Narcissus January- February 2009

[Rafa]

Yes, Oron they are in 9x9x10 square plastic pods and I put 10 bulbs per pod.

[Oron Peri]

Thanks Rafa,
Great, since that is the actual space still available here....

[Oron Peri]

Rafa,
Can I ask what kind of soil do you use for these pots,
I find that many of my bulbs had rotten in these kind of pots, had always drainage problems.

[Rafa]

I use two types of soil I do myself (we haven't John Innes in Spain  )
Ones is acid (based in granite and universal substrate) and the other is base or neutral (based in clay - limestone). That I do is a very draining soil for the bulbs, and then I put the pods on a bed surface which is moister than the soil in pods.

[Oron Peri]

Thanks Rafa,

That is very interesting,
We don't have 'John Innes' either, and so I have to invent  or improvises all kinds of mixtures,
but it takes lots of time and quite a hard work.
One of the reasons I like to see bulbous plants in their habitats is to see and understand the type of soil they grow in, than it is easier to try and give them similar conditions, it happened to me more then once to see
 plants in the wild growing in completely different conditions from what i gave it at the beginning and after fixing it, its a whole different story...

[ChrisB]

I have a whole pot full of these delightful narcissus - N. romiuexii JCA805.  Got the bulbs at the Discussion weekend in 2007.  No flowers last year, but they sure have made up for that this year.  Cost?  25p at the bulb exchange!  Thank you whoever donated them, I love them to bits.

[Lesley Cox]

Also looking back I spotted your 'Atlas Gold' - SUPERB. And I find the thread on Julia Jane, the image below was taken a couple of years ago at RHS Vincent Square show in February of a group of our stock plants, this one has been propogated at the nursery vegetatively directly from the original bulbs that Jim Archibald supplied us in 1971. I hope you agree that it is a very distinct Narcissus and quite unlike most of the imposters seen in the previous pages.

Well Rob, since mine came from you and your late friend, it is you whom I have to thank for AG, the best winter flower here by far. I should have bought JJ at the same time as mine is also an imposter. In fact, it looks just like the first of Arthur's pics above, a wide, soft yellow but with a blip in the side as if there's too much fabric to fit into the waistband of a skirt, so a gather is required. (Women will know what I mean.)

[Lesley Cox]

I wouldn't like to get on the wrong side of Rafa if he were in a bad mood!

[Ian Y]

Rafa
thanks for showing us your potting mix - I like your faithful friend I have one just like it and find it very useful.

Oron
For the last two years I have been using a compost of sand, gravel and leafmould with great success.
The leafmould is more to add some of the essential and trace elements to the mix and could be substituted.
Check out   
http://www.srgc.org.uk/bulblog/log2007/260607/log.html   
to see more on this subject.

[Rafa]

Thank you Ian, I would like to make better the soil because I am exactly in the same situation like Oron, but is very difficoult to do somthing simmilar than in the nature.

I wouldn't like to get on the wrong side of Rafa if he were in a bad mood!

[Oron Peri]

Ian,
Thank you very much, it is a most usefull information.

So if i got it right the basic mix is 2 parts gravel, 2 parts sand, 1 part leaf mould.
than you add the yummy things...

I suppose if you want to get a more humid retentive soil you would  add more leafmould..?
or even change clay pots in plastic ones?

[Gerry Webster]

I use two types of soil I do myself (we haven't John Innes in Spain  )

Rafa - I don't think we have John Innes in the UK either. At least not the real thing, made from turf loam which I think is unobtainable today. What is sold under the name of John Innes here is tremendously variable. However, when mixed with grit or limestone chips some types  seems to work well enough with most bulbs. 

[Maggi Young]

Ian,
Thank you very much, it is a most usefull information.

So if i got it right the basic mix is 2 parts gravel, 2 parts sand, 1 part leaf mould.
than you add the yummy things...

I suppose if you want to get a more humid retentive soil you would  add more leafmould..?
or even change clay pots in plastic ones?

Yes, Oron. And we are growing now almost exclusively in plastic pots.

[Oron Peri]

You have made my day!!!!

[Joakim B]

Maybe it s not not for me to say but I do not think that a good mix in one place always is a good mix in Ia second place and vice verse.
It gives a general (very good idea) but when temperature and humidity change a lot then other variants may be better.
I have the feeling that all involved here know it but maybe not all that is reading on the sideline. It is easy to believe that there is a mix that works everywhere (even though no one is claiming that).
Just to give an input from an beginner that at least have realized that one need to adapt everything to ones own growing conditions but can get good directions from others if their growing conditions is taken into consideration.

Please there is no offence meant and I hope no one takes any by me just stating what most but not all know (but do not write every time).
With humble regards
Joakim