Bulb Log 26 0f 2014

[Maggi Young]

New today - Bulb Log 26 of 2014 - halfway through year 12 -



 - the BD has rewarded himself with an ice cream - I graciously agreed to join him in that minor celebration - pity it's  rather chilly today..........

[Ossy]

What a fantastic photograph, the orchids are stunning and well set off by the shasta daisy(?) How long has the clump been growing?

[Ian Y]

This group is around 5 years planted and is now in need of dividing - This I will do around August as the flowers all go past - follow the bulb log as I will show whenI lift them.

The white daisy is a Celmisia from NZ.

[Robert]

Ian,

I am very curious how resistant your Dactylorhiza will be to the fungus disease that attacks them. Your methods to some may seem overly simple to create strong resistance, however in my experience simple selection, with an eye to detail(i.e. paying attention to everything), is extremely powerful. I never spray or do anything to control insects or diseases on my agricultural crops. The "pests" are always around in small numbers but never out of control.

I do save my own seed and have done so for years. It is interesting how this has created one problem for me. The birds eat my seed! I have done trials testing my seed with untreated commercial seed. Within a day of germination, my seed is eaten by birds, the commercial seed is left untouched! I now cover my seed with row cover until they are large enough that the birds are not interested any more, generally when the true leaves have grown a bit.

Thank you for continuing to remind us of the importance of saving our own seed!

Maybe a discussion on fine tuning selection could be helpful and interesting.

[Ian Y]

Robert, I agree this is a fascinating subject.
I think to put it simply any form of mono-culture where you grow large areas of a single clone leaves you open to an attack from any disease wiping out the lot.
I do not think that by having many clones of Dactylorhiza that we will not have the fungal problems but my hope is that some will have a greater resistance and can survive. We see this in humans when a cold bug is going around, some are laid flat by it, some suffer but are able to keep going and some seem totally unaffected- that is genetic variation.

I see gardeners as custodians of the plants we grow and it is up to us to preserve and conserve them in cultivation so as well as selecting out and naming the most desirable looking forms we must also ensure that we preserve the widest genetic variation in that population as possible - it may be the 'ugly duckling' that carries the genes that defend against disease.When you continually sow seeds from your own garden you will shift the tolerance of that population towards your conditions so it is important for the long term survival of these plants in cultivation that many growers in different climates and locations do the same.
Using this process of 'natural selection' we have plants such as Erythronium sibericum now growing happily all around our garden- each year I will continue sow some more seed.
As it becomes increasingly more difficult or not permitted to collect seeds from the wild it becomes even more important that we all at least maintain genetic variation in our own gardens if we want future generations to enjoy growing the plants we do.
Of course Robert, as you are very well aware, this principal scales up into agriculture on any scale.

[Mavers]

This is another very informative bulb log Ian.

I have cultivated dactylorhiza for a few years now & the seedlings seem to prefer to grow in the most unlikely places. A favorite in the past was among the congested roots of my large pots of agapanthus. Anywhere too nutritious is definitely not to their liking.

Each year I am spreading the seed around my present garden & will hopefully one day have a fantastic show like yours.

Your white seedling is a beauty.