A. griffithii v.pradhan

[Bonaventure Magrys]

Adam, that sounds like my weather this past winter, even though I'm in zone 7. The weather extremes were brought down by cold Canadian air - "Alberta clippers". One of my 2 grifs (from treasuredbotanicals.com) was planted on its side among the roots of an azalea along the west facing wall of the garden shed. The side uppermost to the soil surface sustained some damage and upon removal, the rest of the tuber slowly rotted. My other grif which came later from bulbmeister.com is still potted up in the refridgerator in dry potting soil/perlite mix. The cataphyll is emerging but is covered by an upside down empty pot so that the occasional light does not stimulate it to further growth.
I'm hoping that it can wait for a candidissimum mate!

Bonaventure Magrys
Cliffwood Beach, NJ

----- Original Message -----
From: Adam Fikso <irisman at AMERITECH.NET>
Date: Monday, April 25, 2005 4:17 pm
Subject: A. griffithii v.pradhan

> Hello all. I was delighted to see--just now-- the emerging
> cataphyll sheath
> of A. griffithii, v. pradhan.  So, I can confirm that it is
> probably hardy
> in Zone 6.  I am in Zone 5a, but the winter was relatively mild,
> with only 2
> nights of 0. F weather, during a two-week period of single digit
> weather
> where the range was from 0 to 13F.  The tuber was planted about 8"
> deep in a
> clayey loam that has had occasional fertilization during the last
> 3 years.)
> The bottom of the hole was  amended with  a handful of gypsum and
> pea gravel
> in the bottom, dug in for about another inch or two.
>
> There was a recent question about  A.griffithii's hardiness, so
> this should
> be useful information.  The tuber was planted about 4.5 feet from
> the
> concrete block foundation of my house on the east side, where it
> is warmed
> by morning sun.  Radiant ground heat from the basement and the
> house
> foundation is regarded as too far away to have made  much more
> than a
> minimum difference.   In this area, the frost line is regarded as
> at least 4
> feet below ground, for the location of water pipes, etc..
>
> The height of it is about 4" which suggests that it came up with
> the
> sikokianum, the SikoTak, and a day or two before the earliest
> triphyllum I
> have--unless, of course,it grew 4" overnight.  Of course this
> raises the
> question as to whether there is much data on the growth rates of
> these
> things.  Please, Ray, Don't send me to the Archives, as I have not
> been able
> to find anything there rapidly enough, even if it is there.  I'm
> willing to
> do my homework, but basically, I'm still a 3" x 5 card" man,  or
> maybe
> Hollerith cards, even..
>
>    Happy growing, Adam Fikso-- in Glenview, IL.
>