Garden Journal: Hippeastrum Class of 2013!

Looks like there's going to be one. The first of the two pods started to split yesterday and was fully open this morning when I went to check, so I harvested the seeds. There was quite a bit of chaff in the pod (seeds that didn't form), but also about 20 good looking and fully-mature seeds. The second pod will probably open later today or tomorrow. I'll use the floater method to germinate this batch, starting some time next week. I also expect to be a little more discriminating in which young plants I keep. I think I'll go for robust growth and pitch any spindly ones. I have more hippeastrum than I can shake a stick at as it is.



The weather watchers are threatening us with 2" to 4" of rain today. Assuming we get something on the lower range, that will be 7" of rain this week. That ought to fill the reservoirs... The weather watchers were also threatening us with the dreaded derecho, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. Still, heavy rain with the possibility of high winds and hail does not thrill me on the behalf of my favorite plants. So I moved all the hippeastrum under cover and brought the nopalxochia indoors last night.