Pink Perianths

Pink perianths are still as rare as hen’s teeth. John Reed has made a few standard P-P daffodils and Brian Duncan made Pink Perry although outside of N.Ireland it usually comes with a yellow perianth. Both Bob Spott’s and I have shown a few from miniature breeding using members of the jonquilla alliance as one of the parents. I have been trying to make miniature pink-pinks and showed one in Ohio at the last convention.

Here are some blooming now in Southern California.

 

Pink perianths with neutral color setting on the camera.

Pink perianths close to real color with neutral color setting on the camera.
Exaggerated pink perianths using the vivid setting on the camera.

Exaggerated pink perianths using the vivid setting on the camera.

The flowers on the left and center were bred from N. ‘Pink Polynomial’ x N. willkommii. While that on the right of the picture is from ‘Urchin’ x N. willkommii. The one shown in Ohio last year was also from  the latter cross.  The two on the left are borderline miniatures, they opened at about 48 mm but after a day or two expanded to about 52 mm. Size seems to depend on which diameter is measured and how steady ones hands are. The flower on the right is definitely a miniature. This picture was taken with a neutral color setting. I wish the color were really those  shown in the picture with the vivid color setting.

 

Earwig damage on two more flowers with pink perianths.

Earwig damage on two more flowers with pink perianths.

The next picture illustrates a nasty problem. The earwigs are now resistant to the bait I was using and even though bait is piled around the base of the plant they are happy to clamber over it and feast on the unopened buds. The two damaged flowers are different sibblings from the Urchin x N. willkommii cross. Both measure miniature comfortably.

Harold

5 comments for “Pink Perianths

  1. Harold, earwigs don’t  bother my daffodil buds here in middle TN.  I’d be glad to grow those pink-cupped beauties on for you here.  ;->  Nice flowers!  I’m looking forward to some of these in my garden in future years.

  2. How many earwigs do you want me to send you? They are available in lots of a hundred:-)

  3. Bless your heart, Harold, but I don’t need any earwigs!  Send bulbs instead.  ;->

  4. Harold,

    We too have earwig problems. I generally put up with them however a few year’s ago I sprayed the surrounding plant material with a systemic insecticide. It worked. Maybe if you placed a few pots of leafy material with your bulb pots and sprayed them with systemic insecticide you may get some relief.

    Dave

  5. Harold,

    Another thought on earwigs.

    Place a loosely rolled newspaper near the bulbs. The earwigs hide in the newspaper during the day. Each morning pick up the newspaper and burn it. Replace the newspaper and repeat the process until the earwig problem has gone up in smoke.

    Dave

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