Growing Primulas for Showing

[David Nicholson]

In starting this thread I must admit to being selfish because I would really like to grow my Primula to Show standards and it seems to me that there is precious little information or guidance available on the art in written or electronic forms. I am hopeful that some of the expert growers and showers will participate in the discussion and give us humble 'aspirers' some help and advice. Should there be sufficient of it I would be willing to collect it together and perhaps, with Maggi's agreement, re-write it in a form that might be useful to hold somewhere on the SRGC Main Site. My main difficulty will be setting down, to start with, just what sort of information and guidance I, and hopefully other Forum members, would find useful an therefore this will probably turn out to be an over-long and convoluted post-so sorry!

So, let me start the ball rolling. I've been growing Primulas, mainly marginataspecies and cultivars and pubescens and a few allionii for a few years now with varying degrees of success and failure, indeed this year I have reduced the number of Auriculas I grow from something like 120 plants to around 40 in order to give me more time and space to try to grow my ever increasing number of Primulas well.

One of the problems I find, certainly in NAPS circles, is that offsets from good quality prize winning plants are rarely made freely available other than amongst expert growers (perhaps not surprising really!) but, on the odd occasion a really well grown 'common' cultivar has managed a card in some shows. With this in mind, and the fact that all of my plants tend to be freely available at most nurseries specialising in Primuals I must try extra hard in terms of 'quality' of growth. Just a little qualification here. This year I have been very lucky in two ways thanks to Forum members. First of all I was able to exchange with Gerd a very nice pale blue marginata I had for a very nice white he had; and secondly Hans Hoeller was kind enough to send me a good number of marginata cuttings I am growing on and hopefully these will give me some 'new blood'.

In previous years, on completion of re-potting after flowering, all my Primulas have been taken out of the greenhouse and housed in some covered shelving I also used for my Auriculas. Sometimes these got too dry; and sometimes to wet; and sometimes they got forgotten; and losses were fairly heavy. For the past two years I have kept them under glass on the shadiest side of the greenhouse on a mid tier of staging and, probably helped by two pretty awful Summers losses have been much less.

Here are some of the questions I have in mind, I will have others though and I hope others will pitch in too.

When do the experts re-pot; what is their Summer watering regime; do they keep their plants under glass all year round; what is their feeding regime; do they worry about the number of yellowing leaves on their plants during the Summer and Autumn periods which sometimes make me wonder why I potted up rather than potted down. Do they pick of yellowed leaves or wait until they go brown in which case what do they do about the ones that go mushy; when do they start watering; when do they stop watering; do they stop watering at all?


Obviously the other thing I need to learn is how to use the Italic function properly!

[Carlo]

David,

I'd start by reading "Auriculas for Everyone" by Mary Robinson, and "Auriculas" by Brenda Hyatt. I've got several other books on the genus and its cultivation, but these two most directly address the questions you're asking. One or both contain cultural calendars that lay out all the critical tasks and the best time of year to accomplish them. It couldn't be easier (well, it could, couldn't it---but at least all the information is in one place).

[David Nicholson]

Carlo, mant thanks, I have both books and quite a few others as well. Maybe I didn't express myself clearly but I think I currently grow them reasonbly well but not to Show quality and I need to take a step up. That is the kind of information I am trying to get at.

[Carlo]

Ahhhh, so you're looking for the tips and tricks that NO ONE talks about! I'll listen in carefully...

[Giles]

Dear David,
I have to agree with you about the way people are often not willing to share prized plant varieties.
It also happens in the chrysanthemum exhibiting world.
It's an attitude that varies alot between different niches of the plant world.
I settled on growing sweet peas competitively for many years, simply because it was a seed raised 'crop' and all of the prize varieties are freely available.
It gives a very open and egalitarian feel to the shows.
I have grown many plants over the years Chrysanths,Dahlias,Gladdies etc and the different societies have very different feels to them, and attract
different types of folk (sorry this is something I could witter on about endlessly).
Any way, back to the point: have you come across the booklets produced by the Midlands and West NAPS as they have quite alot of detail related
to showing. I've got spare copies of the 'P.allionii' one, and 'Judging Auriculas and Gold Laced Polyanthus' if you would like them.
Giles

[ChrisB]

I shall watch this thread with interest.  It seems to me that growers keep this sort of information close to their chests on the whole, meanwhile, the show organisers wonder why so few people exhibit in section 3.

[David Nicholson]

Giles, thanks for responding. Thanks but I have copies of all the booklets produced by NAPS but I  think I need more than that.

Glad you're with me though, and you too Chris.

[Maggi Young]

David, I believe that here, of all places, you WILL find help.
When I read of the plants  and seeds which are being swapped around by Forumists I know for sure that this place is a true extension of the SRGC club  with this spirit of generosity.

I realise that the booklets mentioned are not what you need, primarily, I think, because they are aimed at the  very specialised shows of the Primula and Auricula world.
I think you are hoping to grow wonderful plants that will turn the heads of judges at the likes of SRGC and AGS shows, eh?  Well, there must be some ideas for you we can gather here..... it's late tonight....  tomorrow I may be able get on the case!

[Maggi Young]

Ahhhh, so you're looking for the tips and tricks that NO ONE talks about! I'll listen in carefully...

You've never heard Ian speak, then, Carlo?

[Giles]

If you wanted a laugh you could always try this noted publication of 1792.....

[Carlo]

Nay...(that's how he'd say it, right?). Surely it's my loss--and one I hope to some day remedy.

[Carlo]

That's a beauty Giles. Love the "two years old" cow manure and the 1/24th portions...

[Maggi Young]

Giles, my congratulations on keeping your library bang up to date.Seems like a pretty good recipe, though, doesn't it.... first time I've ever felt the need to go out looking in willow tree trunks for debris, I must say, but who knows, it might be the most crucial ingredient?


Carlo, Ian is going in March to the NARGS Western Winter Study Weekend ....perhaps you'd like to travel there too? 

[Giles]

Dear David,
This is what I do:
Repotting- once a year, after flowering
Compost- I used to use Levington Cactus compost, but now make up something similar myself. I am obsessed with compost, and never use a compost that
              has got waterlogged (even if it has subsequently dried out). Alot of Garden Centres store compost outside, and I avoid using this (go to one
              where it is kept under cover).
Feeding- Phostrogen. I don't like more 'organic' things as I like a 'clean' 'un clogged compost'
Watering- I never let the rain fall on my plants. I grow in cold frames and always remove the lights where ever possible (air circulation is another obsession)
              and put the lights back if there is any likelihood of rain (but leave a light further along off to maintain air circulation). I grow plants as dry as
              possible. One careless watering can kill a plant. Never let water 'wet' the crown, I always water around the edge of the pot.
Yellowing leaves- I remove them when they start to go really soft (when they risk starting to go mouldy)
Top tips- think roots. Root aphids can do untold damage. I like using persistent insecticides that give lasting cover (Provado Bug Killer -Imidacloprid) bear
              in mind that this gives no cover against red spider mite.
I have never killed an auricula or an allionii (a dangerous thing to say!!)

[Carlo]

Maggi,

I'm actually speaking at the same weekend...so the heavens might be aligning...