Sternbergia 2013

[brianw]

This photo was taken a month ago in a neighbours garden. I assume it is S. lutea var. angustifolia. The garage wall with trellis faces south but the bulbs are in a very sheltered position. The clump is thinned out every few years.

[Maggi Young]

This photo was taken a month ago in a neighbours garden. I assume it is S. lutea var. angustifolia. The garage wall with trellis faces south but the bulbs are in a very sheltered position. The clump is thinned out every few years.

Good grief! Is there  no end to my suffering?

[pehe]

Good grief! Is there  no end to my suffering?

I'll bet they feel the same when they see you grow Erythronium, Dactylorhiza, Crocus pelistericus etc. in your Aberdeen garden.
Anyway I do. The size of my Dactylorhiza flowers are about one third of yours! Not to mention the numbers.

Poul

[johnralphcarpenter]

Fresh clumps of Sternbergia lutea keep opening in the garden.

[Melvyn Jope]

Sternbergia were looking good in the Peloponnese last week, the first photo is of S.lutea at Harouda the second S.lutea at Kastania and finally  flowering at home now Sternbergia Molly Dawson's late. Does anyone know who Molly is/was?

[krisderaeymaeker]

Sternbergia were looking good in the Peloponnese last week, the first photo is of S.lutea at Harouda the second S.lutea at Kastania and finally  flowering at home now Sternbergia Molly Dawson's late. Does anyone know who Molly is/was?

They look just perfect Melvyn ! Seems that you had a very good trip ....

[Melvyn Jope]

Sternbergia were looking good in the Peloponnese last week, the first photo is of S.lutea at Harouda the second S.lutea at Kastania and finally  flowering at home now Sternbergia Molly Dawson's late. Does anyone know who Molly is/was?

I have just been told by Mary Ridley that Molly Dawson was a staunch member of the Wimbledon AGS group and an excellent grower and shower.

[Maggi Young]

I have just been told by Mary Ridley that Molly Dawson was a staunch member of the Wimbledon AGS group and an excellent grower and shower.

Aha! Mary to the rescue - nice to know who the people are behind these plant types, isn't it?

[pehe]

Melvyn, it is nice to see Sternbergia in the wild, thanks for showing us. It certainly was a successful trip!

Poul

[pehe]

After replanting my Sternbergia lutea ex. Iran to another site the leaves of all the bulbs look like this. Last year all of them looked perfectly healthy with a uniform green colour.
I fear it is virus, and if that is correct the plants must have had a 'hidden' virus for some time and the change of growing conditions has made the virus visible.
Is it virus or is the colour changing in the leaves caused by different nutrients levels in their new site?

Poul

[Gerry Webster]

Poul - the leaves on my plants of S. lutea angustifolia (sometimes) look like this & have done so for several years.  I suspect virus but the plants remain vigorous & floriferous.

[pehe]

Poul - the leaves on my plants of S. lutea angustifolia (sometimes) look like this & have done so for several years.  I suspect virus but the plants remain vigorous & floriferous.

Gerry, I have made the same observation on Sternbergia Autumn Gold, (a cross between lutea and sicula) and on another clone of lutea. I have discarded both of them with regret as they were very floriferious. The last one I had for several years and it multiplied and flowered exceptionally well.

I wonder if a virus could be beneficial to the plant like some fungus often is?
The above observations could indicate that.

Many plants can live unaffected with a virus. There are several researches on the genus Galanthus which indicates that many of the old named clones in fact are virus infected. But even if a virus don't harm a specific plant or even may be beneficial I don't like the thought of having virused plants. Who knows if they can infect other genus like crocus with disastrous results.
I think it is better to be safe than sorry, so I never buy 'broken coloured' tulips and I discard plants if they show signs of virus.

Poul

[PeterT]

I agree with Poul in discarding virused plants.
However  there are other causes which can present similar symptoms,  ranging from nutrient imbalances,  to irregular water supplies, aphid, slug  and even frost damage.
I am not experienced with Sternbergia, (though I have a few), and even less so as regards virus in the genus but I have grown enough bulbs that I question whether this is virus induced.
 

[jshields]

I agree about avoiding problems with virused plants.  I had serious such troubles 40 years ago!  However, if -- and these are important "if" -- if there is an isolated growing chamber, and if the virus-infected bulbs are truly rare and valuable, growing from seed can sometime produce virus-free offspring.  If you have virused plants never use their pollen on a healthy plant.  Just often enough to be a real problem, viruses can be transmitted in the debris accompanying the pollen, even if inside the pollen there are no virus particles.

Also, heat-treatment has been used to inactivate viruses in certain cases, and tissue culture can also sometimes produce virus-free materials if the tissue can out-grow the viruses.

Jim

[PeterT]

are the roots healthy and the basal plate firm? is there any sign of insect life between the leaves? could the bulbs contain narcissus fly?