Oncoseason 2010

[Hans A.]

 

[arilnut]

Hi folks. Just took an inventory and here is what are coming out of dormancy so far.

Established and newly planted clumps.
Barnumae, Damascena, Elegantissima, Kirkwoodii, and Sari.

First year seedlings from last spring.
Lortetii. - 1

1 year seedlings from spring 2009.
Paradoxa - 2
Sari - 1
Urmiensis - 4
Acutiloba x Choschab - 2    attached is a picture of one of these that has 2 increase already!!!
Dardanus x Choschab - 2

3 year seedling
Sofarana - 1

Also have 4  I. Scariosa  one year seedlings, 1 of which has 4 increase on it, and 1 newly germinated seedling.

Waiting for more to show up.

John B

[Lesley Cox]

What a fantastic list John. I'm really looking forward to the pictures, in due course.

[arillady]

Yes a fantastic list of seedlings John. YOu have certainly scoured the world for seeds

[arilnut]

Hi Pat. I'm hoping the Atrofusca, Atropurpurea, Choschab, Kirkwoodii, and Haynei wake up.

John

Yes a fantastic list of seedlings John. YOu have certainly scoured the world for seeds

[BULBISSIME]

Good luck John, very nice list 

[PeterT]

Good luck John, very nice list 

yes a super list John  , good luck

[Hans A.]

Very fine list, John!
Do you germinate all seedlings by forced germination?

See your plants are advanced - here two new seedlings for this season (both camillae) and of my flowering sized plants only those started to grow which were watered ('northern species bed') - all the southern species are still dormant.

[arilnut]

Hi Hans. All but some paradoxa seedlings are from forced germination. 

John

Very fine list, John!
Do you germinate all seedlings by forced germination?

See your plants are advanced - here two new seedlings for this season (both camillae) and of my flowering sized plants only those started to grow which were watered ('northern species bed') - all the southern species are still dormant.

[Hendrik Van Bogaert]

Very fine list, John!
Do you germinate all seedlings by forced germination?

See your plants are advanced - here two new seedlings for this season (both camillae) and of my flowering sized plants only those started to grow which were watered ('northern species bed') - all the southern species are still dormant.

Hans,
Do you agree that it's better to keep the plants dormant as long as possible?
So, first watering is given by me at the end of september; after watering the plants show very quick their growing tips; with lower temperatures in octobre/novembre plants stop growing for winter;
to much foliage in winter is not good because the lack of sunshine (here in Belgium).
Hendrik

[Hans A.]

Hello Hendrik,

i agree with you, in Belgium, Britain or Germany you have a lack of sunshine in winter so it is better to give the plants very little (or none) water during winter and it might be the best to slow down their growth as much as possible.
My conditions are quite different - there is enough sun and best air circulation - so the growingrate does not have any importance. The problem is water to the wrong time. My observation is the northern species have not many problems and react directly after watering - southern species are more delicate especially when there are still high temperatures, fungi and/or bacteria react much faster than the rhizome and might destroy the plant before it starts growing.

[BULBISSIME]

I agree, especially with species such as I. auranitica which is, in my opinion, the most rot sensible before growth starting.
I also grow some species in the greenhouse for the first time, and started watering them yesterday... let's see how they will react, but some are already starting to grow.

[PeterT]

Hello Hendrik,

i agree with you, in Belgium, Britain or Germany you have a lack of sunshine in winter so it is better to give the plants very little (or none) water during winter and it might be the best to slow down their growth as much as possible.
My conditions are quite different - there is enough sun and best air circulation - so the growing rate does not have any importance. The problem is water to the wrong time. My observation is the northern species have not many problems and react directly after watering - southern species are more delicate especially when there are still high temperatures, fungi and/or bacteria react much faster than the rhizome and might destroy the plant before it starts growing.

I have more problem with this heat on the rhizomes in spring, I try to counteract it by having the rhizomes deep in gravel to insulate them from heat and by watering the sand or the edge of the pots only, so as not to get water on the rhizome. while it is cool I just tip water over the lot, or leave them in the rain to start growing in autome. If I leave them untill October /November to start, I get poor root growth untill the spring and they try to rot in December and January. I give them a very little water at this time.
I find that bacterial rot may be stoped very quickly with a drench of water containing chlorine (bleach)

[Hendrik Van Bogaert]

Hello Hendrik,

i agree with you, in Belgium, Britain or Germany you have a lack of sunshine in winter so it is better to give the plants very little (or none) water during winter and it might be the best to slow down their growth as much as possible.
My conditions are quite different - there is enough sun and best air circulation - so the growingrate does not have any importance. The problem is water to the wrong time. My observation is the northern species have not many problems and react directly after watering - southern species are more delicate especially when there are still high temperatures, fungi and/or bacteria react much faster than the rhizome and might destroy the plant before it starts growing.

Thank you for your answer Hans.
I agree with you.
Here in Belgium the air humidity can be very high in autumn; this is already enough to start the growth of my onco's.
Look at the pictures that I took 3 days ago; the plants show the tips of their leaves and I haven't give no water at all!
Nevertheless some water in autumn (end septembre/octobre) is important so that they form their new roots before winter; during winter you have to keep them as dry as possible.
During winter last year the roots of a few species (bostrensis and  nigricans) rotted completely away, but the rhizomes stays intact; the plants survive and recover after winter;
I think this attack was probably caused by an infection of pythium due to wet soil and high temperatures during some days in winter.
Therefore it's a good idea to put the pots in a sand bed, so that soil temperature stays stable. 
Hendrik


 

[Hendrik Van Bogaert]

I agree, especially with species such as I. auranitica which is, in my opinion, the most rot sensible before growth starting.
I also grow some species in the greenhouse for the first time, and started watering them yesterday... let's see how they will react, but some are already starting to grow.

Hi Fred,
If you grow onco's for the first time in a greenhouse, be careful with watering!
Try to keep the rhizome dry (water at the rim of the pot) or give water around the pots if they are plunged in sand.
Really they n,eed very little water....
End november last year some of my onco's were 15 - 20 cm high and that's really not good, especcially in a dull climate;
try to reduce leaf growth as much as possible and give extra artificial light.
Hendrik