From: grsjr at juno.com (George R Stilwell, Jr.) on 1997.09.05 at 21:19:42(1165)
Donald,
I know the feeling. How long can a plant grow without blooming?
Zantedeschia aethiopica needs some sun. Mine bloomed wonderfully this
year for the first time
since I first planted them a few years ago. Hurricane Fran did the job by
knocking down lots of trees and allowing much more sunlight on the
Zantedeschia. Z. rehmanii responded well too.
In the trade, Z. aethiopica is grown in greenhouses (in the north) with
full sun and lots of feed. So more fertilizer may be in order too. Most
Z. like a damp growing area, so water is important too.
Z. aethiopica here took about 5 years from seed to bloom in full
sunlight, with heavy feeding,
and drip irrigation. So maturity is required as in all plants.
Often purchased tubers are confused by our northern hemisphere when they
come from South Africa
or New Zealand. Mine often grew a second time in the fall, after going
dormant in the summer,
only to get zapped in December. After a few years, they got their
calendar straightened out.
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