Fritillaria purdyi saga

totototo@telus.net totototo@telus.net
Tue, 29 May 2007 16:54:58 PDT
On 29 May 07, at 7:48, Diana Chapman wrote:

> ...this problem with California frits sort of melting.  It is a
> very common problem, and often occurs after repotting apparently
> healthy bulbs. ...I think it is because the bulb is vulnerable to
> fungal diseases, and the lack of a tunic makes it very susceptible
> to damage that may not be apparent to the naked eye. I think it is
> advisable to treat such bulbs with a fungicide when repotting,
> but, even doing this, some disappear.  California fritillarias are
> very touchy bulbs, difficult to grow even in their native
> environment.


There are a couple of tricks that may help if fungi are the 
difficulty.

One is, of course, treat with a fungicide -- but which fungicide? I 
suggest good old flowers of sulphur; it's cheap, it doesn't introduce 
dubious petrochemicals into your garden, and (as Paul Christian said 
in a lecture many years ago) not only does it work well, but it stays 
where you put it.

Another trick is to surround the bulbs with sand or grit so they are 
not in contact with organic matter in soil. Seedlings of Scoliopus 
bigelovii were gradually dwindling, one by one, until I surrounded 
the growing points with granite grit when repotting.


-- 
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Maritime Zone 8, a cool Mediterranean climate

on beautiful Vancouver Island


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