Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Bulbs => Ian Young's Bulb Log - Feedback Forum => Topic started by: John85 on November 01, 2012, 08:35:17 AM

Title: Bulb log 44
Post by: John85 on November 01, 2012, 08:35:17 AM
What is the sp of the cotoneaster?Is it salicifolius?I remember gardeners were advised not to grow several sp as they were prone to fireblight.Which ones must be avoided?
Can you recommand other shrubs with nice berries that are not eaten by the birds:they have already plenty of food in the wild hedges bordering each field.
Title: Re: Bulb log 44
Post by: johnw on November 01, 2012, 01:48:10 PM
I too would be interested to know the species of Cotoneaster that was in the last Bulb Log.

johnw
Title: Re: Bulb log 44
Post by: Maggi Young on November 01, 2012, 02:08:32 PM
Aha! Good question from the two Johns!
Fact is, we're not quite sure : there is C. bullatus blood in them somewhere and in the past Roy Lancaster described  them as 'bullatus hybrids' - and that's been good enough for me!

 edit: Should have said - there may well be  C. salicifolis blood in there too.

They are all slightly different, being seed grown from an original   unidentified hybrid tree (not our tree).
We have quite a number of them, they're all pretty big now and, (fingers crossed) all healthy and flowering and fruiting well.
Title: Re: Bulb log 44
Post by: Ian Y on November 01, 2012, 07:44:33 PM
Maggi has given the best answer we have to both Johns. We have quite a number of  these Cotoneaster all slightly different as they represent a hybrid swarm.

John85, I cannot think of a berrie that the birds will not eat but they do tend to leave larger berries for longer as they simply cannot get their beaks around them until they are really ripe an soften.

Ian

Title: Re: Bulb log 44
Post by: pehe on November 01, 2012, 08:08:20 PM
Ian,
Regarding flower triggering: In my garden the flowering time of crocus is relatively constant from year to year, indicating that they must have an internal clock which play a role too.
The flowering time of Sternbergia is much more variable. Some years I have lutea flowering in September, in other years the same clump flowers in November. I have observed that flowering time of Sternbergia is more or less independent of watering. If not (or late) watered they flower without leaves. Early watering gives earlier leaves, but flower time is almost not affected. I think temperature gradients is the dominating factor here.

Interesting close-up pics of Sternbergia and fantastic autumn colours!

Poul
Title: Re: Bulb log 44
Post by: Ian Y on November 01, 2012, 08:23:49 PM
Poul, thanks for your information and conclusions.
I agree, watering brings on the leaves but not the flowers.

I also think that there seems to  be some kind of internal clock which is passed on to seeds as they to germinate around the same time as flowering but they of course are dependent on water as they have no bulb yet to store the food.

Interesting to hear how your sternbergia behave, I have not had reliable enough flowering to make any conclusions about them. I am very encouraged by the way the ones I was given last year are performing.

Ian
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