Miniature Lachenalias

Post by **GiacomoP** » Tue Feb 16, 2021 10:23 am

This is Lachenalia’s flowering time. We all try to keep them nice and compact, with a delicate equilibrium of watering and exposing to strong light as much as we can. Difficult task if we go through cloudy and dull days, in which Lachenalias develop big leaves and elongated inflorescence. At least, this is my experience!
If this is the normality, I occasionally find few exceptions, like this miniature in the picture.
This Lachenalia carnosa is in a big vessel in which, last summer I mixed many bulbs, mainly volunteers of different species. I am ashamed to through them away. It is very crowded pot and it is on a lower shelf, mainly in the shadow. While my other L.carnosa (on more luminous shelves..) reach 20-25 cm in height this is altogether about 3 cm!
An obvious question… Do we really understand how to grow them properly?
((Or, in this case is genetic?))

Post by **ralphrmartin** » Tue Feb 16, 2021 6:14 pm

I think plenty of light is important. I also give mine plenty of water, and get a good show of flowers. Not every species is as floriferous, and some seem much earlier than others.

Post by **Astro** » Tue Feb 16, 2021 6:47 pm

I've found the best way to keep them compact is to put them in a small pot, or a generously populated community pot. The larger the pot, the larger the plant. This is very apparent with Massonias, they basically scale with the pot size. Even with the amount of winter light I have here I still have some tall plants, probably due to higher than ideal temperatures when the plants are in full sun (even though they're outside).
I had some spare sale plants, Massonia and Lachenalia, which I threw in small (deep 6 cm) pots just to get them through the winter and they are now very cute miniature versions of their former selves. Unfortunately, flowers usually scale with the leaves...

Post by **GiacomoP** » Wed Feb 17, 2021 9:38 am

Astro wrote: ↑Tue Feb 16, 2021 6:47 pm I've found the best way to keep them compact is to put them in a small pot, or a generously populated community pot.

thanks Astro,
this is exactly what i observed. it is an very interesting point of view!
It might even not be far away from the wild situation in which starved plants get smaller and smaller. On the contrary, if you have plenty of resources producing big leaves means more photosynthesis and more starch accumulated in the bulb. An insurance for the future!

Said that, strong light enhances the colors.
giac

P.S. Smaller flowers/inflorescence are very charming.

Post by **Tina** » Thu Feb 18, 2021 7:30 pm

Hi
I don't grow these but its very nice looking, do you fancy showing some more

Post by **Astro** » Fri Feb 19, 2021 6:09 am

Tina wrote: ↑Thu Feb 18, 2021 7:30 pm Hi
I don't grow these but its very nice looking, do you fancy showing some more

Some random Lachenalia pictures...

L. framesii, also has undulated leaves. The flowers are similar to L. mutabilis, which has an even more pronounced blue-purple top part of the inflorescence.

: L framesii

L. ensifolia ssp ensifolia. I have a form with pinkish flowers too but those are still too small for flowers.

: L. ensifolia ssp ensifolia

Post by **Nick** » Fri Feb 19, 2021 8:04 am

I love L. ensifolia - so compact and floriferous. I got mine from Terry Smale, along with many other plants, and they will provide a lasting memory of a true gentleman.