PBS Forum

I came to the Geophyte world through Daylilies. When you start the seeds from a single pod, they are considered to be genetically different from each other even if they look similar. So I am wondering if this also applies to seed propagated Nerines. In a bag of gift bulbs, I received many small immature bulbs that are now flowering for the first time and I am wondering how they should be treated when they look similar to each other. Example:
 and  
They look alike, but are not offsets on my end. Should I give each its own seperate ID number?

I had received all different sizes of Nerine bulbs, and there are about 10 that finally reached flowering size and have scapes. (I also have 35 scapes on named varieties). The others will need time to bulk up, and they will be moved to larger pots next year. Then I do collect and sow any seeds that form and have a number of those growing.

In the last EU Bx, there was a very generous donation by Exbury Nerines. In the final year before Brexit closed trade with the EU, I had bought some bulbs from them and they very generously included over 30 unbloomed bulbs as a gift. Well, the first ones are starting to bloom, so here a couple of what can be anticipated from those who are lucky enough to get some. The last one is "Amethyst Delight' in a purple pot.

I sent some of the bulbs to Uli a couple of years ago, so one of us will have some results soon, I hope.

Not yet, but I keep hoping that this is the year. I grew a Strelitzia nicolai from seed, and that took 11 years of saying, "Maybe next year". I also have my own crosses of Amaryllis x Nerines from the Exbury collection that I am waiting on.

I have gotten seed crossing xAmarine with white Amaryllis belladonna. The problem is getting them to bloom at the same time.

The one flower I look forward to in the fall is Paramangaia weberbaueri. It is about 2 weeks early this year.

I haven't had too much luck starting Hedychiums from seed that I purchased, so I mixed two of the species I had and got a nice strong color. I used Hedychium rubrum x Hedychium gardneranum. The H.gardneranum is considered a weed in the Azores.

I'll post a photo of my Hedychium when there is a really good display, which should be in the next week. Here is a photo of just up the street, it was taken on the 13th. Today it is overcast and about 25°

Thanks @Uli for the info. I hope the summer isn't being too bad for you. It finally hit here mid-July and I was worried a lot of the bulbs wouldn't get a dry summer rest. But now it is around 26° and very little wind. I have a strong orange xHedychium that is starting to open.  I crossed H. rubrum x H. gardneranum.
Wylie

I have been repotting bulbs that haven't been touched in awhile, and I would like to contribute the excess to the Bx (EU) coming up soon. So is there a minimum that should be included, and in packaging them should it be in one envelope or in several envelopes. I couldn't find any guidelines for contributions, either bulbs or seeds. I understand about everything being cleaned and free of dirt and husks, it is just how to package them and make Martin's job easier.

Quote from: David Pilling on June 14, 2022, 06:24:45 AMGardeners warned to report weird froth on plants linked to deadly disease

The spittle looks like a ball of spit

https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/gardeners-warned-report-weird-froth-24209380?int_source=nba


Scientists are worried that a deadly plant disease known as Xyella could be spread between plants by the spittlebug as a carrier. The Xyella disease has devastated olive groves in Italy in the past few years and experts have called Xyella one of the world's most dangerous pathogens.

This came out several years ago and the EU banned a long list of plants from being imported into the EU. Daylilies were on that list and it killed the import of new cultivars. In order to receive a phytosanitary certificate, daylily roots are very, very clean, but they are no longer allowed in. Nettles are also on that list that has 595 plants listed as hosts.

I have found that all of the gladiolus species I have are about the size of yours. They lack the large size the popular hybrids have. They can also last a shorter amount of time and have fewer buds. Given all that, I still wouldn't trade them for those others.

My piece of Fuchsia Bolivianna came from some woods I bought. It was just growing up there, wild. I liked it so much I got the white form from a dealer in France. They look good side by side.

Mine are in a 18" pot and towards the bottom. They have gone dormant and I just put the pot to one side and let the infrequent July/August rain provide water. I used a potting soil with lots of coconut fiber and fine lava rocks (what else could I use since the Azores has few sandy beaches but lots of dormant volcanos). It has multiplied so much I need to divide and repot this year.