Primula 2018

[Mark Griffiths]

A new year begins and the first Primula allionii out here is Elizabeth Burrow.

[Arie.v]

In some of the previous years post on primulas I have seen lots of allionii's in pots, can someone describe the soil mixes and growing of allionii's in plunge beds? Shallow verses deeper pots.

[Maggi Young]

When we grew and exhibited  primula allionii plants we grew them in   standard or  half pans - not deep ones.  Kept them plunged in sand in a cold glasshouse, in a lower bench in hot weather.  We grew  just about everything in the same  compost mix  -the same as Ian always describes in the Bulb Log ......  these are  links to help :
Potting compost recipe 26/07
Potting mix, loam-free 24/05

Compost 49/06
mixing (cement mixer) 31/05
mixture 4/05
test, sand based 34/05

here are the actual links to each BulbLog .....

Potted using our standard mix..... Potting compost recipe 2607http://www.srgc.org.uk/bulblog/log2007/260607/log.html
Potting mix, loam-free 2405   http://www.srgc.org.uk/bulblog/log2005/140605/log.html
 
Repotting  4906http://www.srgc.org.uk/bulblog/log2006/061206/log.html

This is still the mix we use for potted bulbs and plants even now.
 

[Arie.v]

Thanks a lot Maggie, sure gave me lots of information.

[David Nicholson]

Arie, I have a pamphlet issued by The National Auricula and Primula Society, and sold some years ago now, called "Primula Allionii Forms and Hybrids" written by two of, perhaps the best, UK growers of P. allionii, Bob Archdale and David Richards. As far as I know it is out of print now. It is 21cm high x 15cm wide and consists of 36 pages the contents consisting of Cultivation; Compost; Potting; Environment; Propagation; Hybridization;
Exhibiting; Pests and Diseases; List of species and hybrids (somewhat out of date as far as modern cultivars are concerned; Plant Suppliers; Refernces.

I would be happy to run the pamphlet through my scanner and send it to you as a number of emails with attachments in case you do not have a strong broadband set-up. It is not possible to do this by PM so you would need to let me have your email address.

[David Sellars]

Hi Maggie:

Thanks for the info on Primula composts.  I had not thought to use the standard Ian bulb mix for Primulas.
We have no John Innes on this side of the Atlantic so loam-free composts are the most commonly used.  For many years I have used Ian's standard 2 parts sand, 1 part leaf mould and 2 parts grit (2:1:2) but have switched to 2:1:1 based on a more recent 2014 bulb log:

http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2014Aug271409137865BULB_LOG_3514.pdf

What combination is Ian using today?

[Mark Griffiths]

Arie, I've grown P.allionii in pots plunged in sand for about 30 years now - I tend to use pots rather than pans and I always find that they fill the entire pot and the roots then head out into the plunge. I had one greenhouse where they were mostly in the shade and I would water the pots perhaps only a few times in a season - but I would regularly water the plunge. For various reasons they were never repotted and what had happened is that they had rooted into the sand. They remained small but flowered well and I hardly had any losses.

Where I am now there is more sun and so I need to water the pots more. I get alot more losses.

On composts I'm a bit vague - usually a loam based compost with about 40-50% extra sand / grit.

[Mark Griffiths]

I wanted to add that I find that while I usually keep the plants for several decades I do get the occaisional collapse and sometimes if I've not been able to propagate the clone I lose the entire variety. I think that like many similar alpines, Dionysias, Androsaces etc they don't like the summer heat. I read on this forum that they shut down in hot wheather and if you water they rot. I've tried not watering and that also leads to difficulties.

What I am starting to do is to try some "spares" in frames. They are alot wetter but so far they have got through the winter ok. I still need to get them through an entire season.

I add this because if you are somewhere where you have summers like ours (or hotter) you might find frame culture easier.

[Maggi Young]

Hi Maggie:

Thanks for the info on Primula composts.  I had not thought to use the standard Ian bulb mix for Primulas.
We have no John Innes on this side of the Atlantic so loam-free composts are the most commonly used.  For many years I have used Ian's standard 2 parts sand, 1 part leaf mould and 2 parts grit (2:1:2) but have switched to 2:1:1 based on a more recent 2014 bulb log:

http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2014Aug271409137865BULB_LOG_3514.pdf

What combination is Ian using today?

Sometimes more leafmould for the "woodsy" loving  plants, David.

[Arie.v]

Thanks for all the valuable information and I'm looking forward to receiving a copy of that booklet from David Nicholson

[ruweiss]

Some Primulas from the Alpine House:
Primula Ute is a Pr. marginata Hybrid with huge flowers and was raised
by nurseryman Gerd Stopp

[Gerdk]

Here is Primula megasaefolia - not fully hardy outside. I keep it inside when temperatures are below - 3 ° Celsius.

Gerd

[Mark Griffiths]

This is one of Brian Burrow's allionii seedlings not fully out yet I think - at the time it was only under a serial number.

[David Nicholson]

Nice Primulas Rudi Gerd and Mark

[ruweiss]

Thank you David