mostly making troughs- but some yellow sandersii comments

[KentGardener]

I am using the pond baskets for all my snowies because I am scared of losing them / mixing them up.  Until there are more than 5 bulbs of each, then they come out and go in the ground.

__________________________________________________________________

John

[mark smyth]

Have you ever lifted a latice pots with bulbs in full growth or nearing the end of the season? They are always root bound with only some of the roots escaping in to the soil

[loes]

and I plan to have all drops in the ground in pond baskets and also in pots in my wall-greenhouse.

[mark smyth]

I really dont think snowdrops like to be cramped in pots. I keep mine for one year in a pot so I can get a good photo. There is more chance in a pot of slug damage, water at the base of the pot when sitting on the ground ....

[Brian Ellis]

I'm with John, build them up in the lattice pots until you have five or so and then you can spread them about and keep a reserve in a pot.  If you dig them up at the end of the season when the foliage is just about gone it doesn' matter if the roots are a tad congested surely as they will be making new ones in their new position?  Or is there another pitfall?

[carolesmith]

Thought I would make a small contribution instead of just enjoying your discussions.
I have Sandersii from more than one source, in various locations in my garden and they are all a bit more lime green than yellow this year, I am blaming the weather.

[KentGardener]

Hi Carol

thanks for posting your experience with the colour of Sandersii.  I am sure this will put Rob's mind at rest, knowing that they can occasionally come up lime green rather than yellow.

with best wishes

John

[Maggi Young]

Hello, Carole! I reckon that most of the yellow-marked snowies are like the yellow-marked Leucojums... that is, liable to vary from year to year and season to season. Keeps us interested ,though, I suppose!! 

[Maggi Young]

About the box, the application of heat , whether from a paint stripping gun or a hairdryer, is just to seal the surface after carving/sculpting... otherwise the polystyrene granules continue to be loose and rub off, after the heat sealing, the surface of the box becomes almost "glazed" and very strong. Whole process of  heat sealing takes very little time and then box can be painted right away. Apply paint thinly.. this not only looks better but dries quiker! You do want to get all the white covered, of course, and to get a nice natural colour effect, but this can be acheived without a thick gloopy layer of paint.  At this time of year, it'll take a while to dry in a shed or perhaps you could sit iti in the house for a while if that is convenient.
Cheers,
 Maggi

[Maggi Young]

Yes, you're confused!! You carve into the surface to roughen it and stop it looking like polysytyrene, your harden it/seal it with the heat gun to glaze the surface and then you paint it, using dobs of different colours all over, blended in to give a stone effect.... now, are you with me?

[Maggi Young]

so the heat hardens the poly?

I think he's got it, by george, he's got it!! 

[Paddy Tobin]

And do you put the paint on before or after you use the blowtorch?

Paddy

[Paddy Tobin]

Artistic, Rob.

You know, the snowdrops couldn't care less what it looks like as long as the growing conditions inside are to their liking.

Looks well though.

Paddy

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Not bad at all for a first attempt Rob !
You might have filled the trough a little bit more though - with the compost settling I fear your drops will be a little low.

[Maggi Young]

Paddy! Cliff! Behave yourselves, please!

Rob, that is a most acceptable first effort.  
I think a little more heat sealing might have been called for, I think I detect a little too much "bobbliness" around the top edge. Not the end of the world though.
 As Luc says, a little more soil would be better, since levels in troughs do tend to settle a good deal.

Now, that's a good big trough you've got there, so moving it is going to require gentle handling.
NEVER pull it by the top edges/ sides !! That will bust it, for sure. If however, you take the effort to take a good hold of it  when you try to move it, like it was full of something very heavy and very fragile, then you will find it can be moved quite readily.  For small distances, we lift it gradually onto a tough piece of sacking or such, and then drag it to its new spot. If the contents are very heavy, then sliding it onto a board is a good idea. With a bit of care these troughs can last for a very long time... our oldest ones must be about fifteen or more now, maybe more! Nearly as old as you, Rob
You have made a great trough for your snowies... I bet it won't be the last one you make! If Ian is looking in on the Forum from NZ, he'd be delighted with your work.