Snowdrop leaves dying down early

[mark smyth]

I just disposed of my first Narcissus fly today. It's time to remove  ALL yellowing and dry leaves

[mark smyth]

Just got another while removing leaves. Someone also asked recently how big they are so here's a photo showing my fingers and thumb. My thumb nail is 1.5cm across

[loes]

all my galanthus,except one,have died down.i chequed the bulbs and now they will be moved from the greenhouse to their summerbed outside.this year i will cover them a bit so they don`t get so wet as last year.hope they survive summer well.in sept/oct i will pot them in fresh compost for the next season and place them in the greenhouse again.those are bulbs that i have more than one or two,their twins are in the soil in the garden.now i am waiting for dormant bulbs that i ordered month`s ago.for me dormant bulbs do better than bulbs in the green.

[mark smyth]

Anyone seeing the fly in the garden? Yesterday I was in a garden in Holywood just outside of Belfast. The owner said "I dont have Narcissus fly". Within 10 minutes I saw two

[Martin Baxendale]

Anyone seeing the fly in the garden? Yesterday I was in a garden in Holywood just outside of Belfast. The owner said "I dont have Narcissus fly". Within 10 minutes I saw two

I swatted three yesterday with my tennis racket as they settled on snowdrop leaves. I always hear them before I see them - their loud whining sound in flight really is so distinctive, it sounds like no bee or fly I've encountered. Wish I could record it and post it somehow; might be useful for forumists unfamiliar with the little b***ers.

[Paddy Tobin]

Re Narcissus fly:

I have spent the last week on my knees - have no worry, I am not taking to religion at this late stage of my life - I have been attempting to clear the boom of weed which has followed on our recent wet spell. While on my knees and tidying up around narcissus and snowdrops a thought came to me (Yes, I will, as my wife always advises, treasure it as again she says thought seldom comes to me).

This is what came to me: when bulbs send up their shoots in the spring, these shoots have to force their way through the soil and as they expand they form a sort of vertical tunnel through the soil. This 'tunnel' is formed while the plants are in growth and when the flowers begin to wilt and lose bulk in the stem the tunnel still holds its shape. When the narcissus fly arrives on the scene s/he now has a ready-made passageway direct to the bulb.

Would it not, I thought, be good gardening practice to freshen up the soil around the stems of wilting bulbs, narcissus and galanthus in particular, so that this tunnel is closed to this pest.

Another thought on similar lines, are there any good companion plantings which might be put with snowdrops and the likes which would act as a repellant to narcissus fly? People regularly plant marigolds along with carrots to dissuade carrot rootfly. Any thoughts?

From  purely garden appearances, what do you grow with your snowdrops? What plants do you find grow best with snowdrops; do not interfere with them when they are in growth yet cover up the bare patches when they are gone. Personally, I find G. Buxton's Blue a very suitable companion. The root of this geranium remain compact; it does not run about but the plant covers a large area when in growth and in flower and then dies back to its small root area.

Paddy

 

[Maggi Young]

This is what came to me: when bulbs send up their shoots in the spring, these shoots have to force their way through the soil and as they expand they form a sort of vertical tunnel through the soil. This 'tunnel' is formed while the plants are in growth and when the flowers begin to wilt and lose bulk in the stem the tunnel still holds its shape. When the narcissus fly arrives on the scene s/he now has a ready-made passageway direct to the bulb.

Would it not, I thought, be good gardening practice to freshen up the soil around the stems of wilting bulbs, narcissus and galanthus in particular, so that this tunnel is closed to this pest.

Paddy, this seems an eminently sensible suggestion. Yes, there is a custom made entry point for the pest.. it may well be that a simple ruffling of the soil around the stems might be enough to deter the flies....has to be worth a try, at least. I like the idea of a companion planting which might act as a deterent, also... that is a trick ier proposition, since the aim is not just to make the area look good but to have some anti-pest effect also.... I will be most interesed to hear any ideas on this score.

As an aside, I saw my first "tied-up" narcissus leaves today! A practice I abhor....why folk cannot  leave the poor leaves be to die naturally I do not know. These were tied together in little sheaves, with string.... at least they were still upright and able to provide some food back to the bulbs, rather than the poor strangulated things teid into knots that are all too common a sight....

[Martin Baxendale]

there is a galanthus named baxendales late does this one have any connection to you by any chance?

It was named by Philip Ballard after my dad, who gave it to the Ballards.

[Diane Whitehead]

I am not so organized as to have companion plants to follow on.
Everything grows all together in a great jumble - snowdrops,
anemones, erythronium, trillium, epimediums, rhododendrons,
 Pacific Coast iris, fuchsias.  I never really have bare patches -
even my pathways are covered with self-sown erythroniums
and such, and they just have to put up with being trod on.

[Martin Baxendale]

I've just finished sowing the last of my snowdrop seed for this year. 117 pots, all different crosses, anything from 10 seeds to 50 seeds per pot. Say an average of 25 seeds per pot, that makes just under 3,000 seeds sown. This is getting out of hand!   

[Diane Whitehead]

The problem arises when they all flower and you have to quit your job
to scrutinize them all and record all the resulting data.

[Martin Baxendale]

The problem arises when they all flower and you have to quit your job
to scrutinize them all and record all the resulting data.

Luckily I work from home, which is ideal (possibly essential) for this kind of breeding work, where you need to be around in the day when weather conditions are just right and the flowers you want to cross are open but before pollinators get to them, so you can be constantly checking for things eating your seed pods, for seed pods ripening, etc, etc, etc.

[Anthony Darby]

My seed pods are beginning to ripen now but some are still very green. A huge one on 'South Hayes' has gone for the half and half look, but it is suspended above the ground and I may tie a muslin bag round it? I do that with Trillium grandiflorum, as I am usually away on holiday when the seed pods ripen. The are round the parent plants are full of seedling of various ages.

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

If people have spare seeds of named or unusual Galanthus varieties (particularly larger forms, unusuals like 'Trym' and 'South Hayes' etc, plus anythign else that is different) please let me know.  Many varieties grown overseas aren't available over here in Aus (and the quarantine procedures include the use of Methyl Bromide which is rather toxic to Galanthus) and I would like to get some of the genetics into the country, maybe even manage to flower seedlings similar to the original..... would like to do some breeding of Galanthus myself in the future where time permits.   It may be too late now for seed, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to at least ask.  Happy to trade if possible, or can buy seed if that is preferable.

Thanks in anticipation.