Nerine sarniensis propagation

Matthew Mattus mmattus@charter.net
Mon, 06 Sep 2004 17:51:07 PDT
Hi Everyone.

My Nerine sarniensis collection, is starting to take some shape as it builds
in  volume. My interest in these hybrids is growing, and I now have about 30
or so named vintage crosses, mostly from Springbank Nurseries and old Exbury
crosses, as well as some of my own.

I am interested in propagating some of my crosses, that are of blooming
size. I bulb-chiped some, twin scaled a couple, and am now attempting to
twin scale in vitro in a home made laboratory in a spare bedroom (what am I
thinking!). I am using an article in Science on twinscaling Crinum.

A scientist clearly I am not, but merely a home botanist experimenting ina
home made lab. I purchased,some Benzylaminopurine in which the study with
Crinum showed some positive results with stimulating twin-scaled amaryllids,
and I am using a Murashige and Skoog medium with macro and micro nutrients
which also tested well. I can't find any written research on plant cell
propagation with Nerine sarniensis, but I do know that it is a preferred
method in the Netherlands.

Any advice, as well a a good dose of sterilized luck is appreciated!

A note on the garden...
Cool weather here in New England signaled the watering in the greenhouse to
the summer dormant South African Bulbs. No buds yet on the N. sarniensis.
Our four plants of cryptostephanus, gifts from when we visited Mr. Nakamura
in Japan, are so much happier now that I left one out in the summer rains,
and not in the greenhouse. It bloomed three times this summer, and is now
huge...so now I bring all of them out. The same goes for the evasive
Cyrtanthus elatus, all three are happiest in the summer thundershowers on
the deck. Who knows if they will ever bloom, but they are now busting at the
rims of their 8" pots. These were bulblets that I purchased at the IBS
symposium three years ago.

We won't move everything else back in until October 1st, but as usual, there
is less room every year. You know what I mean. If anyone in New England is
interested, we will be selling our Clivia's at the Tower Hill Botanical
Garden Fall Specialist plant sale this weekend Sept. 11th, about 50 Nakamura
crosses. Also, since we need room, we are welcoming trades. Name your wish!
I'm interested in Nerine species.

We stareted planting in the little Frit house this fall. A little julliette
greenhouse, that we are dedicating to frits. Not sure if I need heating
cables or not in the sand plunge bed. Any advice? Temps here can reach 10F
below, but should only be about 10F above in the house).

Thanks to Tony Avents inspiration, we are digging in all of our crinums,
vcrazy, we know, since we live in New England, but since we don't want them
anymore, and need room, let's see what makes it. We only have a few, but who
knows, two feet deep in a New England farm field, maybe one will live!

That's all for now

Regards

Matt Mattus
Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
USA Zone 5



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