In fear of the Narcissus Fly

[Diane Whitehead]

And in British Columbia we have fields of them because they flower here early and are
shipped by air to the rest of Canada still in the icy grip of winter.

[ChrisD]

About half of my collection are in the beds and troughs at the back of the house where they will get no sun until maybe March

Mark - I guess your soil is not a heavy clay? I suspect it is the soil temperature or something similar that means snowdrops dont thrive in the shady parts of my garden. I also suspect that some varieties would have no problems with these conditions but the ones I tried either died in their first season or gradually decreased in vigour until they were moved to a more favourable location.

Chris

[Alan_b]

So we must be saying that every year in Canada large numbers of narcissi are imported then left in the ground after flowering.  These are then infected by the narcissus fly which destroy those bulbs but when the larvae pupate the following year they have next years imports to infect.  The large quantities of imports mean that a much larger population of narcissus flies can be sustained than would be the case in a more static narcissus population, such as exists here in the UK.

[johnw]

So we must be saying that every year in Canada large numbers of narcissi are imported then left in the ground after flowering.  These are then infected by the narcissus fly which destroy those bulbs but when the larvae pupate the following year they have next years imports to infect.  The large quantities of imports mean that a much larger population of narcissus flies can be sustained than would be the case in a more static narcissus population, such as exists here in the UK.

For here Alan not exactly, there is never 100% kill of Amaryllidaceae here, if one plants a hundred bulbs you may lose a few but never everything, oftentimes nothing.  Newfoundland is different, bulbs get wiped out completely so there I assume the Dutch supply next year's victims.  Maybe Howard can confirm that this is indeed the case there.

When I dig 500 snowdrops about 20 maybe will have active larvae inside.  It's a manageable sitaution here in NS.  My guess is it's much the same in Ontario. 

BTW the pheasant's eyes are late enough to miss the NBF cycle.

johnw - the seedex goodies arrived today.

[Diane Whitehead]

I notice many patches of Galanthus elwesii along the roads as I walk in my neighbourhood.
They are usually near a tree trunk, but I guess that doesn't mean much since we have so
many trees they'd have a hard time being somewhere else.  They don't seem to suffer any
depredation by the fly.  They are not the only plants in their spots, of course.  There are ferns,
and grasses since the roadsides get a fair bit of light.  I think these "companion plants" are
the key.  The fly  looks for the interface of narcissus or galanthus leaves with the soil, and
if this is hidden by broad leaves of some sort, the fly doesn't lay its eggs.

So, if you are going to grow your snowdrops in pots, drop a lettuce seed beside the leaves.
It will be leafy enough for protection by the time the fly comes by, and after fly season,
you can have a salad.

[Tim Ingram]

It must be rather similar in naturalised populations of snowdrops like these in Lorenden Woods near to us. After the snowdrops flower there are naturalised narcissi and then bluebells, and after this nettles and stronger growing perennials. The simple message is that if you want your garden to prosper let it run a little wild - which is a slight anathema to a tidy mind.

[Alan_b]

I started a topic last year on summer companion plants for snowdrops http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=10365.0 prompted by the observation that stinging nettles seem to be quite good.  At the moment I am trialling an attractive dead nettle (I think I chose Lamium orvala as per Darren's suggestion) but so far only to the point of seeing if it will actually grow in my dry garden.

[Tim Ingram]

Alan - you shouldn't have any trouble with Lamium orvala in a dry spot. I've been trying to get rid of it seeding along the south side base of a sleeper bed for alpines. It has very deep questing roots. I am very tempted now to follow your example and plant it with some of the snowdrops! This is just going some of the way to the wonderful tapestry of woodland perennials that you see in gardens like Sissinghurst, Knightshayes Court, Beth Chatto's, and one (I think) up in Aberdeen!

[Lesley Cox]

  If you dig-up a rotting bulb then the smell is very strong indeed so I thought a trained dog should be able to identify such a bulb whilst it was still in-situ.     

And such a disgusting smell too. Just what dogs like.

I hate to suggest it but is it possible that these large importations of bulbs, (presumably from Holland?) are already hosts to the fly larvae? They would be invisible from a visual search and it takes quite a firm squeeze to detect the telling softness of the bulb which is typical of the larvae presence.

[Hagen Engelmann]

I put out the snowdrop leaves in the moment. So narcissus flies will not find the way to the bulbs. It is OK, because the leaves soak off on the neck of the bulbs. If you like your snowdrops start your activities to protect the plants.

[Hagen Engelmann]

They are flying now!!! 

[mark smyth]

Too cold here just now thankfully. Leaves are now dying fast which is good

[Ant-k]

As a reliative new comer to galanthus it is with much horror I have come across my first dealings with the dreaded narcissi fly and it's off Spring!.. But thinking back I probably had been 'attacked'by one on a small group of 'Trumps' about 3 years back as all but 1 of a small set of bulbs I bought came up  flowering as normal and the other had a few wispy leaves which I can now say after 3 years is back flowering and multiplied well.
This year had the same problem on a 'Trym' clump so decided to dig it up and found the bulb had been partly eaten and loads of little bulb lets had started to grow..any way after reading all the articles on this forum it does make you worry a little.I must admit the two attacks seem to have been where the drops had no cover from the many hostas I grow and had been left exposed,so my question after waffling on is at what point can you safely  cut leaves off your galanthus without it having a effect on the health of the bulb and before the fly is active? and is this a recommended ploy any forum members use?

[mark smyth]

I only remove leaves when they have turned yellow and starting to dry or rot if its wet

[Olive Mason]

As a reliative new comer to galanthus it is with much horror I have come across my first dealings with the dreaded narcissi fly and it's off Spring!.. But thinking back I probably had been 'attacked'by one on a small group of 'Trumps' about 3 years back as all but 1 of a small set of bulbs I bought came up  flowering as normal and the other had a few wispy leaves which I can now say after 3 years is back flowering and multiplied well.
This year had the same problem on a 'Trym' clump so decided to dig it up and found the bulb had been partly eaten and loads of little bulb lets had started to grow..any way after reading all the articles on this forum it does make you worry a little.I must admit the two attacks seem to have been where the drops had no cover from the many hostas I grow and had been left exposed,so my question after waffling on is at what point can you safely  cut leaves off your galanthus without it having a effect on the health of the bulb and before the fly is active? and is this a recommended ploy any forum members use?