Primula July

[Giles]

I bought this plant today at the AGS Pershore show, as P.dickieana (not really knowing what I was buying).
I've looked it up, now that I'm back, and am not convinced that it what its meant to be, or that I have any realistic hope of keeping it alive even if it was.
Does it look familiar to anyone?
Any first hand experience at growing it?

-the books suggest it lives in an area of permanent rain
Giles

PS.I've heared back from the experts: it's definitely not P.dickieana, may be P.jaffreyana or P.sharmae.

[Giles]

Primula nipponica

[Lesley Cox]

-the books suggest it lives in an area of permanent rain
Giles

Send it to David in Devon.

[David Nicholson]

Who would undoubtedly kill it!

[Giles]

Here's one I bought today which I'm told is not that difficult to grow.
Primula boothii repens.
I got it from: http:/ www.norwellnurseries.co.uk/Default.aspx
It's got an interesting habit, and has the added advantage you get about 8 plants-worth per pot bought.
The proprietor came out with a cup of tea for me whilst I wandered around, which makes it a 5-star nursery by my standards!!!
The other picture is of P.integrifolia.
If any of you have any cultural tips/advice for P.reidii I would be grateful, as everytime it warms up down here
or the wind blows the thing collapses. It's living in a pot in a sealed plastic bag at the moment - its the only way I
can stop the poor plant from wilting. I wondered whether a root rot might be the explanation - or is it always this
temperamental?
Best wishes,
Giles

[Maggi Young]

Giles, Primula are notorious for collapsing in hot weather, but I would be inclined to tip yours out of its pot to inspect for root aphids or vine weevil grubs. P. reidii, like so many others, enjoys a cool moist  home.  Here in Aberdeen, even big strapping plants of Primula florindae are drooping when the temperature rises. .......not that this is a problem today... it is perishing.... but the tallest are being blown over by the strong winds, instead!

[Giles]

They had insecticide about a week ago.
I don't understand what they are upto.
P.flaccida went through a droopy phase a month ago, but then sorted itself out.
P.ioessa also tends to be temperamental with me.
Petiolarids - no problems (and I thought they were meant to be the difficult ones).
(I know - move to Scotland - I'll get round to it one day!)

PS. I live on the top of a limestone hill!!

[Maggi Young]

Did you repot them when you got them? Even if you have doused them with insecticde, which should have "done" for any bugs, it may be that the compost they are in, from the nurseries, is not a good mix for your conditions. Moving plants around the country is more than enough to upset them if the mix is not right for  your climate and it is true that many potting mixes used by growers for the purpose of obtaining a good size of plant to sell on is not always a good compost for a plant to live in long term 

[Giles]

Maggi, I think that's going to be the answer.
I had a dodgy P.gemmifera, I pulled it all apart and washed under the tap (!)  and put it in fresh peat-based (oops) compost and it's been a picture of health since. The benefit was evident within a week.
It's not very scientific but if it works, who cares!

[Maggi Young]

Careful with too much peat, though, Giles... once it dries out it is so hard to wet again.... that sort od mix is one we would want to be changing plants OUT of!!

[Lesley Cox]

Everything that Maggi has said, I'd be saying if she hadn't already said it, especially about the vine weevils etc.  Tip it out, rinse it off then repot it in a suitable compost. My P. reidii live their entire lives in a shade house as my garden is, in general like the Sahara desert. They flourish in there and make quite good clumps but even so they will sometimes lose all their leaves in summer, then make more, and flower again in the autumn. But they shouldn't be wilting if they're adequately watered. I expected seed off mine this last autumn but didn't get any. You know that when and if, you're welcome to it.

[Lesley Cox]

Incidentally, of the Asiatics which grow in the garden, the bigger and more strapping they are, like P. florindae, the much more likely they are to flop over on a warm day but if the roots are OK they will sit up again in the evening or at the first watering. But you already know this.

[Giles]

I teased the P.reidii apart, and managed to get some nice small healthy plantlets with white stubby roots,
washed them under the tap, then submerged them in fungicide for 1/2 hour, before potting them up in fresh
compost. They look ok to me (if a bit small!).
Also a P.aureata which had similar treatment 4 months ago- and look at it now!
ummmm.......only 400+ species to master.
Thankyou for giving me the confidence,
Giles

[Magnar]

Some Primulas still flowering here

Primula viallii


Primula flaccida

[Lesley Cox]

Two of my favourites!