USEFUL POT PLANT

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32209, 30 January 1970, Page 6

USEFUL POT PLANT

Veltbeimia is a most decorative plant, very useful in providing quality cut blooms. It flowers in late winter to early spring at a time when there re few plants in flower. The species belong to the lily family and is indigenous to South Africa. One of the species to consider is Veitheimia viridifolia and for once there seems not to be a popular common name. The name is pronounced velth-heim-ia and commemorates the name of Veltheim, a Gorman botanist of the early nineteenth century. The bulbs are oblong in shape and a brownish-purple in colour. In winter they produce a rosette of deep green, glossy and undulated leaves which are perhaps as appealing as the flowers. These appear subsequently—one or more spikes rising up above

the foliage at intervals, depending on the size of the bulb. The outsize tubular flowers which resemble an opulent tritoma are in shades of green mature to yellow and pink with colour variations in corolla lobes and anthers. Veltheimias make very good pot specimens for window display. One large bulb is sufficient for a five or six inch pot, the upper third of the bulb left above the soil surface. Average quality soil, preferably on the clay side rather than light and sandy, suits them best and a composition of two parts soil, one part leaf mould, j sand plus a tablespoon of complete fertiliser should be tised. Water and place on a sunny window ledge. Growth is very slow, almost exasperatlngly so, and will continue over winter untill the slightly pendulous

leavfes reach a span of 2ft to 3ft.

After flowering has ceased and the danger of frost has receded the pots can be plunged into the soil outside, in a sunny location where they should be kept growing by constantly watering. As soon as the leaves start yellowing watering should gradually be reduced to the point of achieving a dry soil. This should be continued until autumn when they should be brought into growth again. They can then also be given liquid feeding.

Bulbs should be repotted every three years and offsets, which are readily produced but which are often difficult to remove, can be potted also. It can also be easily raised from the freely produced seed which must however be sown a soon as ripe.