bulbous Corydalis

[Hristo]

Hi again,
Googling around I found a 2005 pic posted on the SRGC forum by Franz.H of a C.rutifolia ssp erdelii he was growing back then.
http://www.srgc.org.uk/discus/messages/283/9582.html

[tonyg]

Chris you are a star ...and I am a lazy so and so!  That is almost certainly the plant I have.  the flowers do go slightly pink as they age.  I had a feeling you would know but I did not mean you to go to so much trouble
Thanks!

[Diane Whitehead]

I have bought many corydalis, mostly from Janis Ruksans, but the
solidas do not last.

From a 2003 order, the only two corydalis that survived, and are now
flowering in my garden are C. bracteata and C. tauricola.

I have them growing in the same bed where I grow arisaemas, shortia,
and other plants that need to be watered in summer.

Any idea why the solidas don't grow for me?  I also planted a lot of the
seedling Penza strain in a bed that I don't water as often, but they
haven't done well either.

[gote]

Diane,
What is happening? You have to give more details. Do they give a good show year one? Do they dwindle slowly? Have you checked the state of the corm immediately after dying down (It is quite safe There are no roots at that time.) Have you poked around to feel whether they are OK in the late fall? What is your minimum winter temperaure?
They do not like to dry out completely in the summer but you might overdo the humus/watering thing. In my place watering is unnecessary in the summer. Even dry ground eill retain sufficient moisture but If I dig them and keep them out of the ground for a month many will die.
The greatest threat to mine are mice but I assume you would have noticed.
Göte

[hadacekf]

Tony,
it is C.rutifolia ssp erdelii.

[Diane Whitehead]

When I planted the named bulbs, I wrapped them in nylon net and put them in
plastic berry boxes so I would know where they are, and to protect against
rats and squirrels.  One named solida did not bloom at all, and when I checked,
the bulb seemed to have been eaten.

The Penza seedlings were very cheap, and I didn't protect them at all, so it is
possible some were eaten.  About half are still alive from 2003, but they have
not multiplied at all.  They are just emerging now - they bloom late.

I checked with friends who also bought corydalis from Janis, and they have similar
experiences.  The best one is the early pale red C. solida transsylvanica which
increases well.

In Buried Treasures, Janis wrote that he got a single bulb of this from Chris Brickell,
so perhaps it was found in a place that is similar to conditions here.  C. solida is very
wide-spread, so I imagine it varies in the conditions it prefers.

[gote]

Diane,
Most of my bulbous Corydalis double every year. some double every second year. A few have not doubled at all and eventually disappeared. I have rarely lost any solidas. It could be that you are right and that there are climatic reasons. In my place in the spring when they emerge they have fairly much light since there are no leaves on the "trees" (Mostly hazels) above. There is also abundant water that is the remains of the precipitation in the winter. They go into hibernation a little later than the leaves develop and later the ground is much drier. I fertilize sparingly with bonemeal and also add some leafmould every year. I clean off the fallen leaves in the early spring and these must be replaced.
Mice love Corydalis and plastic will not deter them at all. I use metal net with 6mm openings. I bend square pieces at the edges to small cages that I place (upside down so to say) immediately above the corms when they are planted. It is important that the net is sufficiently deep in the soil so it cannot show above the surface since then the young plant will be trapped. It is important that the edges of the corms are deep enough since mice will dig nearly 10 cm. If the mice have started feeding on them they will eraicate a whole collection in a couple of weeks. I always put traps instrategic positions. It seems that every new generation of marauders will follow the same route. Obviously they think in the same way. To avoid trapping birds I put the traps in small cages where only mice will enter. As bait I use sunflower seed.
I would think that if penzas survive but do not multiply they are in some way underfed. Either it is too dark early in the spring or the soil is not fertile enough. Darkness could be because the relative timing of leaves on the trees and emergence of the Corydalises is infavourable compared with what I have. Solidas are programmed to utilize the "window in time" between frozen ground and full leaf canopy. In that brief interval they must do what other plants do in a full summer season. I have not seen your garden but I would think that lack of light would be the most likely reason. They grow in dark places but these places are not dark when they grow.
Hope this is helpful.
Göte
 

[Hristo]

The 'Window' that Gote talks about has opened here, the snows have gone and day time temps have held above 10c for the last week, the woodland plants are racing to get above ground!
Shown are;
Corydalis cava pink form
Corydalis cava red form
Corydalis cava white form

[Hristo]

Also growing now, though some of them weakly due to a poor year last year;
Corydalis ex Imison pass
Corydalis integra
Corydalis intermedia hybrid
Corydalis malkensis
Corydalis pacsowskii
Corydalis tauricola x caucasica alba
Corydalis transylvanica

[Hristo]

Lastly, some solida forms and the first 'Penza' strain from Janis to flower this year.
Corydalis solida
Corydalis solida
Corydalis solida 'Penza' strain

[Diane Whitehead]

The ones blooming in my garden.

Corydalis bracteata
C.tauricola
C. solida transsylvanica

[Pauli]

After a few years the Corydalis show many shades from self-sown seedlings:

[udo]

some Corydalis from my garden:
Corydalis allenii `Enno`
    ''        cava
    ''        maracandica
    ''        integra
    ''        paschei
    ''        schanginii ssp.ainae
    ''             ''             schanginii

[ChrisB]

Oh my, Herbert, that bed of corydalis look just great.  What sort of soil/light conditions does the bed have?

[Hristo]

In beech woodland at 1000m many white and pink forms of corydalis cava, darker forms predominate in other woods in the area.
This woodland is a stronghold for Galanthus elwesii and Scilla bifolia, shortly Anemone rannunculoides will carpet the woodland floor in yellow.