Friday, April 13, 2007

The seeds of the paintbrush lily Haemanthus coccinius are so pretty that I would like to show them to you. The fleshy seeds of the Amaryllidaceae family should be planted immediately when they are ripe.


The seeds are placed on top of the soil and pressed into the soil to just below the soil level. I have planted seeds much deeper. It took them some weeks later than the other seeds, but the lilies managed to grow all the way through the soil and I know a gardener who places the seeds on top of the soil and that works too.
That was not meant to confuse you but to relax you - if they want to grow, they will grow.
One point can not be changed and that is the seeds do not last long. They can be kept cool for a few weeks but the fresher the better.
For the growing medium use normal potting soil and add some sand. 1 x sand and 2 times potting mix. Do not desturb the young lilies for at least a year, preferably two years.

I am going to plant the seeds on the photo. It always feels like a waste to throw seeds away and such pretty seeds can not be wasted. Pity it is so difficult to send the fragile bulky seeds or I would have asked who wants them.

2 comments:

Colin and Carol said...

Our first aloe flowers are about to bloom, though they are only on young plants. When I post photographs perhaps you can help identify them for us?

Anonymous said...

Lovely photos of your grandson and his time in good old RSA.
P.S. he is THREE years old, not four...