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MTDS News February 2008 Middle Tennessee Daffodil Society Established April 5, 1958
SPRING MEMBERSHIP MEETING The spring MTDS membership meeting will be Sunday, March 9 2008 at 2:00p.m. at the home of Ann McKinney. The address is 5134 Remington Drive, Brentwood. Please RSVP to Ann McKinney at ateamtn@aol.com or 377-6848 so we know how many to plan for.
MEETING AGENDA:
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Show
Schedule for 2008available at spring meeting and at show!
MTDS Daffodil Show The MTDS Show will be Saturday, March 29st and Sunday, March 30th at Cheekwood. Entries will be accepted on Saturday from 7 am until 10:30 am. Test tubes, boxwood, entry cards, and the show schedule will be available at Cheekwood Friday, March 29th after 1:00 p.m. and Saturday, March 30st at 7:00 a.m. Design and photography entries will be accepted on Friday from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Saturday from 7:00 am – 10:00 a.m. Space is limited, reservations required. Contact Annie Owen at annieo123@comcast.net or 794-0138.
IMPORTANT DATES: MARCH 9 MTDS SPRING MEETING ANN MCKINNEY’S MARCH 15 & 16 GEORGIA DAFFODIL SOCIETY SHOW ATLANTA, GA MARCH 29 & 30 EAST TENNESSEE DAFFODIL SHOW KNOXVILLE, TN MARCH 29 & 30 MIDDLE TENNESSEE DAFFODIL SHOW NASHVILLE, TN APRIL 10-12 ADS CONVENTION RICHMOND, VA NOVEMBER ADS FALL BOARD MEETING NASHVILLE, TN
MTDS MEMBERSHIP… Since newsletters will now be emailed, please contact Anne Owen regarding the expiration of your dues at annieo1203@comcast.net or 794-0138. Dues are $10.00 for an individual, $15.00 for a family. Please mail to MTDS: Anne Owen 1203 Natchez Road Franklin, TN 37069.
MTDS Officers: 2007-2008 President: Ann McKinney Vice President: Amanda McKinney Treasurer: Ann McKinney Membership Chairman: Anne Owen
ADS Officers who are members of MTDS: Nominations to be voted on at ADS Convention in Richmond, VA, April 11, 2008:
Nominations: 2nd Vice President: Becky Fox Matthews Southeast Regional Director: Ann McKinney
Continuing National Officer: ADS Legal Counsel: Dick Frank
Winter/Spring Daffodil Tips:
Ø Growing! Your daffodils are busily growing! Daffodils are dormant in summer. They put down roots in fall and are now preparing to bloom in early spring. You are probably beginning to see green leaves appear above ground.
Ø Fertilizing in winter/spring: Fertilizing in early February with a low nitrogen fertilizer is beneficial. Sulfate of potash can also be applied to improve color. Fertilizing again after flowering is also good. Do not use bone meal, it tends to attract unwanted critters!
Ø Early foliage, heavy frost … what to do: There really isn’t too much you can do if foliage comes up too early. In most cases, additional foliage will grow to give the bulb the energy it needs to produce future blooms. Only on occasion will the bulb be so damaged that it can’t recover. Unless temperatures go down into the teens with buds considerably above the ground, they will be fine. If buds are way up, you can cover them with a pot to protect them, although if you grow a lot of daffodils, this probably is not realistic. If a late deep freeze hits when foliage is mature, a fungicide can be sprayed to prevent bulbs from rotting.
Ø Winter/spring watering: The more water daffodils receive during the growing season (from planting until foliage begins to yellow), the larger, smoother and brighter colored flowers will be produced. Soaker hoses work well. Water daily beginning March 1st. Watch out for freezes though. The single most important thing that you can do to improve your blooms is to water them when there is less than an inch of rainfall per week in the fall and spring.
Ø Get Organized! Now is a great time to get your daffodil collection information together. Update it with new varieties you planted in the fall and delete any varieties you lost or dug last season. Study your lists! This will be helpful in deciding on entries as well as deciding what to add to your collection next year. You will know what divisions to look at closely at the show to help decide what varieties to purchase.
Ø Be Hopeful! Now is the time to sit back and wait. We are hopeful that Mother Nature will cooperate and we will be blessed with numerous beautiful blooms this spring!
Ø When to pick flowers and when to refrigerate: Pick flowers at their prime, with the exception of red and orange cups, which need to be picked early so that their cups don’t burn. Red and orange cups can be picked in a loose bud and brought into the house or garage to open in a cool dark location. If really bad weather is predicted, protection or early picking is advised. All the exhibitors agreed that the best time to clean and groom blooms is when they are picked. The more flowers you have, the more discerning you can be about what you pick. Most exhibitors leave their blooms in water until they harden before refrigerating. If refrigerating, use an old frost-free refrigerator to keep the moisture in the blooms. Additionally, you can put water in the drawers or keep wet towels on the shelves to keep the moisture. I have been able to keep fresh blooms refrigerated for close to 10 days successfully. Others recommend re-cutting the stems every 2-3 days to keep the flowers fresh. Additionally, you can use a regular refrigerator if you tent the shelves with dry cleaner bags to keep the moisture level high and to prevent the circulating air from drying the flowers. If doing this, I would mist the flowers every couple of days and to monitor the temperature of the refrigerator… flowers freeze! Re-cut the stems when staging them. Mary Lou Gripshover also has had success storing blooms in Ziploc bags dry in the refrigerator. She re-cuts them and puts them in water to re-hydrate when she is ready to prepare her exhibits. |
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