Daffnet,
I’ve not seen a lot of activity on daffnet about planting daffodils, but for those of us that are on the North side of the world it is daffodil planting time, or almost planting time.
I have done a lot of preliminary work on replanting, including getting my rototiller repaired, sorting out by bulbs left now that the bulb exchanges are over for the year. I think the set up time to plant bulbs is about 1/3 of the time needed and about that much of the work itself.
One comment: One of the hardwork things about hybridizing is that after two/three years you have to take all those little seedlings and set them out into the beds to grow and eventually come into bloom. I must have dug 2000 seedlings this year that I have to replant. Some of them already bloomed that I needed to dig to rearrange my plantings, and the majority was their firt time dug. So take it from me, there is a lot more to do with hybridizing that dabbing a little pollen. LOL
I’ve leaned my lesson, I don’t pollinate as many as I did years ago just because of the work involved down the line. LOL
How is everyone’s planting coming along. I guess the daffodil people on the south side of the planet are close to their digging time (and planting seed)>
Clay
Clay Higgins
Daffodils were planted in September through Oct 15. New beds were dug this summer from a meadow that had grass and tree cover. Stumps were removed as well as the plentiful rocks. Plantings of 1000 standards bulbs, 5-600 miniature bulbs and about 2500 seedlings from 2008 crosses were done. My rows are about 1 foot wide and 7 bulbs are arranged along the row across the bed the beds generally have 30 to 40 rows along their ength. The beds are aligned east to west this year. Seedlings are placed in triple rows with 4 inches between individual bulbs.
As the season was dry, I irrigated the planting four times with water connected to the house. Five 100 foot hoses reached the farthest plantings. Two weekends ago, I placed 42 bags of leaves primarily on the top surface of the rows about 2 inches deep. Last weekend, I placed marsh hay over the top and sides of the beds. A final water and they are ready for winter.
I still have blooming annuals.
It has been an incredibly fine Fall here. Snow is predicted for tonight.
Mike,
Very interesting. It has been too hot here in Coastal NC to plant until recently. Actually the best time here to plant is between Thanksgiving and Christmas. LOL If only the weather would cooperate just a bit and stop raining.
Clay Higgins
Hi Clay,
I have all the named cultivars in the ground. Still have a bunch of seedling
bulbs to get in. Not as many as you have to plant, though. I am also scaling
back. I never planned on getting old, but it is on its’ way.
Donna
Hello Clay,
Does this mean to hot for the bulbs or too hot for the planter?
We like to plant as early as possible to get rooting started.
I confess to some envy about all this lovely weather – I’ve just finished planting after seeking little windows in the weather to get at it – even then the clay soil was sticky, which required regular use of a scraper to clean trowels.
If the rain relents I may follow with a couple of pics in the next day or so.
Brian
Donna,
It’s probably too early in Coastal NC, however, I’m going to start putting some standard bulbs into the ground this weekend.
Actually, I have already started on all my miniature div 5 and 7 last week. Most of them have a long piece of green growth coming from them. So it was time. My new registration ‘Fran-a-Belle’ 5Y-Y mini I planted in about four different places in the garden so that if I lost some I will not lose them all (I hope). I must have missed one when I was digging as I checked the areas that they grew and found one green stem about 5 inches above the ground. I put a label on it and am going to leave it be and see what happens.
Clay
Clay Higgins
Brian,
LOL. Yes. Too hot for the daffodils and the planter. I got started planting daffodils late when it got below 54% F when my daffodils were in Maryland that has heavy clay soil. It helped control the basal rot.
However, where I am now, the soil is mostly sandy and I have not had that much of a problem, except with some of the reverses that seem to be breaders of basal rot. (sorry if that upset anyone). It’s just I can’t seem to keep certain reverse bi-colors as they rot a fast as I can put them in the ground.
It’s also HOT in the sun down here until late. LOL at the risk of repeating myself.
Clay
Clay Higgins
For all of you breeders who are starting to scale back but want to see your babies grow up I may be able to help in the next several years.
I am just getting into breeding and on my 2nd year of making bulbs out of seed. Still have a few years to go to see if I can bring new flowers to the Daffodil world but I think my techniques are improving. After 2 years of no success making sprouts from seed I had a 5% success rate in 2009 but nearly a 100% success in 2010. I must be doing something right now. I’m looking forward to see if my 3,000 seeds from 2011 will sprout.
I live in Ferndale WA which is ideal growing conditions for Daffodils. I have a 2 acre yard and large gardens that are always getting bigger. I have room to grow and am starting to build raised beds for my babies. If you have some bulbs or new starts that need a home and you’d like to try in WA State I’d be glad to try them out. Once I get some bulb production I’ll be glad to do some trading. I’m always looking for more varieties so I can collect new pollen and create a better flower.
Bill Carter
cell no. 360 927-8858
Address
6800 Daffodil Terrace
Ferndale WA
98248