Galanthus - January 2015

[mark smyth]

Where's John Finch this year?

[RichardW]

Richard, you need to plant a Green Tear near your Diggory's  , maybe it will bring you a Diggory flower with green markings on the outers  .

Already have one  but it's safe & sound elsewhere. It doesn't have the outers curled back under to the extent that Diggory does but you can certainly see the parentage. Green marks have been stable for several years so I'm hopeful. The only trouble is what to do with it, should have made a new bulb this year then it'll probably be sent away to be chipped, too scared to do it myself!

When Green Tear is £10 a bulb I will buy one 

Last years flower.

[snowdropcollector]

Brian, it freezes with us at the moment, so have to wait for warmer weather  . But if I remember from last week, it has just a Nivalis
marked inner.

Mark, I was thinking the same, John seems to have slow down with snowdrops for the last 2 years  . I always liked his pictures and reports.

[Hagen Engelmann]

RichardW, it is a very lovely globular size. In my eyes it is never a question of the most green in the flower, to bee a good green. This one is a very fine green galanthus.

[snowdropcollector]

Richard, Great snowdrop  , congratulations with this lovely snowdrop. One for adding to my wishlist !
Hope it will give you an offset this year for chipping. That is always the big point at our mind, chipping or wait for natural multiplying.
The problem is that you do not know or the snowdrop let it self be chipped. Some can not be chipped, no bullips are formed.

[RichardW]

Hagen, I'm not really a fan of VERY green drops, probably in a minority  but it has potential although it's proving quite slow to increase which is never a good sign, time will tell.

Richard, I've not been very successful chipping Diggory so it hasn't been done, until there are a few bulbs it will have to be natural.

I also miss John's photos.

[Robin Callens]

Does someone has experience with growing green snowdrops from seed? I've been trying to grow our own Green Mile from seed for several years now and the percentage of green or greenish seedlings is probably less than 5% although I've always crosspolinated with other green flowered drops and of course with green mile itself. Only one seedling out of hundreds turned out to be almost identical to the original green mile. Vegetative propagation of green mile turned out to be a walk in the park. It's without doubt one of our best growers in the garden: http://www.greenmilenursery.be/galanthus.html

[snowdropcollector]

Robin, have you ever tried to make some back crossings with the snowdrops ? Or to cross a seedling again with the parent Green Mile ?

[Robin Callens]

Robin, have you ever tried to make some back crossings with the snowdrops ? Or to cross a seedling again with the parent Green Mile ?

Well, I haven't yet but I probably should as I have read that crosspolinating seedlings of with the orginal will result in a higher percentage of green? I don't really know why but then again, my knowledge of genetics is gettin kinda rusty! But I'll try it for sure this year.

[snowdropcollector]

Robin, good luck with all the work. I am almost sure you will get more greens with making the back crossings.
Looking forward to see your results in a few years 

[John Aipassa]

Does someone has experience with growing green snowdrops from seed? I've been trying to grow our own Green Mile from seed for several years now and the percentage of green or greenish seedlings is probably less than 5% although I've always crosspolinated with other green flowered drops and of course with green mile itself. Only one seedling out of hundreds turned out to be almost identical to the original green mile. Vegetative propagation of green mile turned out to be a walk in the park. It's without doubt one of our best growers in the garden: http://www.greenmilenursery.be/galanthus.html

Robin,

Have you done the pollination in your breeding efforts in a secured and controlled environment, that is no contamination from other pollen sources possible other than the ones you were applying? If you have done that and you have crossed green with green, than maybe there are several genes involved to create the virescent look instead of only one. It would certainly explain your low rate of virsescent seedlings. If it is only one gene, than you will have a 25% 100% chance to get a virescent seedling out of two virescent parents. If you have hundreds seedlings of these two parents, you should have dozens of virescent babies. Again, if you have done it in a controlled and secured manner. Your numbers are less than 5% close to 1% even.

[Robin Callens]

Hi John,

I think you pointed out my problem right there! As I like lots of amazing snowdrops growing all together the environment was, as you explained, very contaminated! :-) I might do some effort this year in pollinating my single nice green mile seedling with the original Green Mile or maybe Green Tear in an isolated spot.

greets,
Clint

[art600]

I was surprised and delighted to find my most expensive purchase last year has twin scapes - see photo of 'E A Bowles'

[art600]

I find Galanthus 'Sutton Courtenay' to be a really good doer 

[John Aipassa]

Hi John,

I think you pointed out my problem right there! As I like lots of amazing snowdrops growing all together the environment was, as you explained, very contaminated! :-) I might do some effort this year in pollinating my single nice green mile seedling with the original Green Mile or maybe Green Tear in an isolated spot.

greets,
Clint

Hi Clint,

I think you'll manage a good crossing if you have an isolated crossing attempt. Good luck and keep us informed!

Cheers!

p.s. I have miscalculated when I was talking about one gene causing the virescent look. If it is really one gene and you cross a virescent x virescent you should've gotten 100% green off spring. If it is a complex of genes I don't know the percentages.