Growing plants with storage organs (bulbs/ tubers/ corms/ etc)
In Temperate regions, plants use storage organs to survive the winter and as a result, most such plants will not survive here. So, forget all the spring-flowering bulbs (daffodils, crocus, tulip, etc). Even most summer-flowering bulbs will not survive or even flower here, e.g. day-lilies (Hemerocallis), true lilies (Lilium), Agapanthus, Nerine, Crocosmia. There are a very few exceptions, such as dahlias.
In the tropics, most storage organs in plants are thus used to survive a dry season. This brings up a problem:
a) Some plants are really normal flowering plants and only use the storage organ as a safety net (dahlias are a good example). If a drought arrives, they are ready, otherwise life continues as normal. These plants are easy to grow.
b) Other plants die down during the dry season and when the rains arrive, they first flower, then produce leaves. These plants are a real pain to grow. Many will carry on producing leaves indefinitely as long as they are watered, but will never flower. They must have a dry season to trigger flowering. So, the problem now (in the unnatural conditions of a desert, where there is no fixed dry season) is how long do you dry them out and at what time of the year. From experience, the answer is: do not try this in the summer, they will die. They need at least 6 weeks drying out, but even then, many will start up leaf development without flowering, but now they will be very weakened and need a year to recover.
This 2nd group thus have 2 problems:
The first group, in contrast, include many spectacular plants, which happen to have storage organs. This is useful for overcoming the hot season, since they can be allowed to die down when the heat arrives and then stored in the fridge until the autumn.
In the tropics, most storage organs in plants are thus used to survive a dry season. This brings up a problem:
a) Some plants are really normal flowering plants and only use the storage organ as a safety net (dahlias are a good example). If a drought arrives, they are ready, otherwise life continues as normal. These plants are easy to grow.
b) Other plants die down during the dry season and when the rains arrive, they first flower, then produce leaves. These plants are a real pain to grow. Many will carry on producing leaves indefinitely as long as they are watered, but will never flower. They must have a dry season to trigger flowering. So, the problem now (in the unnatural conditions of a desert, where there is no fixed dry season) is how long do you dry them out and at what time of the year. From experience, the answer is: do not try this in the summer, they will die. They need at least 6 weeks drying out, but even then, many will start up leaf development without flowering, but now they will be very weakened and need a year to recover.
This 2nd group thus have 2 problems:
- It is difficult and a considerable hassle to get them to flower, and in a good percentage you will fail.
- When they do flower, the flower only lasts a few days (because it is holding up leaf development). So, was it all worthwhile?
The first group, in contrast, include many spectacular plants, which happen to have storage organs. This is useful for overcoming the hot season, since they can be allowed to die down when the heat arrives and then stored in the fridge until the autumn.