problem with crocus gargaricus corms??? :(

[pontus]

Hello everyone,

I was checking my crocus gargaricus herbertii corms today, and thought as i took them out of their pot that they looked well, and even with shoots already visible (first picture)..

but to my great dispair, i saw strange brown holes in them on the sides (2nd image), as if something has been eating them.... can anyone help me? what has eaten them? or is it fungus/rot? what can i do to save them? As they are budded and where expensive and took so long to multiply for me i dont want to throw them away...

i imagine i have to throw away the soil they where growing in, and replace it...the problem is that i sowed my gargaricus seed in this soil, and planted my tiny seedling corms there as well...which i cant really see unless i use a microscope!

as you know gargaricus corms are small, my largest one being pea sized. They only look lareg because i took teh picture with my macro lens to show the brown marks as well as possible...

Pontus

[Ian Y]

Pontus
I have not seen this before so am not sure on the cause. The first thing I would do is clean up the holes and see how deep they go - from the picture  it almost looks like there might be a grub in there. If the hole is shallow as I suspect  then clean it out of all loose material treat with sulphur or other fungicide then plant and hope.

[pontus]

Hello Ian,

I will try that tomorrow, but i will probably need a needle and magnifying glass as the holes are so tiny...

i see you also have shoots emerging on your crocus abantensis corms...i guess some very early spring flowering sp form their shoots extremely early in the season...maybe adapted to their high altitude natural environment to be able to flower quickly once snows melt, with almost already formed buds...but not quite as extreme of course as soldanellas, who form their buds in late autumn and who then just stay dormant or hide under the snow in winter, protected, and then just emerge when the snow melts!


but i have never before had shoots this well developed on my gargaricus at the end of august!. i wonder if they can be brought into flower early by putting them now through a cold period, and then give light and heat...
Pontus