never throw away bulb

[snowdropman]

I gave an example form my own experience here:

http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=209.msg5555#msg5555

The damage and the bulbil formation was all done in-situ but that particular bulb and it's descendants have never looked back since.

A good example Alan of nature's own healing process - also a good reason for leaving labels in the ground for a few years even after a snowdrop seems to have disappeared!

[Paddy Tobin]

Chris,

Although many a label may mark the final resting place of a treasured bulb there are occasions when leaving the label in place proves worthwhile. Mary bought G. 'Viridipice' many years ago and when it had become a congested clump we lifted, moved, spread them out and replanted them. We had no growth for about five years and on the sixth year we had foliage from one little, I imagine, bulb. It flowered two years later and was one of our lost G. 'Viridipice'. Now we have to wait for it to clump up again. The original label is still in place.

Paddy

[Alan_b]

I found two damaged bulbs earlier this year and planted them in pots of pure sharp sand  (I think it was Phil Cornish told me to do this) - it seems to have worked and they've got little'uns coming on now.

As well as being sterile, which helps to reduce the chances of infection, the sand seems to stimulate the bulb into strong root growth.

But sharp sand presumably lacks nutrients?  So do you use a liquid feed or just transplant once a good root system has formed?

[snowdropman]

But sharp sand presumably lacks nutrients?  So do you use a liquid feed or just transplant once a good root system has formed?

Alan - see my earlier post in this thread (Reply#7)

By the way, I prefer to use grit sand because I think that it gives better drainage.

[Alan_b]

Thanks Chris.  I'm coming to the conclusion that I get better results growing snowdrops in pots.  Pot-grown snowdrops seem less prone to insect predation, any plants showing signs of disease can be quickly isolated and the pots provide a barrier to any disease or fungus spreading through the soil from one plant to its neighbours.  I wonder how your regime of grit sand and liquid feed compares to more conventional growing media? 

[snowdropman]

I wonder how your regime of grit sand and liquid feed compares to more conventional growing media?  

Alan - as I only use this regime when treating plants with problems, where the emphasis is on survival/recovery rather than on optimising performance, I cannot answer your question - I can only observe that, combined with other measures, such as use of yellow sulphur powder, fungicide etc, the survival/recovery rate is high.

[mark smyth]

The fly doesnt care if bulbs are in pots or in the ground. Two of my rare Narcissus Fairy Gold had grubs in them when I repotted them.

[steve owen]

...but you can soak a pot with a liquid the grubs don't like, such as Theakston's Old Peculiar...

[Alan_b]

Oh, I can think of better things to do with Theakston's Old Peculiar ... Unless, of course, the grubs don't like "recycled" Theakston's Old Peculiar either.

If you don't know, Old Peculiar is a type of beer and rather strong.

[Paddy Tobin]

Goodness, Steve, you feed your bulbs well.

Paddy

[Thomas Seiler]

When I read all this about problems with narcissus fly grubs, I can only say, that I never had any. Hopefully this is not one of those famous last words ... toi, toi, toi ...
I always think and hope, this is due to my natural gardening and matrix planting. All my  snowdrop bulbs, even the most precious ones, live like in nature between the roots of shrubs and perennial plants, the latter ones overgrowing the dying down leafs of the snowdrops in late April and May, so that the narcissus fly might have severe problems to find them. And there are some bigger narcissi in the meadow, which might be far more attractive to them.

[gote]

This is true not only for bulbs eaten by grubs but also for bulbs affected by fungal attack. I have saved lilies from bits and pieces by cutting away obviously diseased parts and treating the remainder with a fungicide. The books say "burn the bulb" but if it is the only one you have of a kind that cannot be easily replaced, the received wisdom should be ignored.

Since the narcissus fly is a naturally occurring predator on Amaryllidaceae (which incidentally is an indication that they are distinct from Allium) they will also attack "naturally" grown plants. However, monocultures are more open to attack from anything, diseases, pests, thieves, cultural mistakes... you name it.

Snowing. -7C Winter is here for good
Göte   

[daveyp1970]

A thought just occurred to me,lets say you only had three of a very rare drop and you wanted to place it in others collections,being that it is better in a few peoples hands,then wouldn't be better to cut a bulb in half say and distribute the halfs or quarters than a single bulb.

[mark smyth]

Pot-grown snowdrops seem less prone to insect predation

4 out of 5 pot grown Sophie North eaten by Narcissus fly grubs

[Alan_b]

Point taken, Mark, but the predominant insect predator that attacks my bulbs eats its way in from the side and just keeps going until it gets bored.  The picture in the link I gave is a typical example, in those instances where there is anything left at all!  I tend to pin the blame on the larva of the swift moth, although without any solid evidence.  I've never yet found a hollowed-out bulb like the ones in your photo.