Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Bulbs => Bulbs General => Topic started by: Maren on September 19, 2010, 08:46:02 PM

Title: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: Maren on September 19, 2010, 08:46:02 PM

Hi, how long does it take for seed of Tulipa sprengeri to come up? I sowed them immediately upon ripening, just before the capsules split. Did I leave it too long? The seedtray contains garden centre seed compost with a sprinkling of vermaculite over the top. It is being kept moist and sits in a cold frame with the vents open. Have I lost them?

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: partisangardener on September 20, 2010, 06:31:58 AM

They germinate with me always the next spring. And of course I left them outside, just dug the pot into the ground only showing the rim.

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: tonyg on September 20, 2010, 10:50:48 AM

Sounds like you are doing everything right, should germinate next spring.  I find they quickly pull down to the bottom of the pot - if left for 2/3 years they will escape through the holes in the bottom of the pot!

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: pehe on September 20, 2010, 12:00:29 PM

I agree with Tony. You do everything right.
Tulipa sprengeri germinate normally easily for me. This spring however only a very few germinated but the pot was frozen and floated with water for about a month. That was just too much. But after a normally wet winter almost all seeds will germinate.
By learning I now use a 30 cm tall pot, and sow the seeds about half way down. I find that they grow faster when sown that deep, but sowing in the surface works too. They flower in about 3 years.
Even in such a deep pot some bulbs will escape in a couple of years.

Poul

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: Maren on September 20, 2010, 01:05:38 PM

Thank you all, your advice is much appreciated. I shall be patient and keep an eye on them. :)

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: Roma on September 20, 2010, 05:13:25 PM

I usually find self sown seedlings germinating in the garden about February or March.  I should not say this but I have so many now I try to weed most of them out. :-[ 

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: partisangardener on September 26, 2010, 08:45:57 AM

Why was this extreme fertile tulip only found once in the wild? Is it really a wild one?
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/TulipaSpeciesFour

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: Maren on September 27, 2010, 03:00:20 PM

Quote from: Roma on September 20, 2010, 05:13:25 PM

I usually find self sown seedlings germinating in the garden about February or March.  I should not say this but I have so many now I try to weed most of them out. :-[ 

Hi Roma, at between £4 and £8 per bulb to buy in this country, I would quite like to have an abundance. :) :)

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: Rodger Whitlock on September 27, 2010, 04:39:54 PM

Sow your seeds of T. sprengeri in a fairly deep pot now. They will germinate in the spring. Give them a weak liquid fertilizer with low nitrogen once or twice once they have germinated. Keep them in that pot for at least one more growing season, again with feeding once in a while.

Plant the young bulbs out when dormant after two growing seasons in the original pot.

I advise pot sowing because, in my experience, germination is usually better in the controlled conditions of a pot than out in the rough and tumble of the open garden. Moreover, seedling tulip bulbs are quite small; giving them an extra season in the protected environment of a pot allows them to size up, so when planted out a greater fraction will establish.

Time table

Autumn 2010	sow seeds
Spring 2011	germination
Spring 2012	young bulblets emerge again
Summer 2012	plant out young bulbs after dormancy

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: Rob Potterton on September 27, 2010, 08:05:19 PM

Hello Rodger.
Thanks for the cultivation advise - how many years does it take you to get good flowering bulbs??
Regards Rob

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: partisangardener on September 27, 2010, 09:06:02 PM

What I read the will flower after 3 or four cycles. I killed my first seedlings after 2 years in a pot in the sunniest spot of my garden . They are really good in the forrest shade and shrivel in the sun.

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: Maren on February 16, 2011, 11:57:57 AM

Hi,

here is my first success with sowing these lovely tulips. I counted about 200 seedlings in this tray. Yippee.

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: tonyg on February 16, 2011, 05:09:56 PM

Hurrah!
I would not disturb them while in growth but I grow my seedlings in deep pots ... and they soon get to the bottom, even through the holes.  They like to be planted deeply so they may benefit if you move them to deep pots or even the garden when dormant.

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: PeterT on February 16, 2011, 05:23:33 PM

tip the whole tray onto some 50/50% ji and fine grit in a big deep long tom and they shouldn't escape for another year
 I keep meaning to sow some for gardens I work in but it looks after its self in my garden now. Too deep to dig out -I control it by dead heading

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: Maren on February 16, 2011, 06:22:34 PM

Thank you both for this advice. How deep should the new container be? I have quite a few options.

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: PeterT on February 16, 2011, 06:44:01 PM

There are others here more experianced than I, however I should say 10 inches or more, I find most of the deeper growing Tulips I have in pots go to about 10 inches if they can, some of them are in 14 inch deep clay long toms which I get from B&Q, a few travel nearly to the bottom of these.

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: lettuce begin on February 24, 2011, 12:02:55 AM

Quote from: Maren on February 16, 2011, 06:22:34 PM

Thank you both for this advice. How deep should the new container be? I have quite a few options.

Hi Maren ,please could you tell me where I can obtain some seed many thanks .

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: Susan Band on February 24, 2011, 08:06:20 AM

There are always lots in the SRGC seed exchange.
Susan

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: lettuce begin on February 24, 2011, 06:34:40 PM

Hi Susan, many thanks for the info. :D

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: Rodger Whitlock on February 24, 2011, 07:48:29 PM

Last fall, due to construction work here, there was some necessary digging in an area infested (yes, infested!) with T. sprengeri. I was surprised to find at least some bulbs only two or three inches (5-8 cm) below the soil surface. (They were potted up in the hope of having flowers at the time of our annual rock garden show this spring.) I well remember reading Lady Skelmersdale lamenting that when her husband's bulb nursery received an order for this tulip, they always had difficulty finding the bulbs in the bed reserved for them, due to the depth to which they had tunneled. Moral: bulbs of this tulip aren't always as deep as suggested by its reputation.

I repeat my suggestion that seedlings of T. sprengeri not spend more than two seasons in a container. They will reach flowering much sooner if planted out in the garden.

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: johnw on February 24, 2011, 08:17:31 PM

Roger - Are the sprengeris spreading by seed or by splitting as well?  Once upon a time you could buy sprengeri in the autumn but it seems to be unavailable from the wholesalers lately.  Sowed some SRGC seed last year and they've just started coming up, will keep in mind to pot on at the right time.

Meanwhile T. acuminata in a large clay pot, gravelly mix and fertilised regularly has only one flower, the other flower stems grew to size but the buds were blown. Cause? ??? These leaves showed viral signs the first year but seem clean this year though it is segregated.

johnw

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: pehe on April 09, 2011, 06:41:37 AM

Quote from: lettuce begin on February 24, 2011, 12:02:55 AM

Quote from: Maren on February 16, 2011, 06:22:34 PM

Thank you both for this advice. How deep should the new container be? I have quite a few options.

Hi Maren ,please could you tell me where I can obtain some seed many thanks .

Hi Cheryl, I have plenty of sprengeri seeds. If you send me a PM with your postal address I will send them to you.
I know it is a bit late for sowing but try sowing half of them now and the rest in the autumn.

Poul

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: partisangardener on April 28, 2011, 08:24:27 PM

Today I was allowed to dig up some T.sprengeri in a garden. Here is a picture how they go down. The old bulb is empty.

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: udo on May 14, 2011, 12:38:21 PM

Tulipa sprengeri in flower today,
the smaller plants in front are 4 years old seedlings,
the large in background 5 and 6 years

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: Maren on May 18, 2011, 11:58:46 AM

Hi,

I divided my seed tray into four sections because I couldn't handle the whole lot in one go. Lots 1 to 3 were tipped into very deep pots a month ago and seem to have survived. Lot 4 was transplanted last week, one by one (there were about 80), into a very deep pot, using a very long dibber. The bulblets were about 3mm in length, white and promising, with a long root coming out from the side. It will be interesting to see which lot fares better. I have high hopes. :)

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: Martin Baxendale on May 18, 2011, 12:05:58 PM

Dirk, how do you get such good results from seed sowing? I find sprengeri self-sows in the garden, but if I collect seed I get poor germination in pots, even with lots of good fertile seed.

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: angie on May 18, 2011, 01:28:36 PM

Quote from: udo on May 14, 2011, 12:38:21 PM

Tulipa sprengeri in flower today,
the smaller plants in front are 4 years old seedlings,
the large in background 5 and 6 years

WOW WOW WOW   8)

Angie :)

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: udo on May 18, 2011, 07:56:30 PM

Quote from: Martin Baxendale on May 18, 2011, 12:05:58 PM

Dirk, how do you get such good results from seed sowing? I find sprengeri self-sows in the garden, but if I collect seed I get poor germination in pots, even with lots of good fertile seed.

Martin,
the results with seeds also not always well with me. Strong frosts without snow do not seem to stand the seeds, during the last both years I had no seedlings.

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: Martin Baxendale on May 18, 2011, 11:25:37 PM

Quote from: udo on May 18, 2011, 07:56:30 PM

Quote from: Martin Baxendale on May 18, 2011, 12:05:58 PM

Dirk, how do you get such good results from seed sowing? I find sprengeri self-sows in the garden, but if I collect seed I get poor germination in pots, even with lots of good fertile seed.

Martin,
the results with seeds also not always well with me. Strong frosts without snow do not seem to stand the seeds, during the last both years I had no seedlings.

I've been allowing the seed pots to get frozen, to encourage germination. Maybe that's where I'm going wrong. Perhaps sprengeri is not very hardy?

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: Ulla Hansson on May 19, 2011, 08:36:03 AM

This year germinate Tulipa sprengeri like weeds. Sowing as I did in 2009 did not come up at all. The winters were quite similar. The last winter slightly cooler, and longer. The coldest this winter -23.4 c
 Could it be something related to what the weather is when it blooms, and seed formation begins?

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: pehe on June 15, 2011, 10:56:48 AM

Dirk,
What a nice field of sprengeri!
I can't compete with you, but I have a nice group of 5 year old seedlings.

Poul

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: Roma on June 16, 2011, 03:23:45 PM

My Tulipa sprengeri did not last long this year.  The weather was cold and windy so they took a long time to open then 4th and 5th June were very hot so they went over fast.
this pic was taken on June 1st at their best.

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: ChrisD on June 25, 2011, 08:52:30 PM

A quick question - does anyone here grow both the species and "Trotters form", and is there a noticable difference? (sorry if your being pedantic that is two questions!).

Thanks - Chris

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: Maggi Young on June 25, 2011, 09:02:22 PM

I've read in various catalogues etc over the years that 'Trotter's Form' of T. sprengeri is  larger, taller and/or later than the type but I've never seen one as far as I know so I can't say if that's true!  :-X
I personally regard the type as utterly delightful and in no need of "improvement"  ;D

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: Maren on July 25, 2011, 01:08:11 PM

Hi,
does anyone want seed of Tulipa sprengeri? I have one capsule left which is close to bursting. If you would like it, please email me at mtalbot at talktalk dot co dot uk, and I shall send them to you. :)

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: Maren on July 26, 2011, 09:40:10 AM

All gone. :)

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: pehe on July 27, 2011, 12:13:23 PM

If anyone missed Maren's generous offer, I can supply Sprengeri seeds in short time. If interested please send me a PM.

Poul

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: Maren on April 09, 2012, 12:44:24 PM

Quote from: Rodger Whitlock on September 27, 2010, 04:39:54 PM

Time table

Autumn 2010	sow seeds
Spring 2011	germination
Spring 2012	young bulblets emerge again
Summer 2012	plant out young bulbs after dormancy

Hi, my seedlings of Tulipa sprengeri are behaving exactly as Rodger predicted. They look a rather lanky in the pot.

Should I top up the compost a little bit? They are in JI1 with a some extra grit, topped with pumice 5mm to deter weeds and stop water splash.
Also, do they require feeding and if so, with what?

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: Maren on April 10, 2012, 11:53:27 AM

Hi Folks,

my questions are probably a bit basic, but could someone please humour me and advise if I need to:

1) top dress the pot
2) feed

Many thanks in advance. :) :)

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: Martin Baxendale on April 10, 2012, 02:07:32 PM

I wouldn't try to add a top-dressing at this stage, in case the delicate seed leaves get damaged and rot. They may be a bit floppy but they should be fine. My sprengeri seedlings always end up looking like that, with floppy leaves. I'd feed with a half-strength liquid fertiliser (e.g. tomato liquid feed) to give them a boost.

Title: Re: Tulipa sprengeri
Post by: Maren on April 10, 2012, 09:56:42 PM

Thanks Martin, much appreciated. I feel having got this far, I want to do everything possible to make this a success. :) :)