You might remember that I found 5 little bulbs in the fairly large crinum I bought. They accidentally went in the trash by guests for dinner that were helping clean up the kitchen. (Should I have them come back again? LOL) Well, today I was looking closely and found one last bulb with dirt just covering it. I lifted it up and it has an eeny, weeny beginning of growth. It doesn't appear to be a root (looks more like the start of a bulb), but it's growing downwards into the dirt. Since these little guys are small and I'm new to crinums, I don't know if it's upside down or not. Crinum bulbs are smooth on one side then look like the cover was pulled tightly together on the other side. That's the side I thought would be the rooting side, but that's the side where the growth is happening -- not on the smooth side. So I need help. What should I do with it? Is it upside down? Thanks all! Barbara
Found a crinum bulb. How to plant?
Barbara,
Get a pot of soil, put the crinum bulb halfway under the soil, halfway above the soil....the tip you see needs to point down into the soil. That will be the tap root that first appears from teh bulb. Shortly after that, it will send up a leaf from the same root stump that is coming out of the bulb. It will go up automatically, but that's why you really don't want dirt all the way ontop of the bulb. One goes up, one goes down, both from the same sprouting stump. The root always appears first.
The growth will feed off of the bulb, which will eventually shrivel up and just be absorbed into the plant as it gets a few more leaves.
MerryMary
MerryMary, thanks so-o-o much! And what clear instructions for dummies like me. LOL. One last question.........just water it lightly to keep it barely moist? Thanks again.
Barbara
Well....if you found it after being abused by your guests and then temporarily harbored in the dumpster, then maybe a drink of water will be just fine for it,lol....
Actually, keep the soil a little moist until the root takes hold, then just normal "not dry" soil once the leaves take place.
When the seeds fall on the ground from the mother plant bloom spikes, they just lay there and sprout their roots. So they're pretty hardy little devils, and can take a bit of neglect and still perform. I've had them fall into water and fish them out a month later, and still sprout, and I know plenty of them have just laid on the ground under the mother plant during the heat of an Orlando, FL summer, and still sprouted as well (I guess that's why they store up so much of their own food supply in that little cola-nut of theirs)
Any idea what kind of crinums these were?
Mary
Mary, I believe it's either an angustifolium or asiaticum.......common one. I'm assuming the bulb came from another crinum that it was being shipped with as I don't think my mother plant is large enough to through off bulbs. Mom is farily large (a 5 gal double) that I bought at HD about 2 months ago. That's why I'm assuming the bulb came from another plant at original growing location or in shipment. But after all, Mary, I didn't even know how to plant the little bulb until you told me, so don't believe anything I say about what kind it is! lol.
I'm SURE you'll do just fine with your little one! Most likely, it's an asiaticum, if you got it from HD, they are very common ones who drop an abundance of seeds. The good news is, that they are also a very forgiving variety. They will send fragarant cluster blooms, and each bloom will produce another seed, so you will have a lovely crinum business in no time! (Or lovely seedlings to trade at the next round-up!) It will take 2 years, or so, to see your first bloom, so your big plant may bloom this year, given plenty of sun, but your babe will take a while.
Mary
Thanks again, Mary, for the guidance. I'll keep you posted.