Crocus medius non virus to spare/swap

[mark smyth]

I've been busy tonight repotting Crocus and Narcissus.

My pot of Crocus medius ex Oliver Wyatt, not virused and obtained in 2004 from the East Anglia bulb sale,  has done very well. I can spare some pea sized corms.

It may be late but I'd like to swap for other Crocus.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Wonderful looking Clump Mark !

[David Nicholson]

To late for me Mark, all my stuff was re-potted weeks ago. But then I haven't been swanning around the UK

[Gerry Webster]

Mark - I had the Oliver Wyatt form from Kath Dryden a few years ago and can confirm that it seems to be virus free. I lost this during a period of illness but last year I obtained some plants from  Hythe Alpines which appear to be similar, if not identical.  It's a very vigorous form.

[mark smyth]

Luc from 5 bulbs  bought 4 years ago the clump in the photo last year had just under 30 flowers. I forgot to lift them this summer to give them fresh soil. I might have a little poke around tomorrow

[Boyed]

Mark,

Your crocus medius looks wonderful!

Relating viruses;
I always conduct stidies with viruses in different bulbous plants. In USSR different scientific organisations and institutions on the bases of their experiments stated that very small daughter bulbs of many tulips are not susseptable to virus. So if someowne has a rare tulip cultivar, which is virus infected, he/she can grow healthy plants from very small daughter bulbls. My experiments with tulips proved this method to be usedful for many cultivars. And few years ago I began to conduct such experiment on crocuses. It seems that this method works. My observations show that infected crocus and its doughter corms shows the symptoms of virus, but new replacement corms of very small doughter bulbs next year doen't show the symptoms. I haven't finish my experiemnt yet and need to grow those corms to the flowering size to make sure that virus won't appear later. I will let you know about the final results of my test.

So far I can say that this method is effective for many tulip varieties.

[mark smyth]

Happy to read you like the Crocus but does anyone want some? Later this afternoon they will be repotted.

[Thomas Huber]

Much too late for me to swap, Mark! Mine are all rooted for weeks now!

Very interesting, Zhirair!! So there is still hope to clean an infected stock of rare plants?
Please keep us in touch with your experiment!!

[mark smyth]

I should say these corms have no roots

[Boyed]

Thomas,

yes there is a hope to clean the infected stock, but I shoul say, that for some crocuses as crocus heuffelianus, this method is not effective. even the smallest daughter bulb of cr. heuffelianus are susceptable to virus. But, for example, for crocus niveus this method is effective.

[Thomas Huber]

Zhirair, it also seems effective for Crocus medius. Some years ago I found one single
flower between virused trade forms, that didn't show any signs of virus. I digged it
up planted separately and so far this plant and it's offsprings look healthy.

[Paul T]

Mark,

That really is a stunning picture of a beautiful crocus.  I just love the bright orange styles glimpsed between the petals on some of the flowers.  Really, really nice picture!!

[dominique]

Mark
OK to swap with you. I send you my bulbills list; if not too late

[gote]

This year is too confused for me for any swap but I would be interested.
I have Crocus speciosus that is seeding itself = virus free and very early.
It has been around here for seventy years and since only early types can seed here in mid Sweden this is the result of natural selection.
It is 2-4 weeks earlier than commercially available stock.
This is an advantage where the winter is early.
Next year I hope to have corms available if someone wants to swap.
I also have 'Vanguard' that has been grown in isolation for fifty years and looks healthy to my inexperienced eyes.
Both kinds are in the ground. not in pots.
Have a nice weekend
Göte