Crocus January 2007

[tonyg]

Thanks to Dirk for showing us Crocus hartmannianus - VERY rare!  I do not have it although I do grow the other crocus endemic to Cyprus, C cyprius which is quite similar to the plant you have.  Can you post another shot when the flowers open wide?  (Also perhaps you could resize your images to no more than 600 pixels across - It is great to see the flowers close-up but tricky when the pic is bigger than the screen

Iris histrio is beautiful - I have one in flower which I raised from seed.  The markings are 'fantastiche'!

Mark - Cutting Crocus I have not tried, nor have I heard of other people doing it.  I would try it with some cheap ones first then if you end up with two dead bits your loss is small    If you can keep the pieces from rotting it might work and if it does you'll be a hero!

[Thomas Huber]

Mark, I'm with Lesely - your Crocus is chrysanthus "Zwanenburg Bronce"
I have tried to chip Crocus last year, but it failed - it was only a cheap chrysanthus cultivar.

Wonderful pictures everyone, will try to post some from my garden later today!

[ian mcenery]

Tony you questioned my Corsicus and thought it might be Imperati. Here is another piccy for your verdict. I have to say that in reality the flower is a little more mauvey pink than shown. Who says the camera doesn't lie

[Thomas Huber]

Here some photos from my garden:

First this one, which is bought as Crocus corsicus, looks like corsicus, but it's much too early
in my opinion. Maybe that slight yellow touch in the throat points for Crocus imperati or a hybrid of both?


Many flowers of my C. imperati "De Jager" clump were damaged by the heavy rainfalls in the last weeks,
but there are still new flowers emerging and its worth showing:


Another nice clump, catched in the backlight of sunset - Crocus sieberi "Bowles White":


A very attractive - and rare - dark form of Crocus versicolor:


First flowers came in October last year, and after 3 months there are still new flowers - Crocus laevigatus, dark form from TG:


Another rarity from Turkmenistan / Iran: Crocus michelsonii.
Not as attractive as Tony Darby's "Turkmenian Night" but I love it even so:





In the background you can see Crocus korolkowii "Mountains Glory" - first flower seen in November last year!
Anne W. - what about yours?

This Crocus korolkowii has become dinner for a caterpillar, which I found next night, when I was outside with the pocket lamp,
searching for this predator! Of course it was its last dinner 

[mark smyth]

your bulbs look great coming up through the gravel

[snowdropman]

Really nice photo's Thomas - you will get me interested in growing Crocus if you are not careful!

[ian mcenery]

Thomas what great pictures as usual- you seem to have the right conditions for Crocus in your garden. The Bowles white is particularly stunning. Its interesting to see that your plants are all in advance of mine with the Bowles white you sent me barely out of the ground here. Still it is something to look forward to.

[Ian Y]

Great pics everyone, as always.
Mark if your crocus corm has two good shoots there is no need to cut it as it should produce a new corm at the base of each new shoot = two corms.
Crocus corms are compressed stems and so chitting like we do with true bulbs will not be effective.
There is a chance that if you remove the main shoot(s) you could stimulate some side shoots to appear but as you have two I would accept that.

[Thomas Huber]

Chris, it's unbelievable, that you still don't like these little beauties   
I will do my best to change your mind!

Ian, we had lots of rain here in August and it was abnormal cold, I think this has made
the corms starting to grow very early, while in previous years they started their growth
later in September or October.

[snowdropman]

Chris, it's unbelievable, that you still don't like these little beauties   
I will do my best to change your mind!

Just teasing Thomas - I like them really but I just happen to like snowdrops more!

I am still on the lookout for some crocus that do not mind growing under the canopy of a Horse Chestnut tree as, if possible, I would like to grow some in amongst my snowdrops (I already grow quite a few other things in this area, like Cyclamen, Eranthis, Helleborus, Trillium, Wind Flower, Geranium, Oxalis, Primula, Colchicum, Sternbergia, Epimedium etc, which add interest & help to prolong the flowering period) - if anyone has any suggestions for Crocus that would thrive in these semi woodland conditions I would be pleased to hear them.

[Thomas Huber]

Chris, first choice for woodland are tommies, like "Whitwell Purple", "Ruby Giant", "Albus", "Barr's Purple"!
But generally you can plant each Crocus under deciduous trees, as they will get the light they need before
the foliage of the trees appears.

[Joakim B]

Maybe it not the same but we planted a lot of crocus bought as plants the classic yellow and white and blue/pourple at the foot of apple treas almost all the way into the trunk. That is a bit to dry but with a bit of watering they are coming back every year. Maybe not a proper woodland but that shows it is possible. I do not know if those bright colours go well with snowdropps so the tommies might be a prettier and better alternative.

Kind regards
Joakim

[snowdropman]

Thomas - many thanks for your suggestions - I had quite forgotten that I have already planted two of the tommies that you suggest viz 'Whitwell Purple' & 'Ruby Giant', so it seems that I am working on the right lines (and also proves that I am not totally agnostic about growing Crocus  )

It sounds as if I should experiment further by planting some other varieties.

[snowdropman]

Hi Joakim - I thought that it might be a bit too dry & that there would not be enough light, but from what both you & Thomas say, it sounds as if Crocus may be okay and it is worth experimenting.

[Thomas Huber]

Chris, it doesn't matter for the crocusses if they are very dry in summer - in winter they
will get enough moinsture even under big trees and THAT is exactly the time they need it!

Please hold in mind, that your two tommies are sterile and will NOT set any seed!
They will only propagate by corm division. If you're interested I could send you some other
form in summer which will set seed?