Viable Tubers for Our Climate

[UMARKHANMARDAN]

Hamad i purchased mine some seven years ago from More green F-8 Markaz.now its Mehfooz seed store.The bulbs flowered after some four to five years.Yes you can get ready to flower plants from Peshawar mod nurseries.But time factor is real thing for which they demand high costs.You can get Orange fully developed plant for Rs 2000 to 3000.One thing go to Mehfooz seeds he times bring flowering Clivia & sale in very reasonable price.Last time i saw a red flowered which he was offering for Rs 1200.Actually Clivia roots spread is too much.I think first it completes the root spread which can be 3-4 or even more in the ground.I am saying this because i was surprised to see so much root spread of a bulb.Clivia is very best in shady locations where many annuals & bulbs fail to survive.

[mikhurram]

Quoted by Zahrah Nasir
http://beta.dawn.com/news/588843/nature ... ng-clivias

"Clivias are gorgeous but, in my humble opinion, don’t quite deserve the fuss and fanfare they get as the flowers tend to be relatively short lived, especially in high temperatures, and I can think of lots more, longer blooming, equally if not more showy, plants to oooh and aaah over! For the uninitiated, Clivias are a very close relative of the ever popular Amaryllis but, be warned, has very different growing requirements so please don’t make the fatal, to the plant, mistake of planting them together in a bed or border as, adhering to the example of many human families, they do not get along!"

[Hamad]

Khurram thank you for your valuable suggestions I will consider them before going for Clivia

Hamad

[Munir]

Khurram Sb, as you must have noticed in this thread, Hamad is trying to prepare a list of tubers suitable for our climate & environment,which is now in the final stage. I find you know a lot, but don't see your suggestions so far; could you please add your input now.

[khabbab]

This list may be good for Pindi but certainly not for lahore. Clivia is a minus for lahore. People are also growing orchids in lahore and successfully but i do not consider them suitable for lahore. Question yourself: Is the effort to make this plant flower and keep it alive for one year is worth it?

I would try to divide the list into categories like easy, intermediate, difficult etc. Growing allium is much more difficult than rain lilies.You have to choose right species, right medium, right sun exposure etc. I would never like a newbie to try allium and then get disappointed, it is better that a newbie starts with easy ones like rain lilies, amaryllis and then gradually move towards not-so-easy ones.

[Hamad]

This list may be good for Pindi but certainly not for lahore. Clivia is a minus for lahore. People are also growing orchids in lahore and successfully but i do not consider them suitable for lahore. Question yourself: Is the effort to make this plant flower and keep it alive for one year is worth it?

I would try to divide the list into categories like easy, intermediate, difficult etc. Growing allium is much more difficult than rain lilies.You have to choose right species, right medium, right sun exposure etc. I would never like a newbie to try allium and then get disappointed, it is better that a newbie starts with easy ones like rain lilies, amaryllis and then gradually move towards not-so-easy ones.

Khabbab sb that's a good idea we can divide our list into three categories easy, intermediate and difficult furthermore we can also add tips to grow them and the suitable region to grow mainly we can divide them into LHR, KHI, RWL/ISL and PSHR because I was not compiling the list only for myself or for RWL/ISL but for everyone, over the weekend I will update the list consulting the tips and suggestions mentioned earlier in this thread by fellow members and more suggestion, tips and now specially regional guide is requested so that I can update my list accordingly and soon InshAllah we will compile the same kind of list for Annuals but participation and valuable suggestions are requested from all senior, knowledgeable and experienced members like your self.

thanks all for populating this list now please add your tips to grow them and any regional guide would be appreciated thanking you in anticipation

Hamad

[Hamad]

Final list so far, tips to grow, rate them as (easy, intermediate or difficult to grow)and regional guide is requested

participation would be appreciated

1. Acidanthera
2. Alstroemeria
3. Alstroemeria
4. Allium
5. Amaryllis
6. Amaricrinum
7. Amorphophallus Rivieri (caution: Foul like fragrance)
8. Babiana
9. Canna
10. Caladium
11. Chlidanthus
12. Clivia
13. Crinum
14. Crocosmia
15. Daffodils
16. Daylilies
17. Dahlia
18. Dracunculus Vulgaris (caution: Foul like fragrance)
19. Eucomis (Pineapple lily)
20. Eucharis Amazonia
21. Eranthis Alba
22. Freesia
23. Galtonia (Summer hyacinth)
24. Ginger Lily
25. Glads
26. Gloriosa
27. Ground Orchid
28. Hyacinth
29. Hymenocallis
30. Iris
31. Ixia
32. Ipheion
33. Lachenalia
34. Leucocoryne
35. Liium (Asiatic)
36. Lycoris
37. Narcissus
38. Nerine
39. Oxalis
40. Paper white
41. Pancratium maritimum/Sea Daffodil
42. Rain lilies
43. Ranunculous
44. Red Blood Lily
45. Scilla Peruviana
46. Society Garlic
47. Sprekelia (Aztec lily) (Amaryllis Family)
48. Sparaxis
49. Tigridia
50. Triteleia
51. Tube rose
52. Urginea Maritima
53. Watsonia


Hamad

[mikhurram]

This post ideally should have appeared in the tubers/Rhizomes/bulbs section.

For novice for beginners i would suggest they should start from tested varieties which grow well in Pakistan without fuss/care and avoid splurging money on varieties not suitable for Pakistan as they may get dejected to discover that these bulbs didn't bloom. Avoid taking advice from nursery owners whose job is to sell regardless the hardiness of the variety. Seek input & advice from more experienced members who would give you a frank opinion.

Among the list i would cross out,

Allium (except a small flowered variety and thus better to cross out all the Alliums)

Clivia

Eucomis (takes time to flower till 3 years, mine is in a pot for 2 years, bulb is hardy but has not flowered yet, i havent' given up on them)

Gladiolus (are grown in fields around Pattoki successfully, for some reason haven't proven to be winner for me, watsonia & Acidanthera also which belongs to the same family.

Hyacinth (flower once only)

Pancritum Maritum does not bloom regularly for me. Mine bloomed after two years. It is over-rated for its fragrance) and bloom duration is short.

Red Oxblood Lily (Rhodephelia) same behaviour as Pancritum

Sprekelia (For some people the bulb fails to flower regularly even though the bulb survives)

Urginea Maritima (Mine which was placed in a pot two years ago is yet to flower though the bulb survives)

Crocosmia for some reason does not flower abundantly in Lahore.

Eucharis Amazonia would require protection from sun but would require fuss/care.

Freesia (better to opt for single varieties which self seed more compared to double variety and can multiply more rapidly in a raised bed , I have stopped growing the double variety which were grown in a raised bed, on average 60% of the double freesia from last year used to pop up from previous years stock.

Ranunculous (those grown from seed have large flowers and grow easily from seed, in fact most of the nursery owners grow Ranuncolous from seed)

Ground orchids susceptible to Mealy bugs and scales

There are a couple of other bulbs whose names i can't remember but do well in lahore.

Havent' tried Amaricrinum, chilidanthus, Galtonia, Leucocoryne, Scilla Peruviana

I would go along with with the following in the list

5. Amaryllis
8. Babiana
9. Canna
13. Crinum
15. Daffodils ( Foliage should not be cut to ensure blooms in the coming year)
16. Daylilies
22. Freesia (opt for single variety which are hard to find these days)
24. Ginger Lily (white variety is fragrant)
29. Hymenocallis (common)
30. Iris (bearded not recommended for beginners and require pampering)
31. Ixia
32. Ipheion
35. Liium (Asiatic)
36. Lycoris
37. Narcissus
38. Nerine
39. Oxalis (better to crowd it a pot due to its invasiveness & blooms would appear more striking)
40. Paper white
42. Rain lilies
46. Society Garlic (has a foul smell and size of flower is small)
51. Tube rose

[Munir]

Thank you Khurram sb for obliging with comments. It looks you have inadvertently missed out Caladium.

[mikhurram]

I have an additional criteria regarding whether the bulb/rhizomes merits a place in my garden and that condition would be whether the growth/development of the bulb/rhizome/tuber is going to benefit the wild life (birds, Butterflies/Bees) in the garden or not? I tend to exclude ornamentals varieties and caladiums would fall into that and they can grow successfully in a shady spot. The only exception to this rule are Amaryllis and Lycoris.

It is better to plant annuals/perennials along with fruit trees in the garden to attract bio-diversity. Growing annuals is a more uphill and difficult task as they require care. Farhan recently did a commendable job with annuals.

A more refined list based on the criteria would be:
5. Amaryllis
8. Babiana
9. Canna
15. Daffodils ( Foliage should not be cut to ensure blooms in the coming year)
16. Daylilies
22. Single Freesia
24. Ginger Lily (white variety is fragrant)
30. Iris (bearded not recommended for beginners and require pampering)
31. Ixia
32. Ipheion
35. Liium (Asiatic)
36. Lycoris
37. Narcissus
38. Nerine
39. Oxalis (better to crowd it a pot due to its invasiveness & blooms would appear more striking)
40. Paper white
42. Rain lilies
46. Society Garlic (has a foul smell and size of flower is small)
51. Tube rose
Kniphofia also can be grown in lahore. My attempt to grow Kniphofia turned out to be a failure as 4 out of 6 rhizomes didn't flower and died out. Two have survived and have yet to flower. I know someone who is successfully growing kniphofia's in lahore. His kniphofia have multiplied/thrived and bloomed within an year in a raised soil bed. I reckon it has to do with the ph of the soil.