There was a question about info on chipping and growing on chips so I've gathered th some stufff from the Bulb Log and elsewhere in the forum:
http://www.srgc.org.uk/bulblog/log2004/240804/log.html
Bulb chipping 1year on
Previously on the log I have shown the technique of chipping Narcissus bulbs and here is an updated picture showing, on the left, how they are after one year's growth. The remains of the old scales have dried out and should now be removed from the young bulbs. On the right, above, are last year's newly cut up scales and, below them, are the same cuttings six weeks on, showing the tiny bulbs forming.
http://www.srgc.org.uk/bulblog/270603/log.htmlhttp://www.srgc.org.uk/bulblog/210803/log.htmlYou can see that the latent buds between the leaf scales have already started to form small bulbs. At this stage I like to especially check out the ones that are not forming a bulb and if they are showing any signs of rotting I remove them. It is very unusual for the ones forming bulbs to rot away. I also assess the moisture level of the vermiculite and if I think it necessary I add a tiny drop or two of water, better too little than too much.
Brian Ellis reply to :
Quote from: Martin Baxendale on October 31, 2010, 08:29:19 PM
Quote from: annew on October 31, 2010, 07:37:07 PM
So glad to hear you are still potting up chips, Martin. I just did the last of mine and was worried I was too late. What is your experience of success rates this late? I have to confess that I chipped too late this year so the bulbils aren't as big as I would like.
I think it's okay to chip any time the bulb is dormant, right up till rooting starts. I once chipped some bulbs in October as an experiment, and by February they'd caught up with those chipped in June/July.
...and I am just about to pot up this years chips, which were done rather late and are now ready to take out of their bags. Last years are beginning to poke their noses through in their pots, so I feel as though I really am late
Martin Baxendale reply to :
Quote from: steve owen on February 08, 2009, 12:57:27 PM
Should one lay the scales + bulbils on the surface when potting or cover them? If cover, how deep and with what medium?
They should be covered, so the tops of the chips are just below the surface of the (well-drained) compost, and then a layer of grit (not too deep and not to coarse).
Martin Baxendale :
....... I think I could just about get away with annual repotting in fresh good quality loam-based compost (John Innes 2 or 3 depending on bulb size, chosen for a good loam content, plus extra drainage material - pumice grit in my case) and Maxicrop non-fertiliser original (brown bottle) seaweed extract. But for fastest development of seedlings and chips to flowering I think some added fertiliser on top of what's in the compost would probably be beneficial. I think I'll stick to very regular doses of the non-fertiliser-boosted Maxicrop seaweed extract (at virtually every watering) and add a dose of a high-potash liquid feed (e.g. tomato fertiliser) every other watering or so. Some of my seedlings are taking a long time to reach flowering and anything I can do to speed that up has to be a good thing.
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=7719.msg212930#msg212930A few questions:
Is it essential to regularly open the bag containing chipped Galanthus to allow for air exchange. This has been recommended on several sites yet my understanding is that polythene allows gas but not moisture exchange?
Do folks grow 'Augustus' near their collection of other snowdrops? As it has potyvirus I am amazed it is so incredibly vigorous. Secondly the book says Ronald Mackenzie has a virus-free 'Augustus'. Has anyone seen it and exactly how does one produce a virus-free bulb other than selfing and growing it from seed again? In which case the name 'Augustus' should not apply.
My experiment to dry out pots of Galanthus by sowing annual rye seed in the pots as the leaves were dying down has worked rather well. The rye was not so vigorous as to dry the medium out too quickly, in fact a few pots were still moist halfway down despite not having been watered since June. The roots nicey dried the tunics and especially those tight spots between offset and mother. Survival in general improved. The only casualty was lagodechianus of which we had several hundred bulbs; somehow the pots were misplaced and we missed watering them until January - they did not approve. Still we have a dozen survivors and they reproduce like mad; if only they'd flower.
johnw
I don't know that it is essential John, but I open my bags once a week to allow air in and for me to check on their status. It means any that are not looking good can be removed before they infect others.
Brian Ellis
apparently I didn`t read the articles about chipping very good as I don`t recall reading to let fresh air in the bag.But I will do so and look at the chips carefully.This is my first attempt with just one chipped bulb,only 12 parts in the bag.but so far so good,no wilt or other bad signs.and after 6 weeks not yet a bulbil to see.
now my question:when do I pot the chips?I mean,should I put them in the soil after 3 months even if there are no bulbils or do I wait till they have bulbils,even when it is already winter?
any advice please?
loes
I don't open my bags of chips and find they do fine without refreshing the air in the bag on a regular basis. In fact, I would imagine that opening the bags regularly makes it more likely that airborne fungi spores may get in. I check the bags by simply shaking the vermiculite gently around to expose the chips to sight (flattening the bags on a table helps too) so I can see if there are rot problems - which is usually pretty obvious without opening the bag.
Loes, I pot chips after 3 or 4 months even if there is no sign of bulbil formation. Bulbils can still continue to develop after potting, along with root formation which will help to keep the chip hydrated and firm even if there is no leaf growth. It's not uncommon for chips to fail to make bulbs and leaves the first season, but when you come to check on them after the end of the first growing season you'll often find that small bulbils will have formed. If not, then repot the scales again. As long as they are firm and healthy, there's a good chance that they'll make bulbils eventually.
John, I have Augustus from Ron Mackenzie and although it shows no signs of virus at the start of the season, it does later on. The theory was that some Augustus in some gardens may have been isolated before Augustus was infected with virus. But since the vast majority have virus, I suspect it got infected very early on, before it was widely distributed, and perhaps before it was distributed at all, so ALL stock may be virused. It never sets seed for me, so I think it's probably a virtually sterile triploid, which would explain its vigour despite virus infection. Often if a snowdrop is well grown the virus symptoms are not obvious, but show up when the bulb is stressed.
Martin Baxendale
www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=779.msg19753#msg19753« Reply #27 on: September 29, 2007, 12:26:56 AM »
Spent all evening potting up snowdrop chips. Here are some pics to show that it can be successful.
The size of the bulbils you get after a few months in the bags of vermiculite can vary quite a lot depending on the size of adult bulb that the snowdrop makes and the vigour of the individual snowdrop.
For example, the first two pics are chips from seedlings involving Gal. 'Mighty Atom' both of which are very strong, large-flowered plants, reluctant to set seed, so probably triploids with plicatus blood, making large bulbs. The third pic is of some chips from Gal. reginae-olgae, a less vigorous snowdrop with naturally small bulbs, so making smaller bulbils when chipped. But all will make good leaf growth after potting. I just try to pot the smaller bulbils closer packed in smaller pots and the bigger ones a little more spaced in larger pots as they'll develop faster and make larger bulbs more quickly. (plus pix)
Martin Baxendale
There was also some comment about the digressions in this thread so I have "tidied" it up a little!
