Snowdrop cultivation advice

[Brian Ellis]

Afraid I am not one of the cognoscenti Steve, but the same thing is happening here.

[KentGardener]

I know what you mean guys.  I have had a few do the same thing this year. 

I have also noticed a few more than usual do the 'going brown inside the sheath' thing whereby they will not flower this year.  I have made the decision that when they do this I rip off the bud in the hope that no more energy is wasted and next years show will be better.  (I no longer cut off any flowers or buds as I am convinced that my virus problems last year were due to using scissors to dead head plant after plant meaning I spread the virus myself!  ).

Regards

John

[Diane Whitehead]

But it is easier on your hands if you dip the scissors in rubbing
alcohol between cuts, rather than having to dip your fingers.

[mark smyth]

I was told aborted brown flowers in the spathe could be caused by Stag.

 "Stag" = Red Scorch Fungus  = Stagonospora curtisii  =a fungus particularly infecting amaryllidaceae.

[KentGardener]

I was told aborted brown flowers in the spathe could be caused by Stag.

Hi Mark

I put it down this year to the weird 'hot', 'wet', 'cold', 'wet', 'warm', 'dry/wet', 'freezing', 'wet', etc etc weather that we have had for the last 2 months!

John

[Alan_b]

I was told aborted brown flowers in the spathe could be caused by Stag.

I think "could" is the operative word here, Mark.  I take it as a sign that the bulb had a bad year and could not quite raise enough energy to form a full flower.  In my case this is most usually because I have planted the snowdrop in a bad location, perhaps somewhere too cold or too dry.  If I relocate the snowdrop to a more favoured spot (or simply wait for a year of better weather) then that usually does the trick.  For example, I have a small bank in my garden.  Trial-and-error has taught me that snowdrops grow very happily at the bottom of this bank but struggle to do well at the top.     

[ichristie]

Hi all, firstly Mark may well be right a touch of Stag, I would drench the area with a fungicide what ever you have. We here at the moment find that Galanthus are sitting tight some only beginning to show as it is Baltic ( very cold) we have a few in flower but days can get above freezing for a short time and I am sure the snowdrops know bad weather has yet to come. roll on spring, cheers Ian the Christie kind.

[art600]

I was told aborted brown flowers in the spathe could be caused by Stag.

 "Stag" = Red Scorch Fungus  = Staganospora curtisii  =a fungus particularly infecting amaryllidaceae.

When I tried to hasten the flowering of some snowdrops in pots, all I achieved in one case was for the flowers to turn brown/black.  The foliage has since grown on significantly, once the pot was returned to a colder temperature.

[mark smyth]

When I see any of mine aborting I remove the flower stem. I saw a few with kinky leaves today so I think it's time to start spraying with a good old fungicide.

[gote]

Excuse me but what is stag??
I have occasionally had some kind of grey mould attacking my Galanthus.
Is that it?
And what is a good old fungicide? There are nearly none left these ays.
Göte

[Alan_b]

And what is a good old fungicide? There are nearly none left these days.
Göte

Presumably that is why it is good old fungicide?

Actually, I think professional nursery growers are still allowed access to chemicals that are now denied to amateur gardeners. 

[Maggi Young]

Excuse me but what is stag??
I have occasionally had some kind of grey mould attacking my Galanthus.
Is that it?

Göte

"Stag" = Red Scorch Fungus= Red Blotch  = Stagonospora curtisii  =a fungus particularly infecting amaryllidaceae.....
a useful page from the PBS website:
 http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Stagonospora%20curtisii


I don't think grey mould is any part of the symptoms of Stagonospora curtisii

[mark smyth]

To see this fungus at it's worst look at a Hipeastrum bulb.

[ichristie]

Hi, nurserymen can indeed buy fungicides which are mostly used for Agricltural crops so always in large containers that will last for several years. As a nurseryman I have to have a licence number and a record of what we have locked up in a steel container I am VERY careful what we use and only as a last resort so many chemicals are sprayed now days by huge machines with spray booms set at one meter high and these booms can ba 20ft across farmers and contractors must also have a licence but I am afraid the what I have seen is just totally irresposible. The sprayer going out on a windy day spraying everything around with no consideration for what is on the boundary I have dealt severly with any sprayers which come sometimes near my nursery not just for the plants but everyone in our small village get sprayed as well. Must get off my high horse but this is the reason why so many sprays have been removed from the market, cheers Ian the Christie kind.

[gote]

No this is not what attacked my Galanthus.
I have it on Hippeastrum, however,
Göte