Karoo Lily (Ammocharis coranica)

Karoo Lily
Ammocharis coranica

Picture taken July 8th at Plant Delights Nursery, Raleigh NC

Hi Tom,
Just had a look at your photo of your AC flower, lovely. I just recently acquired a bulb, in April 2008, and to date still no roots and no growth in leaves. Hope you can help in answering some questions. How deep in the growing medium is your bulb(s)? What are you growing it in, and how often do you water it? I have mine in mostly pumice, with a little organic mixture, and the bulb in sitting on top of this mix in a small pot. I am wondering if I need a large pot and if I should bury part of the bulb?
I am desperate.
Hope you will see this soon.
verdee

I don't know if Tom grows this bulb and I'm sure he does and will chime in here soon. I generally look thru the PlantFiles forum every day or two and I grow this bulb. These are my experiences with it:

1. I grow it in both pots and ground and it performs about the same in either medium

2. Likes excellent drainage, but water when in active growth (winter mainly here and for those I know with it in CA)

3. Mine are buried like a crinum--shallowly, but definitely buried.

4. The leaves tend to grow, become dormant, and grow again several times a year for me with apparently no rhyme or reason except they tend not to grow in excessive heat or cold--vigorous growers in spring, fall, and most of the winter for me--all my bulbs of this species are outside, full sun, no greenhouse or even shade cloth

5. they like a lot of sand in the mixture--and grow them lean, I never fertilize this one except foliar when I do all my bulbs (6-11-5)

6. it doesn't bloom for me until the bulb is at least the size of a baseball--but the bulbs grow very fast for me, its very hot most of the year here

hope this helps a bit-
Debbie

Thank you Debbie,
Just need to know how deep do you bury it. Do you have photos of yours? Do you bury most of it below the surface? i.e. like an amaryllis - with about 1/3 above ground? Mine is approximately 15 1/2 inches in circumference, so its definitely larger than a baseball, perhaps a well rounded football. Its a heavy one, but no outer signs of life. What size pot would you suggest this to be grown in? Mine is in a rather small pot, as I'm assuming it should be pot bound, if it ever gets rooted....Again, any information is extremely appreciated. What other bulbs do you grow?

Hi again--
This is my photo under this bulb:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/138115/

I bury it right to where the leaves are emerging. Yes--below what most people do Amaryllis (I do Amaryllis deeper than most people do)--and the one's I have in pots are in pretty small pots--not because I think that's best but that's where they ended up. My pots are sitting in a bed though where the roots can and do emerge from the holes.

Let me get back to you with more details and pics in the morning--friend is here and wants to go out, its Friday night.

Thanks again. The photo shows a bare bulb though. I was hoping to see a planted bulb showing the depth, however you did say you plant it deeply. Also would like to know size of pot you use. I cannot plant outside as I live in an apartment with a large balcony for summer growing stuff. So pots it is. Am holding my breath until I hear from you again. This weekend it will be repotting odds and sods, and my AC when I see what size pot you are using. When mine is properly planted, I will post a photo.
Have a great Friday night!

I can take pics tomorrow--its getting dark down here now--I will be back in the morning.
=)

sorry, got rather busy this weekend. I have these pots plunged into a bed and the roots are growing out the bottom into the ground. This particular one I pulled out because its the exact bulb pictured in the link above--notice I have it planted right up to the leaves as indicated.

it is going dormant now, which is why it looks so ratty. This is our hottest and driest season. Like I said, It grows mostly fall, winter, spring for me. And it really needs to be in a bigger pot and definitely a clay pot. think I just grabbed the nearest thing at the time to get this planted but I think it stays to wet in the winter in this pot.