I attended a seminar with an expert a few ago. He suggested that here in the Northwest, where our soil is natural a bit acid, to mulch the area with #10 Turkey grit, a coarse mineral-rich grit used on chicken and turkey farms that the birds fill their crops with to grind the feed grain. It leaches bits of lime and other minerals, adjusting the soil and slowing the water run-off. All that said, I am far from a cyclamen expert, but thought the bit of info might be useful. Oh, and we Canucks use both terms, but usually favour "poly tunnel" over "hoop house." Jo Canning Vancouver Island -----Original Message----- From: pbs <pbs-bounces@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> On Behalf Of Jane McGary Sent: Monday, July 16, 2018 10:24 AM To: pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net Subject: Re: [pbs] CYCLAMEN IN POTS I noticed Cyclamen mirabile in Turkey growing in crevices. Probably there is more residual moisture from dew and fog there, but also such sites would protect the tubers from digging animals. Like Robin I have some monstrous Cyclamen graecum tubers about 10 years old. I just moved them out of the bulb house's raised bed in order to eliminate their large mats of foliage, which harbor cutworms and take up space better allotted to small things. One of them had very long "necks" (underground stems), as much as 20 cm long, which I was able to remove from the sandy soil without damage. I replanted them in partial shade in a high sandy berm, originally intended for Alstroemeria (which didn't survive the move). Perhaps I should add some rocks around them. Some others in a raised bed in the open have extended their necks down and out through the slabs of tufa surrounding the bed. I have a lot of C. graecum seed to send to the BX and recommend it highly to anyone in a warm, dry climate. Just returned from a trip to Lake Tahoe and saw some bulbous plants in the nearby mountains, including Lilium parvum in moist areas and Calochortus minimus in dry spots under pines. Jane McGary, Portland, Oregon, USA On 7/16/2018 10:01 AM, Hansen Nursery wrote: > Shmuel mentions dew as an important factor with regard to Cyclamen persicum. > Here on the southwest coast of Oregon (about 1.5 miles inland from the > beach), I'd have to agree with him. We had a very dry winter followed > by a very dry summer but the saving grace has been the heavy fogs at > night and through at least mid-morning. I'm watering every day or > every other day, both the rock garden and pots in the canyard and > greenhouses, but can put it off a day just because of our cool > temperatures (high about 70 degrees F) and the fog. > > This allows me to get away for about three days at a time since I > don't have someone available to water right now. One of my first > nursery employers told me something I've never forgotten - watering is > more important than every other chore when growing plants... > > As a side note, I have Cyclamen graecum tubers that have grown > monstrous, some in 3-gallon nursery pots in rapid-draining mix, and > the size of dinner plates. They are in full sun and watered very > lightly during summer. So far, so good. > > Robin > Hansen Nursery > robin@hansennursery.com > _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. https://www.avg.com/ _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/…