Hi, I plan to purchase a Cardiocrinum giganteum bulb from Asiatica Nursery, I live in central Connecticut and I am in Zone 6 and was wondering if I should plant my Cardiocrinum giganteum on the ground or if it's best to plant it in a pot. Thanks

Hi Brian, Do Cardiocrinum rely upon roots for flower stem height?? This is not necessarily true, but you likely know more about these plants than I do. I assume the flower spike is inherent in the size of the bulb when it decides to flower as this is what provides the vast majority of the nutrient to produce the spike. If you happen to have a small bulb bloom then the spike will be shorter......perhaps this is not true of these? Also, what do you mean by the variety?? I assumed there was only one variety of C. giganteum, but perhaps there are other varieties?? Of course, there are other species of Cardiocrinum which produce smaller flower spikes, but I was not aware of varietal status. Are there any web sites detailing the differences in the varieties of giganteum...I'd love to have a read. How can you tell your bulb is going to flower next spring?? I've never paid that much attention, but if you can tell from my just dormant bulbs I'd be interested in having a look-see. I've grown these for awhile and love them, but have not really read much about them. They have been rather easy to grow as long as I keep the slugs at bay.....not easy by the way!! I'd love to go to the Himalayas where they propaate these and see several hundred or thousand in bloom all at once..that would be awesome :o) Dan

I have been trying to germinate fresh seed for many years. No luck until now. I harvested fresh seed from the pods just after the first snowfall in December of 2012. In January 2013 I created 8 experimental groups, some refrigerated, some not, some sowed directly, some floated in a baggie of vermiculite in a cooler filled with 82 degree water maintained by an aquarium heater, some put in the cold frame, some left outside in full exposure a harsh winter. I kept very thorough notes. The following method describes the method that easily proved its worth: three times the germination compared to all other methods. January 14, 2013---Soaked fresh seed overnight in a pint of water containing 1/2 teaspoon citric acid (or winemaker's acid blend). You could substitute 1 T. lemon juice. The acid soak variable proved to be the most important variable. January 15, 2013---Put soaked seeds in a baggie full of damp vermiculite and stratified (refrigerated 40 degrees) for 90 days. April 15, 2013---No germination. Placed seeds in 6" pots covered with vermiculite. Put pots in cold frame (along with half the other experimental groups). Inside temp of cold frame was 41 degrees at 8 AM. It froze previous night. Late spring, 2013---Opened cold frame but kept pots moist all summer and fall. No germination. February 23, 2014---Germination observed in all pots, but the acid soak/stratifed method had three times the amount. April 12, 2014---Fertilized with weak solution of Peters African Violet food (12-36-24) to encourage bulb growth. Put pots on the deck on the north side of the house, where they will get no direct sun. Kept very well watered. Tomorrow--July 7, 2014---Will pot up all plants in separate 4" pots. About 50 total from a beginning of perhaps 800 seeds. Good luck to all!! Remember: acid soak and stratify!

"And if you are in the P.N.W. effects of acidic precipitation were starting to be seen here by the 1970s, with the rhododendron society chapter I belonged to starting to recommend winter applications of dolomite even to rhododendrons." I find this very hard to believe. Soil pH for the vast majority of western WA is only mildly acidic - 6.3-6.5. It is highly unusual to find a pH lower than 5.5-6.0, despite acid rainfall. And since rhodies and their ilk can tolerate and even prefer pretty heavily acidic soils (4.5-6.0) it would quite unnecessary to add any lime!! Nothing in any of the ARS publications speak to the need to ever lime a rhododendron. One doesn't even need to lime lawns in this area unless they test out at 5.5 or lower.