Narcissus March 2009 -

[Sinchets]

Narcissus cantabricus in the bulb frame.

[Tony Willis]

Narcissus alpestris ms842 in flower.I got one bulb from Mike Salmon about 14 years ago and it is now up to three.

[Gerdk]

Narcissus alpestris ms842 in flower.I got one bulb from Mike Salmon about 14 years ago and it is now up to three.

This is really one of the most beautiful trumpets - unfortunately the narcissus fly admires it just as I do.

Gerd

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Narcissus alpestris ms842 in flower.I got one bulb from Mike Salmon about 14 years ago and it is now up to three.

You're a patient man Tony - but it's a wonderful flower !!!

[Rafa]

Tony, have you ever try to increase any buld by splitting it in half? maybe is it too risky?

I would like to ask if any body could explain and illustrate this method, I am not sure how to plant the bulb after cut it.

Thank you in advance.

[Tony Willis]

Luc you always hope you have another year.

Rafa
no I have never tried cutting one up.I did give another species to a person who does twinscaling which I understand works on narcissus quite well. I have flowering size bulbs of other clones of alpestris and these set seed and I have lots of seedlings coming on. I am thinking of trying it with hyacinthus this year by scooping out the basal plate,I have found instructions on the web.A bit risky when its my only bulb.

[Maggi Young]

Rafa,  to cut a bulb but not to go so far as to twin-scale it, I would suggest cutting the bulb in four, not half. Then plant, not so deep as for a whole bulb, so the pieces are in warmer level of soil in the pot..... this should be less of a a problem for you in Spain! Cut just after the bulb has gone dormant.

 Good luck!

[Gerdk]

Rafa,
My Narcissus alpestris was affected by a larva of the greater narcissus fly.
There was only a third of the bulb left. I found the rest at repotting time in summer. I dusted the remaining rest with sulphur and obtained a good plant in the next year although no flowers.
So it seems Maggi's method will work fine. But don't forget to add some kind of fungicide.

Gerd

[Rafa]

Thank you very much for the information, it could be very useful as Gerd comment when you have a problem with any species you haven't too much bulbs, or if you want increase it but you haven't seeds.

[annew]

Brian - clutter away, we want to see your babies.

[Anthony Darby]

I ordered alpestris from a supplier a couple of years ago. The bulb flowered yellow. To be fair, they offered to replace it, but I forgot at the appropriate time.

[Tony Willis]

Anthony

some of them are yellow and these occur amongst the white ones in small numbers.

[Anthony Darby]

Anthony

some of them are yellow and these occur amongst the white ones in small numbers.

It was the wrong plant totally. The flower was 90^o from the stem so was just a yellow daffodil.

[Tony Willis]

Anthony

some of them are yellow and these occur amongst the white ones in small numbers.

It was the wrong plant totally. The flower was 90^o from the stem so was just a yellow daffodil.

What a nuisance.I will send you some seedlings or possibly an off set in the summer.

[Tony Willis]

I should have added when posting the yellow alpestris that at Cerler there are thousands of plants which are yellow. In other locations they are white with an odd cream/yellow mixed in.

After my visit I corresponded with Dr.Norman who had written an article in the AGS journal on the question of whether they were alpestris or as had been decided,naturally (sorry for the sarcasm) a new species. We concluded they were in fact just a colour variant of alpestris.

I have raised some from seed and they are all the same.I will post pictures when they flower in a few weeks.