Narcissus January- February 2009

[maggiepie]

Well John, you probably did me a big favour telling us that
Btw, when you say greenhouse, do you mean a heated or unheated greenhouse?
I have a little 6X8foot one from Costco, but it isn't heated.

[johnw]

Helen - A greenhouse for these bulbs would have to have minimal heat just to keep the frost out. I have gas and really should have a back-up electric as well.
 It really should be double glazed in this climate, we put styro against the glass on the northside for the winter and the plastic film you shrink with a hairdryer on the ceiling - available at CTC.

 johnw

[maggiepie]

John, mine is just an aluminium frame with 4-mm twin wall opaque polycarbonate panels.
So I guess the narcissus are out.

[Lars S]

Helen,

This season I am trying N romieuxii and N cantabricus in my unheated greenhouse (in a sand plunge). So far the autumn here in Stockholm has been mild but around christmas winter arrived and the last week we´ve had around 5-10 degrees below zero and the bulbs are deep frozen now. I guess that I will have some idea about their cold hardiness next spring . Ordinary narcissus bulbocodium worked fine here last year. But maybe your climate is colder than here in mid-Sweden.

When it comes to gardening I would prefer to live in a milder climate really. On the other hand the conditions for outdoor skating are great right now. I spent the whole day out on the lakes today  

[maggiepie]

Lars, the temps here can get down to around -30C, not counting the windchill.
I don't see how a bulb could tell the temperature once it is frozen, so not sure if it would matter how cold it is.
Good luck with your N romieuxii and N cantabricus, I will be watching for your results.
I agree, a mild climate would be lovely.

[johnw]

I don't see how a bulb could tell the temperature once it is frozen, so not sure if it would matter how cold it is.

Helen - My understanding of this matter of soil temps outside is if moist the soil temp will not be too far below 0c by but a few degrees.  However if the soil is dry the soil temperature can drop much lower causing extensive damage to some plants.  We saw this in 1991 when people all down the eastern seaboard lost many thoroughly hardy perennials - they freeze dried.

Our native Tsuga canadensis is only root hardy to about -6c! Can you believe it given our air temperatures?

Plants in pots are easily killed and nurseries here generally store potted trees and shrubs in hoop houses covered in white poly the winter long.  Often they quadruple stack the pots.  Some think this is enough and ask why all the dead magnolias, daphnes and rhododendrons, to name but a few.  They simply will not take the time to heel the pots into wood chips on the ground or sink them into sand.  I have pretty much given up telling them anymore.

We also have to get our troughs down on the ground for the winter. Only those with tough subjects like semps and saxs stay up in the air.

Lars' method might be worth a try, start with some tough bulbs and see what happens. Not much good here as I have also house frost tender plants in my greenhouse so 2-3c is bottom.

johnw

[maggiepie]

Thanks for the advice John, my problem is I am finding this forum to be too much like a lolly shop, and I fear I will over indulge.
There are so many new types of plants for me to try that will be hardy I should perhaps stick to those.

 

[Lesley Cox]

I am having to consider myself truly blessed after reading the above posts. It has never occurred to me to think of all these little Narcissus forms as anything except bone hardy - which they are, in my climate.

Anthony - would you please consider a different avatar picture? For those of us who no longer have 20/20 vision, your present one is a black hole and nothing else.

[David Nicholson]

Saw the first clump of grass verge daffs of the year yesterday, about 2 weeks later than they were last year. Will try to get a pic sometime this week.

[Paul T]

Narcissus ..... they seem SO far away here at the moment.  Although it is really only a few months until the autumn species start flowering (if my viridiflorus actually do this year) and May is the first of the bulbocodiums.  But who's counting? 

[Rogan]

My N. viridiflorus bulbs flowered for the first time in May last year - a very oddball plant with the oddest scent. Are there any well known hybrids with more 'conventional' species of Narcissus?

[Gerdk]

Yes,
Luit showed some plants raised in the Netherlands in this Forum - unfortunately I can't find the date. 
There is also some hybridisation in California (Prof. Koopowitz).

Gerd

[Anthony Darby]

I sent an email enquiring about the hybrids but got no reply.

[Lvandelft]

Yes,
Luit showed some plants raised in the Netherlands in this Forum - unfortunately I can't find the date. 
There is also some hybridisation in California (Prof. Koopowitz).

Gerd

Gerd this was in Winter Flower Show Jan. 2008
I hope to show some this week again!

[Anthony Darby]

When will these special bulbs be available to amateurs like me?