Oncoseason 2010

[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 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.

Peter,
I think it's not good to give water during hot days during spring.
It's a real shock for the plants!
It's better to give water when temperature is low(er).


It's better to give water
I find that bacterial rot may be stoped very quickly with a drench of water containing chlorine (bleach)

[PeterT]

I  agree Hendrik.
In warm weather I wait for a cooler day, water the sand outside the pot and only water in early morning. They need some moisture in spring to finish their growth.
water + heat =ROT

[BULBISSIME]

Hendrick, as you know, I give them extra artificial light in the greenhouse, which is like a discotheque 

[arillady]

I agree with all that has been said about growing conditions. It is summer rainfall that is my dread. But having said that I have left some clumps in situ for years and the rain does not seem to bother them. I am thinking about one patch where the pots of seeds were placed in the ground without much alteration to the native soil. This patch is the highest up the hill so the drainage would be extra good and patches further down the hill might get more moisture, especially in winter when there might be seepage further down the hill.  But I have mainly the southern species hybrids.
I will keep the chlorine treatment in mind Hans.

[arillady]

Afew photos taken today of the aril species hybrids flowering. These plants never get dug - they survive any rain in summer.

[Ragged Robin]

So supremely beautiful in your hill landscape Pat - all are glorious in their variation

Nos 1358 and 1360 I imagine are the same species hybrid and I wondered why the stem under the flower is green in one and red in the other (I'm sure there is a name for this region  )

[Lesley Cox]

Who needs chocolate?

[BULBISSIME]

Well well grown Pat !
Congratulations, and so many flowers ....

[arillady]

I will have to check the crosses on those two species hybrids before commenting.
Fred pity that they are not all straight species but this is the kind of vision I had when I first read about arils and their requirements back in 1989.

[Hans A.]

Great patches Pat,
I see you still have enough space to build up pure species patches - this years ASI seedexchange should be a good query for some very nice species seed.  

I find that bacterial rot may be stoped very quickly with a drench of water containing chlorine (bleach)

Do you also use it for watering growing plants (in which concentration?)?  
I normally only work with chlorine with seeds before sowing and dormant rhizomes (or very local in rhizomes of growing plants) after cutting away dead /affected parts.

[PeterT]

Hans, I think the bleach was my statement, quoted by Hendrik.
In any case I use domestic chlorine about a small cup full in 3 liters of water to pour over a congested clump if there is bacterial rot, or proportionately less if it is a small clump. I then try to let the plant dry out. I dont use it unless there is rot - I believe the chlorine must upset the natural balance of micro organisums in the soil, including the good ones. 

[Hans A.]

Thanks Peter!
 Today we had some rain and temperatures of  about 30 degrees celsius-hope this will not cause any problem.

[arillady]

There more drainage material such as gravel in the rhizome area the better with rain and 30C
From what I have seen of your photos Hans you should be fairly right. Well that is my gut feeling

[BULBISSIME]

Hans, In the wild, they will get rain with hot temperature, so it's natural for the Onco's !

[Hans A.]

Thanks Pat and Fred, yes I also think there will be no problem - my first oncobed has such a good drainage that oncos suffer bur desertplants do well (despite of an annual rainfall about 800 mm). Weatherforecast promised rain for monday and tuesday - the most delicate species will be covered tomorrow.