My wormkiller has a second flower, and it's even facing the first, so maybe it will make seeds again this year!

Play some Barry, Elaine.

That would be great, Elaine.

So anybody like to share some advice or opinions on this? The first flower has 'folded'. The spathe has closed over the spadix ( ? ) but the second flower now appears to have pollen on the go. Do I unfold the first flower and attempt to help them mix it up? Uh, oh! It's finally raining now, too. Hope all that pollen isn't washed away before I get to it. Maybe I'll go stand over it with an umbrella . . .

If the inflorescence has folded up, I would guess you do not have pollen from it Elaine? Take some pollen from the new one and that it flowers one more time. You should be able to use this pollen at anthesis of the (hopefully) next inflor.

Thanks Drew. Will watch for another flower, let's hope it happens soon!

dyzzypyxxy said:

I have two little ones like what I sent you, but Swayback seems to have gone astray and I was saving them for him. Anybody heard from him? I wrote him a Tree Mail a few days ago.

IM BACK!

Me and my plants had a rough winter...real rough...

dyzzypyxxy said:Y'know, I think they're hardy to at least zone 8 although the database says 9b. I've seen them in gardens in Vancouver BC, but the one I'm thinking of is on the south side of my friends' house. Their climate is moderated by proximity to the sea, but they do get snow and some temps below freezing most winters. That being said, in Feb. 2010 when the Olympics were in Vancouver, it was colder here than it was there . . .

Here they grow under the tree canopy of the live oaks, which all by itself does give some protection. Mine's pretty big, obviously been there a good many years, and wasn't bothered by the two cold winters we had in '09 and '10.

There's an even hardier one, good luck finding it in tge states...it's all over the uk...

I know I'm gunna slaughter this but...

Dicksonia Antarctica

Is it name, I do believe I hear tale of over wintering in z6 with mild shelter and z5 with heavy protection...
It's almost as hard to believe as the fact that we don't get the over here!

I have a hefty rough aussie...I had no idea it's fur was an irritant...I'll NEVER forget that!
The dicksonias are soft and fluffy...go figure!

As we all did Sway.

Well here it is Sept. And this is all that I've managed to get from mine this year. I can' t figure out what I'm doing wrong with this plant.

Hm, I'm sure you're not doing anything wrong. It's just a slow growing plant. I always expect more leaves but usually just get 3 or 4 leaves total. I treat mine more like a flowering bulb than a big foliage plant, enjoy the flower or flowers, then let it be.

All I can tell you is I virtually ignore mine after I give it a sprinkle of fertilizer in the spring. It's in about a 3 gal. pot in the shade of one of my big oaks, and seems to like a mulch of the oak leaves on top of the potting mix. It's been in the same pot since I got it 4 years ago, except when I rousted it out while it was dormant to get pictures of the bulb. The mama bulb is about 3in. across now. Maybe have a look at yours once it goes dormant? It's got to be building a nice bulb by now.

Yours looks like it has a little darker leaves than mine - does it get some sunlight through the trees? Also, mine's sitting directly on the ground and about the bottom half of the pot is buried in the leaf mulch, too. Maybe this is keeping the pot cooler?

I always wonder when the nursery is charging a lot for a mature plant, if it's because it took quite a while to get to mature size. I shelled out $25 for the mama. Maybe you should just 'park' it somewhere each spring, give it a sprinkle of fert and leave it to its own devices? I don't think it's a fussy plant, just pretty slow growing.

This reminds me, though, I haven't checked mine for any seedlings this year. If I get more seedlings, I'm going to try growing one in the ground directly.

Elaine, mine is in a shifting sun/ shade. I've just fertilized on the same schedule as most of the other Aroids and I always do a 1/2 strength 20/20/20. I guess it just needs to grow up a bit more. I haven't tipped the pot out to see the size of the tuber.

As you can see, at least with this plant...patience isn't one of my virtures.

Yup, I think if anything, that's the only thing you're "doing" wrong.

And a news update on my plant, went out to take a look for seedlings, and ACK! all the leaves are lying over sideways, sort of limp with shriveled stems. The leaves and stems are still green but not looking good!

I will have to haul it outa there and see if I can figure out what's going on. Oh well, today's our anniversary, maybe I can cajole DH into a short foray up to Tropiflora . . .

...and?????

Manana, unfirtunately.

dyzzypyxxy said:Manana, unfirtunately.

huh ??

I mean my trip to Tropiflora to get another wormkiller will have to wait until . . well, Monday. (dh owes me an anniversary plant)

Ok, now that makes more sense !