Narcissus January- February 2009

[Oron Peri]

Joakim,
I agree with you 100%, my climate offcourse is very different from that in North Europe for example,
but the basic remains similar, one should find a way to give the bulbs good drainage but still a moist retentive mix, which is not a simple task.

In hot climate i find that plastic pots can cause rot very easy since the soil tend to dry slowly, and the combination of hot wether and humidity can be often fatal.
oron

[Anthony Darby]

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.

That's the one I have (and labelled as such). It is brightening up the kitchen at the moment with its five flowers.

[Hans A.]

In hot climate i find that plastic pots can cause rot very easy since the soil tend to dry slowly, and the combination of hot wether and humidity can be often fatal.

Oron I agree completly with you - especially summer seams to be a very dangerous time. Dormant bulbs I lost without watering in plasticpots - in clay it is much easier to keep them. During the growing period there are normally no problems neither in plastic nor in clay pots. The problem might be because of the locally high air moisture and the differences between temperatures of day and night.

[Ian Y]

Once a bulb has flowered it has a much reduced need of moisture and we are often tempted to give them more water at that stage. That is a big mistake because as the plant is not using the moisture it is only lost by evaporation and that can be a very slow process in plastic pots even in hot conditions as Oron points out.
Joakim's point about there being no ideal universal potting mix is largely correct but the most important and variable depending on your climate, type of pot and compost is the watering regime.

Now to show a few more pictures of a pot of Narcissus seedlings, I have shown them on the Bulb log previously, which have twin flowers.
They are from second generation seed from N. 'Camoro' a hybrid between N.cantabricus monophylus and N. romieuxii.
I do not know if another species was involved in this second generation or not but I have never seen any of this group having twin flowers.
I was wondering if Rafa or any one else has seen such a thing in the wild or cultivation.

[Rafa]

Very intersting plants Ian!
I have seen in the wild  N. rupicola, N. graellsii, N. confusus and N. cantabricus with the same possibility.

[mark smyth]

Very nice Ian. Do you plan to twin scale it this year?

[ian mcenery]

Great plants and an interesting discussion on composts. Here is my Cedric Morris slowly gaining strength. What a plant such early flowers and so tough

[Michael J Campbell]

Who lists Cedric Morris?,I can't find it on any lists.

[Maggi Young]

Michael, I can send you one in the summer.

[Michael J Campbell]

Thanks Maggi,will send you something nice in return. (Not chocolate)

[Tony Willis]

The first narcissus tazetta is open.This is from Greece.

[Gerdk]

A bulbocodium from Tizi n'Tichka, Morocco (inside the house).

Nice tazetta, Tony!

[ian mcenery]

Michael I think you have already have found the best source for Cedric 

[Anthony Darby]

Michael I think you have already have found the best source for Cedric 

There's always some for sale at the Early Bulb Display.

[Maggi Young]

Michael I think you have already have found the best source for Cedric 

There's always some for sale at the Early Bulb Display.

 True-ish...  The MacNaughtons  of Macplants used to  stock  Narcissus 'Cedric Morris' ....don't think Michael's coming across for the Early Bulb Day, though..... which is a pity, because I know he'd love it!