East Lancashire AGS Show 20th March 2010

[ranunculus]

Last few ...

Iris reticulata 'Katharine Hodgkin'
Saxifraga oppositifolia
Wonderful sax's

[Rob]

Has the Iris reticulata 'Katharine Hodgkin' got a virus?

Looking at the veins on the flowers there look to be some thicker streaks.

[ChrisB]

Great coverage Cliff et al.  What on earth do you have to do to create sax's that look like that?  They are just wonderful.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Thank you Cliff, George and Mick for this extensive coverage of what looks to have been a great show !  Like in Kent, the long Winter seems to have held back lots of plants that would otherways have gone to an earlier show !   Nature always seems to catch up ! 
Thanks again !

[Ragged Robin]

Thank you Cliff, George and Mick for this extensive coverage of what looks to have been a great show !

Here, here, so many wonderful exhibits - Daphne jezoensis is absolutely first class 

[David Nicholson]

Has the Iris reticulata 'Katharine Hodgkin' got a virus?

Looking at the veins on the flowers there look to be some thicker streaks.

You could well be right Rob.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Has the Iris reticulata 'Katharine Hodgkin' got a virus?

Looking at the veins on the flowers there look to be some thicker streaks.

You could well be right Rob.

I think it surely has !!
(and I can tell - my K.H. had the same problem...)

[Darren]

So -if buying reticulata Iris we need to buy them as dry bulbs in order to check for ink disease and in leaf/flower to check for virus.

So I guess it's seed only from now on?

[Lesley Cox]

So -if buying reticulata Iris we need to buy them as dry bulbs in order to check for ink disease and in leaf/flower to check for virus.

So I guess it's seed only from now on?

Well oddly Darren, the one year I had a single seed pod on 'Katharine Hodgkin' the seedlings (when they eventually flowered) were also streaked with darker blue in the standards, with a couple of standards, over 6 bulbs, fully deep blue. I thought it was a throw back to I. hist. 'Major.'

[Darren]

So much for that approach then!

[Gail]

Has anyone actually had bulbs with streaky flowers tested to see if it really is a virus causing it?

[David Nicholson]

Has anyone actually had bulbs with streaky flowers tested to see if it really is a virus causing it?

How would anyone go about doing that Gail? I haven't had a problem with mine-yet!

[Gail]

I was wondering if they could do it at Wisley.  I'm a member of the Royal Horticultural Society so can use their advice service...  I saw some streaky KH at a nursery last week so may go back and buy one!

[David Nicholson]

Yes, I am too. Never thought about that.

[Lesley Cox]

A couple of places locally will test for such things, the microbiology dept at the university and Agresearch, a big thingy which is governemtal but sort of private enterprise as well. It changes so often that one is never quite sure of its status. Anyway, they'll do the testing but there is a cost involved. I guess RHS do it for free as a member service?