatives.

-- posted by jfinn

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» jfinn - Tigridia

Of the approximately 25 known species of Tigridia, only two, T. pavonia
and T. ehrenbergii, are well-suited to our hot, humid climate. Most species
are denizens of higher elevations in the Andes and prefer cooler
temperatures. T. pavonia grows from 1 1/2 to 2 feet tall and blooms in
mid-July to late August, depending on cultivar. Scott Ogden in his book,
Garden Bulbs for the South, suggests they can be successfully grown in
our climate if the bulbs are given ample water, good rich soil and part
shade. He also encourages gardeners to plant the bulbs at least 4 inches
deep, and ideally 5, to mimic the cool root runs found in their native land.
He also recommends lifting the bulbs and storing them like gladioli over
the winter.
T. ehrenbergii is native to northern Mexico's Sierra Madre mountains. As
such, it is much more tolerant of our humid climate. Unlike pavonia, its
flowers are more campanula-like than iris-like. From July throuh
September it produces a succession of pendant, yellow buff-colored bells
at the end of 13-inch stalks. Like most Tigridias, its leaves are pleated and
plants are on the average 1 to 2 feet tall. Both types are available from
specialty bulb catalogs.

-- posted by jfinn

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