Galanthus January 2012

[Brian Ellis]

Perhaps they like the summer watering I do for my jungle garden?

I reckon that's it John, it explains why mine are so slow to increase too.

[annew]

Back 2 pages (OK, I went to make a cup of tea....) - Jennie, just to clear up a point, were your bulbs in lattice pots free standing or plunged?

[RichardW]

I wish Greenish would increase here, it appears every year but I've had about 5 flowering bulbs for as long as I can remember  

That's surprising Richard.  It increases at a rate of knots here.  I've given many away and still have over a dozen flowers (Which is the kind of clump I like here - My garden is very small so I can't have the wonderful drifts of drops that others have space for  ).

Perhaps they like the summer watering I do for my jungle garden?

will try moving them and trying some in different spots and soils, are yours plunged in a soil mix in lattice pots? they might just not like the clay here.

[KentGardener]

are yours plunged in a soil mix in lattice pots? they might just not like the clay here.

They are Richard.   

[Webster008]

Really like the subtle green tips.
If you ever have any spares again John, I would be interested in purchasing one or two.

That's surprising Richard.  It increases at a rate of knots here.  I've given many away and still have over a dozen flowers (Which is the kind of clump I like here - My garden is very small so I can't have the wonderful drifts of drops that others have space for   ).

Perhaps they like the summer watering I do for my jungle garden?




 

[kentish_lass]

Galanthus elwesii in my front garden.  All have two marks - sometimes merging into one mark.

Excellent plants and strong growing

I will drive that way and take a peek out my window next week Art when I am on the way to the Co-op 

[kentish_lass]

Back 2 pages (OK, I went to make a cup of tea....) - Jennie, just to clear up a point, were your bulbs in lattice pots free standing or plunged?

Anne - they are in lattice pots free standing as they will be plunged into a new bed when I get it made.  Does this make a difference?

Also thanks to everyone who answered my question on watering.  I will go by the little and often rule and not let the soil totally dry out.  Some of the lattice pots that were free standing in the shade under trees in the woodlands this summer dried out so much they just disappeared     'Hobsons Choice' was just little totally dried bulbs but I planted them anyway incase they come back to life.

I have had nivalis in pots outside for years and they get no special attention.....at all.....and they just keep going and multiplying.  If only they were all so easy.

[kentish_lass]

I wonder if anyone can tell me if Scilla mischtschenkoana attract Narcissus Fly as I bought 100 bulbs to put among my snowdrops for impact while the drops fill out.  It has now dawned on me that they may actually attract the NF??  I am trying to plant all new snowdrops as far away from Narcissus as possible so do not want to plant something that will attract them 

I have temporarily put the Scilla in long window boxes until I find out.

many thanks - its a nice mild Saturday here and I am off to the garden to find nice things happening I hope.
Jennie

[chasw]

its a nice mild Saturday here and I am off to the garden to find nice things happening I hope

You are lucky Jennie,everywhere still solid and white with frost here,all drops flat on the ground

[RichardW]

they are in lattice pots free standing as they will be plunged into a new bed when I get it made.  Does this make a difference?

yes a lot, free standing lattice pots will dry out fast so you'll need to increase the watering.

[Carolyn Walker]

Me again

I have a question for those that grow snowdrops in pots...if I may?

Today I got a lovely delivery from one of my orders and I had to pot them up whilst waiting to finish another small raised bed in the woodlands.  I made my mix from John Innes 2, potting grit and a touch of peat.  I carefully put the bulb on a layer of sharp sand and grit with a little gritty compost around the bulb.  I gently watered them in and placed them in my net polytunnel for now.

My question is really - watering?  I tend to panic with bulbs in pots and let them get far too dry.  Once potted -how moist should the soil be?  I have just taken a few lattice pots from the tunnel and the soil was like dust and the flowers were much smaller and shorter than they should be - they were dehydrated.  I am used to planting them directly in the ground.

I know just how much water to give any other type of plant but am nervy when it comes to bulbs.  Any advice gratefully accepted.

thanks

Possibly my answer is not too helpful because our climate is different here in the mid-Atlantic US, but I have grown thousands of snowdrops in pots over the last 20 years.  I started out potting them in compost/peat based potting soil mix and recently switched to using just a bark mix.  I haven't noticed any difference but am still experimenting.  I put them in pots in October, cover them with 4 to 6" of ground leaves, and store them outside in a shady area between my house and garage.  I water them when I pot them but not after that.  They thrive even if we get lots of rain, which we often do in the fall.  I uncover them when the snow (if we have it) disappears in February sometime.  That being said I get all my rarer snowdrops in the spring in the green and I plant them directly into the ground.  Every single one has thrived and flowered the following year.  I hope some of this is useful.

[johnw]

its a nice mild Saturday here and I am off to the garden to find nice things happening I hope

You are lucky Jennie,everywhere still solid and white with frost here,all drops flat on the ground

Charles - We have had a couple of cold days well below freezing and a night of -9c. Thursday night we had a raging blizzard but only got about 3 inches of heavy wet snow which quickly melted when the temp Friday rose to +11 with very dense fog.  Cambridge was at long last flat on the ground from the cold. I just looked out the window and it is standing straight up again. However that may change as we will have a high and low of -10c tomorrow and snowless.  I find this quite astounding.

johnw

[johnw]

Carolyn - Welcome to the Forum!

Are you seeing any signs of Stag in your pot grown snowdrops?  And is the narcissus bulb fly present where you live?

I have lightened my mix with oak compost and shredded oak leaves this past autumn. Crowded snowdrops in pots were susceptible to stag in my previous mixes - Diggory, Heffalump and Hill Poe recent victims.  The same happened some years ago to congested Rosemary Burnham - I was down to one lone bulb; with frequent repotting she is multiplying like mad now.

My partner grows hundreds of pots of straight nivalis in Promix BX and has none of my problems!

johnw

[Maggi Young]

My partner grows hundreds of pots of straight nivalis in Promix BX and has none of my problems!

johnw

Hmmmm.... often a clue you know, John.......

[Jane]

A few varieties that have been flowering in the past few weeks.
Galanthus 'Fieldgate Prelude'
Galanthus 'Lapwing'
Galanthus 'Diggory'
Galanthus 'Trumps'
Galanthus 'Spindlestone Surprise'
The weather here has been very mild here. We only had our first frost of 2012 last night! This year I don't seem to have had any losses, last year quite a few of my bulbs where attacked by botrytis.
Jane