Galanthus Autumn 2010

[steve owen]

Very cold in the garden with leaden sky and nippy wind; 7 degrees. But the snowdrops like it; 82 varieties through on roll-call today with eight flowering excluding the pots.

[mark smyth]

82 varieties through on roll-call today

 

[KentGardener]

It does seem to have been an early start to the 'noses' appearing above ground this year.  I've been moaning/worrying to Brian (or is that Brain  ) for a few weeks now about just how many have appeared above ground - some far more advanced than I would like for early November!   

[Maggi Young]

Will any of you with these early appearing  galanthus noses take protective action for them over the winter?

[daveyp1970]

Will any of you with these early appearing  galanthus noses take protective action for them over the winter?

Maggie you ask the question i was just as i was going too,some of my noses are an inch above the soil do i just leave them and not panic,it's my first year and i really don't want to damage any of them.

[KentGardener]

I'm pretending the 'noses' are not there yet...  but I am very confident all will be OK   - if a little off time?   

[steve owen]

Will any of you with these early appearing  galanthus noses take protective action for them over the winter?

Maggi, agricultural fleece blows off towards the coast ....ditto straw mulch.....and that nice George Osbourne told us we all had to tighten our belts, and I already have an electric heater in the alpine house for the primula allionii .... so hot water bottles for early snowdrops will have to wait till next year!"

[Maggi Young]

I see the difficulties, Steve, even without following government advice and bankrupting yourself.  
Problem with most mulches would be the danger of the mulch providing a cosy hotel for slugs and snails to attack the noses in secret. Luckily our bulbs are pretty restrained about showing themselves in Aberdeen ( tho' I've seen Leucojum noses) so I really don't know what the chances of severe damage from prolonged frost would be on the snowdrops. Has anyone got a very cold garden where the 'drops are foolish enough to show early and can report on their survival?

[mark smyth]

cutting back perennials today I see not all slugs are going for their alternative blue food

[johnw]

( tho' I've seen Leucojum noses) so I really don't know what the chances of severe damage from prolonged frost would be on the snowdrops. Has anyone got a very cold garden where the 'drops are foolish enough to show early and can report on their survival?

Maggi - Thinking back to extremely cold snowless winter predeeded by long mild autumns or wintesr that didn't start until February Leucojum and Galanthus noses do not get clipped here if they come up partially in the autumn.  This experience does not include reginae-olgae which might fully leaf () and the more tender Leucojum species of which I have no experience other than in pots in the greenhouse.  potted Galanthus seem to leaf more than planted ones and these too seem okay if heeled in woodchips. Tulip tips can get tip-nipped and generally it is recommended to plant new tulips as late in the autumn as is possible, about now. Ipheions are up already, Rolf Fiedler has little vigour here and getting badly nipped may explain this, the others strangely are okay after nipping.

johnw - still raining heavily, on our way to 25cm since Friday.

[Maggi Young]

Yes John, the autumn 'drops with more leaves would be at greater risk. And tulips are much more tender but most keep their heads down here till quite late most years.  Ipheions are prone to early leaf, none  more so than I.'Alberto Castillo' but he is really tough.

[johnw]

Yes John, the autumn 'drops with more leaves would be at greater risk. And tulips are much more tender but most keep their heads down here till quite late most years.  Ipheions are prone to early leaf, none  more so than I.'Alberto Castillo' but he is really tough.

Maggi

We're hoping Alberto will be a better bet than the others.

By the way I should add that by spring on the autumn crocus and a few other bulbs we often see a difference in the green in the above ground winter leaf sections compared to the undeveloped below ground winter parts.  I can't say there is any impairment.


johnw

[michael broadhurst]

Thanks everybody for the lovely pictures of the early flowering snowdrops posted.
You might like to see a photo of a very early flowering form of G. elwesii var. elwesii. We have found that it has flowered in November for the past 3 years. The photo shown was taken on 5/11/ this year. The outer segments are very long, ~33mm.

[Maggi Young]

Interesting, Michael....and  even without your note about the length of the outer segments it is quite clear that the flower is very long and slender.
A sort of supermodel of snowies!

[steve owen]

Alan, was it Athenae and Hollis you wanted pics of?

Yes please.

Alan
Despairing of enough warm sunshine to fully open the flowers, I brought them inside to photograph. Here are (if my new laptop has allowed me to re-size correctly) are Athenae, Hollis, Remember Remember, and Rizehensis Early to Rize, all currently in flower. Imminent sunshine is now going to tempt me out into the garden!
Steve