individual photos of ‘Phantom’

There are several cultivars whose development depends on the ratio of available moisture to  weather conditions.  If dry weather occurs while Phantom is opening here in Minnesota  I will get the same type of bloom with a partially developed split cup .  Seed set often suffers as well.   When well watered, an almost entire cup results.  When congested, the flowers all have to compete for the same water.  Ample spacing promotes better flowering.   I have found that slightly deeper planting and providing more moisture retention under the bulbs also allows the flowers to develop.   I have also seen this effect in petal breadth in flowers like Twilight Zone or Torridon.  I also get color differences in the pink reds and the reds like Quazar and Pipestone.  Size is affected as in Geometrics or Homestead.   If unfamiliar with how a flower responds to depth,  I plant some bulbs deeper by about 1-2 inches and a few bulbs shallower by the same amount.  This can vary the bloom time in the row by as much as 10 days here.  Those flowers planted deepest will have the lowest increase, but produce the better blooms for show for me.  Too deep and they struggle to produce even a weak flower.    The second year down, I note what plants appear to be doing the best and make a note on how deep they should be planted.   About half of the cultivars I grow  are affected by planting depth.  When preparing my beds, I incorporate compost in the root zone and then form the row.  If I use my long handled trenching shovel to make the row.   I can gauge the depth quite easily.

 

I used to grow ‘Phantom’.  I found that I had to dig it and replant every other year in order to keep some fullness in the corona.  I gave it to my daughter who always liked it.  I have often wondered why it deteriorated as it did.  It seems as if it did that also up at Whetstone Park, where my bulbs originally came from.  Some things just have to be dug and separated frequently.  It did want to keep growing, though, didn’t it?
Donna