Daffodils in the Southern Hemisphere - 2007

[annew]

I noticed that eg in your pots of selected white seedlings you seem to have a very small number of bulbs for the size of the pot. I feel that if I did this there would be problems caused by too much wet compost and too few roots. Would you tell us what mix of compost you use?

[mark smyth]

Graham I would like to see larger photos posted about 600 pixels wide.

[Mini-daffs]

 
Anne our climate is hot and very dry during summer. I want to keep our wet program bulbs moist but not wet. So I use larger pots that contain a mixture of soil, sand and pine fines. Our soil is a sandy loam with a red sand layer underneath. The pots these days are 12 inch squat pots. I would prefer 10 inch squat pots but I have been unable to get them in quantity for the last 2 years from our wholesale supplier. The temperature is dropped by having a shadehouse to put them in. I have noticed that it also reduces the wind. I am very happy with our shadehouse. It is working well. Some years ago I almost lost k1/2000 because the mixture retained too much moisture, ie, the mix was wet.
Selection is not that difficult. You just look for something that is not yellow!

[Mini-daffs]

 
Mark
I will edit for larger pictures in the future.
The size I have been sending is not a problem for me but I have a 22 inch screen. I also have the original 5 megapixel images.

[Paul T]

Graham,

I can understand the quarantine and insurance issues etc.  Makes a lot of sense.  Great pics to show us what the shadehouse looks like.  I could live with the smaller pics but the larger versions certainly give us a lot more details.  Always good when it something so worthwhile seeing! 

[annew]

That's much better!

[fermi de Sousa]

Graham (and Helen)
your mini-daffs are superb; I'm so sorry I won't get to Canberra for the Show (not just because I'm allergic to politicians) it's just a bit far to travel and there's so much happening here at this time of the year.
cheers
fermi

[Mini-daffs]

 
Hi
It appears that a lot of people wanted large images of the shadehouse. Most of what is in the shadehouse is our wet program bulbs and our collection of species daffodils that require year round moisture. The other boxes and pots in there are our dry program bulbs that are being used for hybridising so we continually improve our miniatures. It is easy to take photos of what is in the shadehouse. It is not so easy to take photos of what is not in the shadehouse. What is not in the shadehouse is our dry program bulbs and species that like it hot and dry in summer (eg Narcissus triandus, Narcissus rupicola, Narcissus dubius,Narcissus tenuifolius, N. romieuxii, N. tazetta, N. wilkommi, N. cordubensis, N. fernandesii, N. jonquilla, Narcissus Minor, Narcissus scaberulus, Narcissus calcicola, ....). What is not in the shadehouse is many times what is in the shadehouse.
Fermi you will be missing one of the great daffodil shows in the world because you can see a large number of some of the best and newest miniatures in the world. We will almost certainly be showing some of our best white miniature triandus hybrids that have 4-6 flowers to a stem and a sort of sparkle to them.
Fermi has also alluded to the fact that Keira Bulbs is a partnership and that the other half is Helen . Helen is also the fairly long standing member of the SRGC. Without her involvement it is unlikely that we would have developed miniature reverse bicolors and miniature pinks. Helen liked reverse bicolors and pinks so it was inevitable that we would breed miniatures in these colors. (Without her I am not sure Keira Bulbs would exist at all as she does the majority of the paperwork for the business.) We do whites and white-yellow miniatures because you need them to breed white-pinks and white-reds/oranges.
Of course the other places to see top quality miniatures are the Claremont and Hobart Shows in Tasmania where Rod Barwick of Glenbrook Bulb Farm exhibits.
I have attached the last lot of photos for this week (they are small images because I edited them on Sunday night before the uprising ). It was damp and overcast on Sunday so it was not a particularly good day for photographs or hybridising. At a pinch I can continue hybridising in our galactic headquarters (ie Shed No 1) even if it is raining. I don't like not utilising good pollen if it is available. All the good pollen from N. asturiensis vasculonis has been used.

[Maggi Young]

short fat unattractive wet program tiny miniature

Graham! Wash your mouth out with soap and water! Some of us find short and fat VERY attractive... and this flower is a cute little thing!

[mark smyth]

yes short, fat and ugly can live with me anyday.

I was with Brian Duncan on Saturday. He strives for perfection yet many of us would stampede there for future rejects

[Mini-daffs]

 
OK Mark so what did you get from Brian? Hopefully you left the short fat ones for someone from a somewhat colder climate!!
We keep the short fat white ones because they come in handy for breeding Division 2 miniatures.
Kind regards
Graham

[mark smyth]

nothing, nathin', zilch, nada ...

[mark smyth]

I do lie slightly  . He isnt selling miniatures yet. I just hope he doesnt compost those with imperfections. I think that daff breeders are going for perfection the same way rose breeders have but their roses have lost scent. All growers of miniature daffs dont care about imperfections. Isnt 'Gipsy Queen' slightly ugly? I have yet to see a perfect one in my garden

[mark smyth]

forgot to say what I did get
N. cyclamineous (02/127) ex col. 02/07 - what ever that means
N. bulbocodium ex North Carolina ex? shy flowering
N. bulbocodium 96.198 ex Morocco
N. bulbocodium (ex Morocco) x N. hedraeanthus 01/1-3

[Mini-daffs]

 
Hi
Mark, your new N. cyclamineus needs to be kept moist all year but I am sure you knew that already. As a general rule your bulbocodiums will need to be kept dry and baked during summer. There is a form of N. b. citrinus that requires moisture all year but it is from France not Morocco.
I have attached some more photos of our seedlings. We are starting to see a bit of colour now. The 6Y-YOR seedling is a large miniature while the 6W-P seedling is not miniature size but will be very useful for breeding miniature white-pinks.