I'm returning to Forum from some time in hospital. Not so bad as I had possibility to reread manuscript and correct some faults of my new book "Growing Crocuses" for Timber Press before posting it to editors. There will be two new taxa included and some comb. nova as I see things.
But about Crocus cvijicii. Here is very late spring, still night frosts and I use early morning for Forum because still not possible to work outside. Outside planted cvijicii still are sleeping, only veluchensis just started to show noses. Other crocuses didn't look nice outside this year as mostly flowers were damaged by night frosts up to minus 6-7 C during every night last two weeks (this morning only minus 2).
Here pictures from greenhouse where cvijicii was the last bloomer together with pelistericus and scardicus. First two are of my selection 'Cream of Creams' (sometimes brownish even in color - especially in greenhouse, not so outside). Between seedlings of Cream of Creams this year appeared two purest white and two very light creamy - you can see one pair on the third slide. Unfortunately hybrid between veluchensis and cvijicii was eaten by rodents this winter - no one left.
Last autumn I baught some 20 corms from Czech supplier very late in autumn (end of September). Was schoked for very small size of corms - some 5-6 mm in diameter, but after complaint got information - wild collected, flowering size. I didn't know when ordered that bulbs could be from wild as I never sell such bulbs by myself. They came up very, very late, when I supposed them lost and all bloomed. It confirms that crocuses must be planted very early if you want good drevelopment. Late plantings blooms late, develops weeker. Cvijicii always start blooming at soil level but then flower stalk elongates. It needs moister conditions in summer, but not dramatically. Keep in soil (in garden) and all will be OK. Replant early, don't wait autumn. Excellent seeder, increases by splitting.
Janis
