Tales from re-potting

[David Nicholson]

Re-potting is well in hand now. Finished all my Daffs yesterday with only a couple of minimal losses and, as usual with me, the ones I particularly wanted to multiply didn't and the ones I wasn't bothered about did!. Wish I could say the same for the Romuleas my collection was decimated, both European and South African. In many cases the old corms were still there but contained nothing but powder. I haven't seen this before but can only think it was as a result of the abnormal frosts we had last winter with pots in the greenhouse frozen for days.

Started on the Crocuses I keep in the greenhouse all year round (the ones needing a dryish summer rest) and the first two pots I did were the same as the Romuleas....... so I went off and mowed the lawn instead.

[David Pilling]

Hmm. if one particularly wants daffodils to survive, at what point should water be applied. I guess the ones I buy from the shops will be completely dried out until they're plonked in the frozen ground about the start of December.

[tonyg]

David - All my South African romuleas were killed by the extreme cold at the end of 2010.  Many had started into leaf, these sat there for a while in the winter then appeared to die off.  Examining the contents of the pots in late March confirmed my losses.  A few crocus in the same greenhouse were also killed but not all.  I will not be doing any serious repotting until the girls go back to school in September, will report again then.

I have lifted my Colchicum which I planted out in net baskets a few years ago.  They need 'fresh soil' every few years here but confined to net pots they have not done well.  Perhaps I left it too long before lifting and re-soiling them but I will replant straight into the garden, no pots.

[jshields]

Many of my Haemanthus seem due for a  repotting.  The winter-growing sorts need to be repotted right now, so I had better get started.  A healthy, mature Haemanthus coccineus needs to be in ats least a 1-gallon pot (about 7 in across x 7 in. deep).  Eventually they need to go into 2-gal. pots.  The perfect time to repot Haemanthus coccineus or H. barkerae is just before they bloom -- right now!  I'd probably do this outdoors if it were cooler here; currently it's 34C outside.

My Lachenalia desperately need repotting as well, but they will have to wait until September.  The PBS BX will probably get the extras at that time.

Jim

[angie]

Jim do you repot your Haemanthus every year ?

Angie

[Ezeiza]

Jim, no intention of contradiction to a great expert we all learn from but even safer with hysteranthous amaryllids is to repot immediately after flowering is over. This way flowering is not at risk if any essential perennial root is involuntarily trimmed. And curing and replacing those dmaged roots is easier when the plants are in active growth (precisely after flowering is over).

[jshields]

No, Angie, because I'm too lazy; also, I'm sure I have way too many pots just now.   I think they would benefit from being repotted every year, and they need it every few years or they may stop blooming.  Growing seedlings need to be potted up into the next size larger pot almost every year, or they stop growing.  Most amaryllids need to build up a very large root mass to achieve blooming.  Doing it right involves a bit of work.  We mix the potting mix in about a 10-gallon electric cement mixer.

Jim

[jshields]

Jim, no intention of contradiction to a great expert  [DON'T I WISH!] we all learn from but even safer with hysteranthous amaryllids is to repot immediately after flowering is over. This way flowering is not at risk if any essential perennial root is involuntarily trimmed. And curing and replacing those dmaged roots is easier when the plants are in active growth (precisely after flowering is over).

Alberto,

I know the theory and it's certainly true for many amaryllids, but for Haemanthus this pre-flowering repotting seems to work best for me.  My supposition is that the bulb is already hormonally fully primed for the growth spurt just before the flower emerges, at least in Haemanthus.  Also, I take great care not to disturb the roots at all if possible when I repot.  I leave old potting mix in among the roots rather than risk damaging any of them.  This might be a crucial point in my approach:  The bulb should not realize that it has been disturbed.

It does not seem to interfere with the expected flowering in Haemanthus when done this way.  Still, I have not done controlled trials with large numbers of the same species, so there is plenty of room for experimentation.  You could say my experiences are purely anecdotal, and I know people who do a better job than I do at growing Haemanthus.  Besides, I've certainly killed and stunted plenty of bulbs over the years.

Jim

[angie]

Jim thanks for your reply. I do chuckle to myself thinking of using a cement mixer to mix your soil. As everyone knows that Ian Y. does the same 

Angie 

[David Nicholson]

Hmm. if one particularly wants daffodils to survive, at what point should water be applied. I guess the ones I buy from the shops will be completely dried out until they're plonked in the frozen ground about the start of December.

David, all my pot grown Narcissi are watered for the first time first/second week in September. In the garden mine are all planted before the end of September (they root fairly early) and here it's rarely necessary to water them!!

[Gerry Webster]

Repotting is under way & I have been able to assess the (presumed) effects of the severe cold last winter. Fritillaries, narcissus & sternbergias appear to be unscathed. Not so  autumn flowering crocus. Several pots of seedlings have been completely lost. Of flowering size plants, a number of species have split into many very small corms - all members of the series Laevigati are affected as are a few forms of C. longiflorus. Curiously, most forms of C. niveus - a lowland plant - have produced larger corms than usual.

[David Nicholson]

Repotting is under way & I have been able to assess the (presumed) effects of the severe cold last winter. Fritillaries, narcissus & sternbergias appear to be unscathed. Not so  autumn flowering crocus. Several pots of seedlings have been completely lost. Of flowering size plants, a number of species have split into many very small corms - all members of the series Laevigati are affected as are a few forms of C. longiflorus. Curiously, most forms of C. niveus - a lowland plant - have produced larger corms than usual.

Similar problems with Crocus Gerry. Just this morning finished re-potting the Crocuses I keep outside and the soil was like soup!

In the greenhouse I had lost Polyxena longituba and all of my Lachenalia and Babiana species.

[Maggi Young]

It is the Crocus which have suffered most here.....

[Tony Willis]

I lost a lot of what I thought would be hardy narcissus during the winter but overall other things look okay although in some cases for example on sternbergias the roots were killed and they have made small bulbs.

The freezing late spring did not allow enough leaf growth on the crocus before the hot weather in April took them down too soon resulting in a lot of small corms and little seed.The endless cold and wet since May has induced a lot of things to start into growth. I have taken the decision to start watering.

A careful analysis of the situation has led me to the conclusion that the Banks are to blame for these weather conditions.

[Maggi Young]

A careful analysis of the situation has led me to the conclusion that the Banks are to blame for these weather conditions.

Just had an email from Mr and Mrs Banks and their large, unruly family of Threadneedle Street London, saying that they are incensed by this vicious calumny and plan to demand compensation..........