Re: Delicate bulbs

You're right, Jim.  I have found that you're lucky if one in every
six Fritillaria meleagris break ground from bulbs purchased from
about any large bulb supplier.  Another that hates to be dried out is
Galanthus.  Bulbs purchased have an iffy chance of survival.  This
one wants to be dug immediately after it goes dormant, too and
planted immediately.  It can also be dug 'in the green' and replanted
immediately.

As far as Cyclamen - so many of the bulbs purchased via the Dutch
mass market are, I understand, wild dug and have little chance.  I
have heard that the Holland has not adopted CITES, so still gets many
of these endangered bulbs from collectors.  However, for anyone
interested in these lovely children, Ellen Hornig grows them from
seed and sells them at very reasonable prices - Seneca Hill
Perennials http://www.senecahill.com/  She also has absolutely
gorgeous silver/pewter leaf forms and christmas tree leaf forms as
well..plus many other choice plants.

I find Cyclamen quite easy from seed.  Have had just about 100%
germination from fairly fresh seed and even had some seed that was
over 4 years old germinate for me....never figured it would, but said
what the heck and tried it.  Took much longer than fresher seed,
which germinates in about a month, I find, but have half a dozen
little seedlings in that pot:-)

Growing Fritillaria meleagris from seed isn't too difficult, really.
Got some seed of the form 'Alba' (which I love) from NARGS in 1998
and just turned out a pot this evening to find 8 tiny bulbs starting
into growth.  Will be a few years before I see flowers, but well
worth the wait.

I also wish bulb suppliers would ship those bulbs, corms, etc. that
do not want to be dried out at the proper time of year for them to be
planted, but somehow doubt it's gonna happen in my lifetime.

And, I second your suggestion about joining the various plant
societies who have seed distributions and exchanges.  Anyone
interested in growing plants from seed really should belong to at
least one. NARGS (North American Rock Garden Society) isn't just for
alpine plant nuts, although the emphasis is there many plants
described in the bulletin and offered in the seed list are also great
for the general garden, with many plants for the shadegardener.
Great society, puts out an excellent quarterly bulletin and the seed
list (which I have right here) runs to 5958 plants  this year.  Now,
to try to narrow my list down to something feasible:)  Anyone
interested in joining, visit the web site:  http://www.nargs.org/ and
learn all about it.

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
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----------
> From: J.E. Shields <jshields@INDY.NET>
> Date: Monday, January 31, 2000 8:30 AM
>
> I've had trouble with mass-market bulbs of things like Cyclamen,
> Fritillaria, and Corydalis.  The bulbs we get from some of the
large
> mail-order bulb sources have been dug and out of the ground for
several
> months before they are finally shipped to us, the final customers.
They
> are dry and shriveled, more dead than alive.  Most won't make it.
>
> Corydalis solida, Fritillaria meleagris, and Cyclamen coum and
Cyclamen
> hederifolium are the types I've had particular trouble with.  I
have
> ultimately had to rely on handouts from gardening acquaintances who
already
> had these growing.
>
> The bulbs need to be transplanted shortly after going dormant, and
they
> need to be shipped and replanted immediately.  I think we really
have to
> grow these ourselves from seed to get plants (unless we have a
friend....)
> and the seeds can be found on the seed exchange lists of various
rock
> garden societies.  It pays to join the rock garden and alpine
plants
> societies just to get their seed lists!  I recommend the Alpine
Garden
> Society in the UK and the North American Rock Garden Society in the
US and
> Canada.  I recently joined both.
>
> I have batches of Cyclamen coum grown from seed started about 2
years ago
> that are now starting to bloom in the cool greenhouse.  I'll plant
most of
> these outdoors this coming summer.  Some 1-yr old C. hederifolium
seedlings
> are getting started now, and will go outdoors in a year.  I'll keep
a few
> of these cyclamen in pots just to have bloom in the greenhouse in
winter.
>
> It is hard to understand why large commercial concerns insist on
marketing
> Lilium bulbs in spring when they should only be transplanted in
autumn; and
> why they sell us Fritillaria, Corydalis, and Cyclamen in fall, when
these
> should be moved in early summer.
>
> Jim
> *************************************************
> Jim Shields     USDA Zone 5     Shields Gardens, Ltd.
> P.O. Box 92                            WWW:
http://a1.com/daylily/
> Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA                              Tel.
+1-317-896-3925
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