Crocus crossing

[Boyed]

Guff,

Relating those vernus dark hybrids;
I ordered crocus 'Twilight' 2 years ago from John Scheepers. It was really very dark-colored vaiety with interesting blue tint (much darker than 'Flower record'. Unfortunately all samples were hardly infected with leaf mosaic. So I keep it to collect some seeds hoping to grow interesting seedlings. You should be careful with Dutch crocus stock, because as I see this kind of virus is widely spread among the Dutch plants.

I don't think that 'Twilight' and 'Negro Boy' are the same varieties. Anyway I managed to obtain some corms of 'Negro Boy' this fall and there will be the opportunity to compare those two varieties in spring. I'll keep you informed about that.

I attach the photo of my 'Twilight' after blooming, where you could see the virus mosaic symptoms on its leaves.
I plant all my new crocuses in pots for qurantine and keep them isolated from main collection until I make sure that the stock is healthy.

[Guff]

Boyed, thanks for info. Did your "Twilight", have the silver edging? How well does it set seed, pollen also good?

Heres another link with "Negro Boy", Scheepers and Old House have the same date listed, and both description say it has an edge. Guess when they flower, I will find out.
http://www.oldhousegardens.com/bulb.asp?Cat=CR&page=1


I heard back from KVB, but they didn't say what it is, just gave me the product description.

Specie Crocus Isauricus Spring Beauty. A beautiful, large purple flame on the outside of white petals. They bloom Feb-Mar, hardy in zones 3-9 they grow to a height 4-6 inches, bulb size 5+ cm in cir. They take full sun to partial shade to full shade.

Guess I will have to wait until they flower.

[Guff]

Is this chart accurate?
Would be really helpful when crossing if it is.
http://www.crocusbank.org/Index24En.htm

I do have some Picturatus, and going by this graph I could cross "Isauricus Spring Beauty", thats if they turn out to be minimus?

Thanks for info

Happy New Year!

[Andrew]

Is this chart accurate?
Would be really helpful when crossing if it is.
http://www.crocusbank.org/Index24En.htm

I do have some Picturatus, and going by this graph I could cross "Isauricus Spring Beauty", thats if they turn out to be minimus?

Thanks for info

Happy New Year!

Hello Guff,

I'm not sure what you mean by 'Is this chart accurate ?' It is the accepted classification of crocus into groups(series)  based on similar features which could suggest they are partly related.

Certainly within the groups, hybrids have been known - scardicus + pelistericus = x gothenbergensis, speciosus and pulchellus make hybrids likewise reticulatus and angustifolius according to Janis Ruksans. I am sure I have seen somewhere a crossing in the Laevigatae group.

I do not know of any studies of hybrids anybody else ?

As Picturatus is a versicolor clone and if "Isauricus Spring Beauty" turns out to be a minimus selection (I see we are waiting for a picture) that could be a possibility but bare in mind as these are selections they might not be the best for hybrids.

Any help ?

[Thomas Huber]

Hi Guff!

Just a short addition to Andrews great comments:
Generally it might be possible, that versicolor and minimus
can hybridize, BUT the trade forms of minimus and versicolor
Picturatus do NOT set seed. Only once I found seeds on my
Picturatus, when it grew near some imperati.

[Guff]

Andrew, Thomas, thanks for the info.

About being "accurate" I was just asking if I could go by this chart to cross different specie's. Never seen a chart like this.

I recall Picturatus had pollen, so if  "Isauricus Spring Beauty" turns out to be minimus, I will try crossing them. No seed, no foul.

I'm not worried if they did/didn't turn out to be nice seedling forms, I just want as much seed as I can get/make. More seed, more corms, the faster I get a sea of crocus flowers on my banks.

I was wondering come spring, if someone could start a thread on about how to store crocus seed, and then how to germinate them(if potted for growing indoors). Normally I just stick the seeds into the ground as I collect the pods. But this year I think I'm going to have alot(hoping anyways) and I would rather plant all seed collected at 1 time instead of over many weeks. Also I want to save some select crosses for indoors growing this year. Thanks.

[Armin]

Hi Guff,

a good reference for storage and germination of crocus seed is Ian's bulblog...
Check the bulblog index pages (pdf) for "seed". There are many good hints.

One example:http://www.srgc.org.uk/bulblog/log2006/061206/log.html

[Guff]

Aruby, thanks I will try that. I hope to get alot of seed this year.

I was looking a couple weeks ago, where I had planted the crocus seed this past summer. There were a few seedlings poking up out of the soil.

Ordered some crocus for fall 08. Wanted to make sure I get 'Carpathian Wonder', 'Albus' and 'Pictus' this year.

1  of heuffelianus  'Carpathian Wonder'
1  of heuffelianus 'Wildlife'
1  of vernus 'Michael's Purple'
2  each of tommasinianus 'Albus'
2  each of Crocus tommasinianus 'Pictus'
1  of tommasinianus 'Eric Smith'
2 each of Crocus etruscus 'Rosalind'

[Guff]

I didn't do too bad this year with crocus seed germinating(first picture) Hard to see, but theres probably around 300 seedlings.

Second picture is some second spring seedlings, any chance I may see some flowers spring 09, or do they usually take 4 springs?

Thanks for info.

[Guff]

Still have around 15 pods to collect from Chrysanthus and tommasinianus forms, below(picture) is what I have collected so far from them. Wondering if anyone has had any huge tommasinianus seed pods, I had around 5 pods that had 25-30 seeds in each pod.

I did get two pods to set on the Uklin Strain, using Tatra Shades pollen for a total of 16 seeds.

My Dutch giants vernus did awesome this year, looking to collect 60+ pods in the next few days.

Thanks Thomas for all your help, finally a bumper crop of seed.

[Thomas Huber]

My pleasure, Guff!

I didn't have many seed pods on my vernus-cultivars this year 
But biflorus/chrysanthus cultivars set many pods with a good
chance of hybridisation.

Good luck with yours!

[Guff]

Collected the last of the giants vernus seed pods today.

Very happy, may have tripled last years harvest.

Thomas do you collect the seed pods from the common crocus and replant, or just the rare forms? Just wondering what you do with all the seed, you must get tons.

[Maggi Young]

That is indeed a harvest to be proud of, Guff. If they all grow you will be kept very busy planting out your garden!

[Thomas Huber]

Collected the last of the giants vernus seed pods today.

Very happy, may have tripled last years harvest.

Thomas do you collect the seed pods from the common crocus and replant, or just the rare forms? Just wondering what you do with all the seed, you must get tons.

Guff, I try to collect all the seeds from the big vernus-monsters to avoid their spreading in my lawn - then I sow them in the local park.
The chrysanthus/biflorus cultivars are not as easy to find in my lawn, from time to time I collect some, but it doesn't matter, if they spread.

[Guff]

Maggi, thanks. It will be intersting to see how many germinate, hopefully at least half do. I collected the Dutch giants seeds and Chrysanthus and Tommasinianus seeds in different cups this year. The one bed of the Twilight, Blue Pearl, and Firefly, has to be redone. I shouldn't have mixed them all together. The vernus Twilight blocked all the sun from getting to the smaller crocus. So learning from that mistake, I will plant the giant seeds separate from the Chrysanthus and Tommasinianus.

Thomas, thats a great idea, any flowering size? Would like to see some hybrids pictures of the giants.

I hand pollinated all the dutch giants with pollen from Roseus, Lilac Beauty, Barrs Purple and Tatra Shades. It will be interesting when they are flowering size.