Spring flowering Narcissus 2012 - 2013

[Gerry Webster]

I see winter finished a couple of days ago so should we not be moving on to spring?

Maybe in Lancashire but not here.

[Anthony Darby]

Spring seems to end twice. Once on 1st March and again on 21st March.

[annew]

Here's a problem that needs solving. I have 3 very rare narcissus bulbs all in one divided pot as they were small. No comments about baskets and eggs please. They were fine last year and one flowered, but as I'd plunged them with my chips I missed repotting them last summer. I've been waiting for them to show and finally couldn't stand the suspense any longer so had a furtle (=look)  to see what was happening.
All 3 bulbs are still there. They are hard and look perfectly OK but they have not produced any roots or shoots, in fact they look completely dormant. Ideas please.
Puzzle no2:
I think Ian mentioned having to help some flowers to open. I'm noticing the same thing, where the tips of the perianth segments are reluctant to separate, or the spathe does not release the flower fully. Also the trumpets on some flowers are pinched at the mouth. Ideas welcome.
Thanks 

[Martin Baxendale]

The unusual weather patterns, Anne? Cold summer followed by mild autumn and equally mild early winter = no discernible seasonal weather change, and not enough winter cold, to initiate vernation?

[Gerry Webster]

Here's a problem that needs solving. I have 3 very rare narcissus bulbs all in one divided pot as they were small. No comments about baskets and eggs please. They were fine last year and one flowered, but as I'd plunged them with my chips I missed repotting them last summer. I've been waiting for them to show and finally couldn't stand the suspense any longer so had a furtle (=look)  to see what was happening.
All 3 bulbs are still there. They are hard and look perfectly OK but they have not produced any roots or shoots, in fact they look completely dormant. Ideas please.............

Anne - some of my plants are behaving in a similar fashion but I haven't poked around; I'm afraid of causing what Paul Christian  calls "finger blight". I have no suggestions of my own & Martin may well be correct

[Martin Baxendale]

I'm basing my suggestion on the fact that I've had very poor germination of my snowdrop seeds this year, which tends to happen when we get a mild autumn and mild early start to winter, and may possibly be exacerbated by a cool summer. So I assume that if such conditions cause poor bulb seed germination then the same could apply to vernation of bulbs.

[annew]

You might be right there. I was thinking the poor summer might have affected the formation of the embryo flower. Any ideas about the unexpected dormancy?

[Tony Willis]

Anne

my tazetta from Turkey have made no growth at all but seem perfectly okay. They are damp at the moment and I will dry them off as normal in a few weeks and hope for growth/flowers next autumn

[pehe]

Here's a problem that needs solving. I have 3 very rare narcissus bulbs all in one divided pot as they were small. No comments about baskets and eggs please. They were fine last year and one flowered, but as I'd plunged them with my chips I missed repotting them last summer. I've been waiting for them to show and finally couldn't stand the suspense any longer so had a furtle (=look)  to see what was happening.
All 3 bulbs are still there. They are hard and look perfectly OK but they have not produced any roots or shoots, in fact they look completely dormant. Ideas please.
...

Anne, I experience the same with Narcissus broussonetii. If the summer dormancy is not dry and hot enough, then they take a year off. If treated properly, they come up next year. The same has happened with Urginea maritime and Daubenya aurea.

Poul

[annew]

I hope you are correct, pehe.

[Gerdk]

just in flower

Narcissus x susannae and similar Narcissus x matritensis

Gerd

[Rafa]

Beautiful plants!, this hybrid is one of my favourite. N. x sussanae and N. x matritensis are the same. The author make this difference because under this name N. x susannae they were also plants of N. x litigiosus (one of the parents is N. albicans). So he decides to replace the name N. x sussanae by N. x matritensis only for N. cantabricus hybrids and maitnain the old name N. x litigiosus for albicans hybrids.

[Gerry Webster]

just in flower

Narcissus x susannae and similar Narcissus x matritensis

Gerd

Beautiful Gerd. And thanks Rafa for the additional information.

[Maggi Young]

just in flower

Narcissus x susannae and similar Narcissus x matritensis

Gerd

Our favourite! And flowering so early- what a treat.

[annew]

I've never seen so many all at once!