Galanthus February 2011

[Alan_b]

I've shown these snowdrops before but I guess I'm a bit like a proud parent who keeps on showing you photographs of his kids.

[Mavers]

I have your 'Greenlight' snowdrop in my garden Alan. It is a beauty. Mine are not quite out yet but soon will be at the same stage as the ones you have pictured in the pot. It seems to be a good doer too.

Mike

[emma T]

I've shown these snowdrops before but I guess I'm a bit like a proud parent who keeps on showing you photographs of his kids.

They are very beautiful kids    You should be proud 

[Alan_b]

I have your 'Greenlight' snowdrop in my garden Alan.

I'm impressed!  I'm trying to build up my stock for swaps but this has taken some time and I have only parted with three bulbs so far because I have so few myself.  Joe Sharman has only been selling them for a few years and only selling a few a year so you have done well to get one.  It does seem to be a good doer but my first two bulbs took a year or two to settle so got off to a slow start.  The ones in the pot that I photographed are making up for lost time, however.     

[steve owen]

Alan
The Green Light you swapped with me is beginning to clump up well. I hope your Ailwyn is doing likewise.
Steve

[Mavers]

I'll take a photo of mine next weekend Alan, hopefully the flowers will have dropped by then. I bought the bulb 2 years ago from Joe & I have three flowering size bulbs this year with a few yung'uns at the side. If it goes on like this I'll have one or two to swap in a couple of years 

[mark smyth]

Alan why dont you send a bulb or two away for twin scaling?

[art600]

Alan why dont you send a bulb or two away for twin scaling?

Alan

Why not twin scale - or chip- yourself 

[Rob]

Here is a green tipped snowdrop in the garden today. I've lost the label, so don't know the name.

[Alan_b]

I'm quite apprehensive about twin-scaling myself.  A few years ago I tried a daffodil for practise but I got quite a low yield and the bulbs never recovered, still well below flowering size.  Plus all the instructions talk about the copious use of fungicides I don't have.  I did send away one bulb to an expert for twin scaling and it seems to be doing quite well in year two now; which is just as well as the rest of my stock then upped and vanished.

I am actually looking for twin-scaling experts in case my current helper gets too busy to do more, so if you have suggestions please send me a PM.  Mark has been helpful in the past but I don't know if the people he suggested then are still active.       

[Alan_b]

Alan
The Green Light you swapped with me is beginning to clump up well. I hope your Ailwyn is doing likewise.
Steve

"Clump" might be a bit of an over-statement so far, but I got two flowers instead of one this year and I'm very satisfied because I had been told Ailwyn does not increase that rapidly, so my expectations were low.

[mark smyth]

They are Alan

[KentGardener]

I'm quite apprehensive about twin-scaling myself.

Made me smile for some reason....  do we need more than one Alan?   

[Diane Clement]

I am actually looking for twin-scaling experts in case my current helper gets too busy to do more, so if you have suggestions please send me a PM.  Mark has been helpful in the past but I don't know if the people he suggested then are still active.        

I believe Colin Mason (Fieldgate) is an expert twin scaler.  Take a look here:
https://sites.google.com/a/narrateo.com/fieldgate-twinscaling/
at the bottom of the page there is also a link to an article Colin wrote about twinscaling if you wanted to have a go yourself

[mark smyth]

Rob could your snowdrop Selbourne Green Tips or Jonathan? Does that sound right?