The Daffodil Association of NSW/ACT Inc

NEWSLETTER No. 76 – January 2014

President Treasurer Secretary Newsletter Editor

Glenn Sheldrick 8 River Avenue Yass NSW 2582 02 6226 4081

Sheila Hodgson 11 Hirschfeld Cres. Macgregor ACT 2615 02 6254 8017

Janet Johnstone ‘Illinois” Woodstock NSW 2793 02 6345 0376

Sharon Davis 89 Wakefield Gardens Ainslie ACT 2602 02 6161 2304

Email Address: graemecdavis@hotmail.com

17/10, grand champion at Blayney 2013 shown by Tony Davis

Crowndale, grand champion at Orange shown by Rob Slarke

Dates for your Diary

Sunday January 19th

Meeting at Cowra RSL Club. Lunch 12 noon followed by meeting and then a

presentation/ discussion on “Centenary show and other shows of 2013” – members

are encouraged to compare between shows. Please let Janet Johnstone (02 6345

0376) know if you are coming by January 16 if possible.

As an additional attraction there will be an auction of some of Tony Davis’s best

seedlings that have not been made available to the public – see later in this

newsletter of more information.

Saturday March 1 and Sunday March 2

Daffodil Association Bulb Sale at the Horticultural of Canberra Autumn Show,

Lancaster Hall, Forest, ACT. Bulbs from association members will be available for

sale including a number of new and recent releases.

Saturday March 15th

Bulb sale at the Orange and District Horticultural Society Autumn show, St Barnabas

Hall, Cnr McLachlan and Dora Sts Orange.

Saturday September 6th

Blayney A&P Association’s Spring Flower Show at the Anglican Hall, 88 Adelaide St

Blayney. Enquires to Joan Stonestreet (02) 6368 3514

Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th September

Horticultural Society of Canberra Spring Bulb and Camellia Show incorporating the

2014 National Camellia Show, Lancaster Hall, Forest.

Monday 15th September

A chance to visit the garden and daffodil plot of Tony Davis in Bowral. Arrive

between 10 and 10:30 at 62 Burradoo Road, Burradoo.

Saturday 21st September

Orange and District Horticultural Society Daffodil & Spring Show, St Barnabas Hall,

Cnr McLachlan and Dora Sts Orange. Enquires to Show Secretary Yvonne Tracey (02)

63623249

President’s Report

I guess that most will be finished moving pots into a dry shady spot and mulching the beds by now. I

still have the mulching staring at me but at least have got hold of some weathered Lucerne hay at a

good price so have half the battle over.

We have had a good year so far with all shows well supported, some top quality blooms and a great

lot of visitors to the Canberra show giving us all that social contact that makes the hobby/passion

that bit more special.

The latest American Journal has some interesting reading, especially an article by Brian Duncan on

white orange/red trumpets. We really are privileged to see some of the directions in which the

hybridisers are making progress. Those who visited Lawrence Trevanion’s patch this spring saw an

amazing kaleidoscope of seedlings which had nearly any colour combination imaginable while the

Fleming garden had some amazing miniatures.

As we move forward into the summer it is time to consider whether or not each of us has any

surplus bulbs which we can contribute to the autumn bulb sale. How much we put through the sale

depends on two things. Firstly, what is available, secondly, the consideration of what we should be

selling. I believe that we need to be extremely careful to ensure the quality of material put up for

sale and to ensure that they are correctly identified. If you are thinking of donating some surplus

bulbs, please ensure that you know exactly what they are. It is better to have a smaller range of

accurately identified, good quality stock which will enhance our reputation. I think we are in a

strong enough position financially to be able to afford a slight reduction in quantity if it achieves that

result.

At our AGM it was decided to award a number of life memberships to those who have made

significant contributions to the Association. Life memberships were awarded to:

Peter Mcann from Orange

John and June Woodfield from Canberra

Graeme and Sharon Davis from Canberra

I look forward to catching up with everybody in Cowra on the 19th.

Glenn

Vale Norma Graham (contributed by Daphne Davis) It was with sadness that we heard of the passing of one of our Life members, Norma Graham. In

October 1993 we mourned the passing of her husband, Cedric, an in 1994 Norma decided to

relocate to East Gosford to be near her daughter, Margaret.

Norma and Cedric were keen daffodil growers and were foundation members of our Daffodil

Association. Norma’s relocation to Gosford did not stop her from regular involvement in the

activities of the Association and many of here daffodils still flourish in the Canberra region.

It was a popular decision at our AGM in 1996 to award Norma with the Daffodil Association’s first

life membership. As a knowledgeable grower, judge, and exhibitor Norma was a great friend to all.

She was a gracious lady, with patience and understanding, and will be sadly missed.

Bulb Sale It is that time of the year again.

If you have any surplus bulbs available the bulb sale is the perfect opportunity to make the most of

them. By making them available to Association members and the public we give people the chance

to grow an increased variety of better quality varieties more suited to our climate.

So, if you have some spare please deliver them to Daphne Davis, Unit 20, 70 Madigan Street,

Hackett, ACT, or arrange for them to be pick up. You can phone Daphne on 02 62625462 to make

sure she will be around. The bulbs will be sorted and packed through February (volunteers

welcome).

When we provide bulbs for sale please make every effort to ensure they are true to name (we all

make some mistakes) and they are healthy and sound (see discussion on virus below)

The Dreaded Virus Virus is a perennial problem for all daffodil growers.

We had a complaint from one person who bought bulbs last year at our bulb sale. This was my

reply.

This is a never ending problem for many of us and I wish I could solve it.

However, it does not seem at all simple. I have lost track of the number of valuable bulbs I have had

to get rid of over the years. My reaction was similar to yours – how come these people are selling

me bulbs with virus so obvious? Then I went and visited their fields and looked closely at the

stock. Not a sign of virus. How can that be? Just moving them from one place to another seems to

stress them with the result they show the symptoms. This was underlined to me recently when I

imported a number of bulbs (at great cost) and, the year after I got them out of quarantine (ie they

had passed a very careful examination) half of them showed distinct signs of virus.

Anyway, we will keep trying to get and keep the stock clean as I am sure other growers will.

To encourage that I will write an article for our newsletter reminding people what to look for and

how important it is to have clean stock to sell.

Interestingly, we really do not know all that much about virus in daffodils. For example, the principle

vector is uncertain – it could be aphids (but not likely), it could be us picking them, or it could be soil

borne (or all three).

Below is a quote from an email from Jason Delaney from the US (which can be accessed on

DAFFNET) who is both the curator of a major public garden and a developing breeder in his own

right (and chair of the 2016 world convention) – it seems we all have a problem.

There have been suggestions that all commercially grown stocks of daffodils (all types of bulbs, really) are virused, and that even the healthiest looking bulbs can show viral symptoms if put through enough stress (digging, new soil type, climate, etc.). Being in the profession of acquiring bulbs from around the world for public displays, handling and growing upwards of 100K each season, I have no reason

to doubt there is a lot of truth in this. There are those varieties that are very healthy looking for the entirety of their lives in your garden; these will not show infection unless put through a good amount of stress, provided of course that they are virused in the first place. Others will, for their entire existence in your garden, show the symptoms, as the virus is stronger than their genetic resistance or immunity to the disease. Sometimes it’s just the first year or two that they show symptoms, before turning solid green and looking (and performing) normal. (‘Tete-a-Tete’ is a fine example, as is ‘Golden Bells’. Both are riddled with virus, yet both survive and quickly adapt to their new homes, showing little to no disease in very little time.) Unfortunately virus is not specific with, say, older varieties that have been in production for decades. It afflicts all varieties, old and new, across the divisions.

In keeping with good horticultural ethics, one is supposed to and should destroy all known virused stocks. However, there are few bulbs I have grown that haven’t to some degree or another shown viral symptoms. I personally grow over 2,000 cultivars of daffodils, and I buy from nearly every supplier in the Northern Hemisphere, from the specialists to the general suppliers. I am not saying that all daffodils are virused–I haven’t tested them all to find out for sure–and I’m certainly not saying that suppliers sell known virused stocks, but I do not think that all bulbs are healthy, as advertised. I also don’t think it is something that the grower can necessarily detect, either, as the bulbs are grown in their respective production fields. When a bulb is well grown–in whatever environment–its foliage appears lush and healthy. Some environments are so good that, even when the bulbs are dug annually and are put through "cultural" stress, the disease never has an opportunity to manifest itself, as the plant is too strong. And it simply isn’t practical or affordable for the grower to DAS ELISA test every single bulb for virus(es).

So, do your best to keep your stocks clean. Colour break in the flowers is an obvious problem as is

significant streaking of the leaves. But do not kid yourself – even those that do not show virus may

well have it.

Bulbs for Auction Tony Davis has donated some of his best new seedlings to be auctioned at our next meeting on

January 19. All of these varieties have grown strongly and performed well in exhibition.

If you cannot make the meeting we are happy to take bids before the event on (02) 61612304.

Otherwise bring your money to Cowra and become the proud owner of one of these newcomers.

9/10 Florence Joy x Koomooloo 2w-w

32/10 Truculent x Graffiti 3w-yo

7/05 Dabster x Zombie 11w-y

44/10 High Society x 16/01 2w-p (to be called Gentleman Jim)

17/10 Lady Di x Florence Joy 2w-w

19/10 (9938 x Ben Align) x Lady Diana 2w-w

6/10 Shadrach x Challenge 3w-yr

7/07 1w-w (To be named Kevin 07)

14/11 Go Wo x Miss Maureen 3w-yyo

Also included in this newsletter is a bulb list from Keira Bulbs for those interested in some of the

smaller varieties.

Bulbs for Auction

32/ 10, best small cup, Canberra 2013 44/10 in championship entry, Canberra, 2013

32/10 in championship entry, Canberra, 2013 9/10, Grand Champion, Blayney 2012

19/10, Grand Champion, Canberra 2012 7/07

7/05 14/11