Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Bulbs => Bulbs General => Topic started by: Brian Ellis on April 27, 2014, 07:00:53 PM

Title: Propagating bracteate bluebells
Post by: Brian Ellis on April 27, 2014, 07:00:53 PM
Has anyone any experience of increasing their bracteate bluebells?  Can they be chipped or should another method be used?
Title: Re: Propagating bracteate bluebells
Post by: mark smyth on April 27, 2014, 09:07:16 PM
Are you watching me on facebook?  :) I asked the same. Don't divide the clumps is one answer. I might chop a bulb or two and see what happens.

My group that have bracts 20cm long are getting lots of likes and private requests
Title: Re: Propagating bracteate bluebells
Post by: Maggi Young on April 27, 2014, 09:27:12 PM
How odd - I can't see the attraction myself. I just find them messy!
Different strokes, eh?
Title: Re: Propagating bracteate bluebells
Post by: mark smyth on April 27, 2014, 10:37:10 PM
I think you'd need to see them in real life. Photos don'tshow them off. 
Title: Re: Propagating bracteate bluebells
Post by: Brian Ellis on April 28, 2014, 09:25:19 AM
How odd - I can't see the attraction myself. I just find them messy!
Different strokes, eh?
I put it down to my perverseness Maggi, I waged war on bluebells in the garden as it was awash with them and they were Spanish crosses - not traditional English bluebells.  The front garden has been totally eradicated, a painstaking process involving double digging and sieving every morsel shortly after I was ill -  some days I literally only did a couple of spadefuls and it took me months but no sign of a bluebell for several years so worth the effort, and I managed to convince myself I wasn't ill ::)  Both neighbours have them and they seed into the back garden so I have bluebell patrols daily and pounce on them there, but now I like the bracteates...as I said, perverse :o

...and no Mark, I have made my feelings about Facebook felt elsewhere, sorry :)
Title: Re: Propagating bracteate bluebells
Post by: Alan_b on April 28, 2014, 09:32:11 AM
Somehow they remind me of the 1960's; long hair decorated with flowers.
Title: Re: Propagating bracteate bluebells
Post by: emma T on April 30, 2014, 09:25:49 AM
My mum found a lovely bicolour and it was taken by blooms of blessingham to be propagated . Never came true by what ever method they were using to increase it quickly . I'm inclined to confine them in small pots so they make loads of small bulbs , then pot the small bulbs up into bigger pots .
Title: Re: Propagating bracteate bluebells
Post by: emma T on April 30, 2014, 09:26:31 AM
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/30/symegyhy.jpg)
Title: Re: Propagating bracteate bluebells
Post by: emma T on April 30, 2014, 09:26:54 AM
This one has quite small bracts
Title: Re: Propagating bracteate bluebells
Post by: Brian Ellis on April 30, 2014, 09:35:03 AM
I'm inclined to confine them in small pots so they make loads of small bulbs , then pot the small bulbs up into bigger pots .

Thanks for the suggestion Emma.
Title: Re: Propagating bracteate bluebells
Post by: mark smyth on April 30, 2014, 11:49:49 AM
I've found keeping them in pots makes small plants. I'll show a photo later
Title: Re: Propagating bracteate bluebells
Post by: Mavers on April 30, 2014, 01:22:36 PM
Have you got a bigger photo Emma it looks interesting.
Title: Re: Propagating bracteate bluebells
Post by: shelagh on April 30, 2014, 01:59:15 PM
Christine Boulby showed a nice potful at Cleveland. I had never seen them before.
Title: Re: Propagating bracteate bluebells
Post by: ChrisB on April 30, 2014, 02:47:37 PM
Here's mine, now starting to go over a bit.  Judges didn't like them at Cleveland..   They are in a good sized pot but have grown well in it.  I repot along with all my other pots of bulbs in August and usually find loads of bulbils so I've not yet thought it necessary to multiply them by chipping.  I find them quite interesting but then, I do like oddities......
Title: Re: Propagating bracteate bluebells
Post by: mark smyth on April 30, 2014, 03:06:52 PM
Looking great Chris
Title: Re: Propagating bracteate bluebells
Post by: Brian Ellis on April 30, 2014, 04:43:04 PM
Here's mine, now starting to go over a bit.  Judges didn't like them at Cleveland..   They are in a good sized pot but have grown well in it.  I repot along with all my other pots of bulbs in August and usually find loads of bulbils so I've not yet thought it necessary to multiply them by chipping.  I find them quite interesting but then, I do like oddities......

Very nice Chris, why on earth didn't they like them?  Nice size potful ;)
Title: Re: Propagating bracteate bluebells
Post by: ChrisB on April 30, 2014, 05:08:36 PM
 No idea Brian.  Forget now what won the category but hey ho... May try again if I get it into flower in time.  Was lucky as Easter was late this year...  I'm pleased the stems are so sturdy and partly maroon tinged too.  Maybe they thought bluebells too 'Common'.....
Title: Re: Propagating bracteate bluebells
Post by: emma T on April 30, 2014, 10:31:16 PM
found this one last year

[attachimg=1]
Title: Re: Propagating bracteate bluebells
Post by: emma T on April 30, 2014, 10:31:37 PM
Sorry it's sideways
Title: Re: Propagating bracteate bluebells
Post by: Maggi Young on April 30, 2014, 10:48:05 PM
I've beaten it into submission for you, Em.
Title: Re: Propagating bracteate bluebells
Post by: emma T on April 30, 2014, 11:03:00 PM
Thank you Maggi
Title: Re: Propagating bracteate bluebells
Post by: mark smyth on May 03, 2014, 12:06:27 AM
I've found keeping them in pots makes small plants. I'll show a photo later
SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal