Overwintering Tigridia

Discussion in 'Outdoor Gardening in the Pacific Northwest' started by soccerdad, Oct 2, 2016.

  1. soccerdad

    soccerdad Active Member 10 Years

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    I am moving plants around - planting crocosmia in front of my other plants was not my best-ever idea - and have a number of Tigridia to move. I could just take the opportunity to bring them inside like I have done in past years but I wonder if anyone has successfully overwintered them outside in Vancouver?
     
  2. pmurphy

    pmurphy Contributor 10 Years

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    I have about a dozen plants that have been in the ground since 2010. However, it might depend on how exposed the bulbs are through the winter. Mine are along a north facing fence between two houses so they do get some protection.

    IMG_3616.jpg Mariposa Lily.jpg
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 3, 2016
  3. soccerdad

    soccerdad Active Member 10 Years

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    I will try it. My 16 plants generated about 300 seeds so I can grow a few more to be safe. Mine will be South facing and about 4 meters from a fence.
     
  4. Gary Hawthorn

    Gary Hawthorn Member

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    I have grown tigridias for three years, and have found the to be quite easy to grow, but in my experience they are not PEST FREE.

    I grow them in pots, and for the first two winters stored them in those pots in my frost free garage, and just ignored them. No problem. By the third year they had multiplied quite well so I dug and stored them fully exposed and bare rooted in that same frost free location. No problem so far with mature bulbs.

    However, in 2016 I planted overwintered seeds that grew very well to produced longish "bulbs" that don't look at all like the mature version. In October, I transplanted them into larger containers and stored them in my garage, where I learned about MICE. Every one of those juvenile tubers was consumed, but the mature bulbs were untouched.

    Although the 2016 seedling experiment was a total failure, I still had a large collection of mature bulbs. As it turned out MICE had a different agenda.

    Shortly after planting the mature bulbs in mid-March (perhaps too early) it was quite apparent that rodents were enjoying a feast. To save the survivors, I have now covered them with 1/2" wire mesh, and that appears to be working.

    I eventually found a Google reference to mice. I now know that my experience was not unique and probably predictable, but it is one that should not be repeated.

    Cheers
     
  5. Gary Hawthorn

    Gary Hawthorn Member

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    This, my second post, has morphed into a HOW TO OVERSUMMER these beauties.

    The 2017 seedlings are growing well, both indoors and unprotected outdoors.

    The "mature" corms however are another story. Had I not interceded, my expectation is that every one of the corms will have been dug up and consumed by rodents (squirrels are the prime suspect). I saved the remaining plants by transplanting them to a sunny indoor location, where they are doing well.

    This winter, I will keep both the 2017 seedlings and the mature corms in a rodent proof enclosure. Next spring, when I plant them out, (no apparent need to rush the season - April - May planting should be OK since growth appears to be triggered by soil temperature), I intend to do so using a 1/2" hardware cloth cover, perhaps 1" below the surface, the corms themselves at the recommended 4" depth.

    It seams like a lot of effort for a single species, but they look great with their one day (actually just a few hours) of individual flowers, spread over a few weeks.

    I am not going to let the rodents win.

    Cheers
     
  6. soccerdad

    soccerdad Active Member 10 Years

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    I made the mistake of leaving them in the ground over the past winter. Every one died.
     
  7. Gary Hawthorn

    Gary Hawthorn Member

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    Overwintering the corms in the ground in Vancouver is risky. I did that 20 years ago, and for several years it worked well, but one winter they did not survive.

    Continuing with my comments re seedling that I started this year: the ones that I kept indoors in a sunny location have far more growth than the ones that I started outdoors, although they are rangy and falling over. The indoor ones almost look like they will flower, but that is not consistent with one of my books that says "5 years from seeds to flowers".

    If anyone would like to nurture some of these seedlings, please contact me for October "delivery", since I do not need the perhaps two hundred that I have.

    Cheers

    Gary
     
  8. soccerdad

    soccerdad Active Member 10 Years

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    I could use some.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 14, 2017
  9. Gary Hawthorn

    Gary Hawthorn Member

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    Second week of October works. Please phone

    Gary @ 604-986-8873
     
  10. Gary Hawthorn

    Gary Hawthorn Member

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    soccerdad

    I was away, but back now, so anytime is OK.

    Cheers

    Gary
     

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