Crocus March 2012

[Sinchets]

Thanks all, I think I'll give it a try over the weekend (maybe I'll do this on 4 of 6 large-flowered ones, just for insurance)

Tony, what has been your experience that Crocus shouldn't be moved in flower?

Sometimes the move will set them back a few years- if you break too many roots- but I have a feeling that the corms of your large flowered C.malyi will also be larger than the others.

[Tony Willis]

Thanks all, I think I'll give it a try over the weekend (maybe I'll do this on 4 of 6 large-flowered ones, just for insurance)

Tony, what has been your experience that Crocus shouldn't be moved in flower?

Mark in my view it is the worst possible time to touch them. At flowering time most have used all the reserves in the old corm and are just starting to make the new one. Damage to the roots sets them right back and they either die or only produce a tiny corm which takes a couple of years to come back. When it was acceptable to collect I used to bring them back wrapped in wet tissue and had good success but as I said it sets them back. Separating them out in a pot is easy and not a problem,digging them up in the garden is a different issue.

Like all things there are exceptions and if you are successful then of course the person who says do not do it is going to be wrong.

[Janis Ruksans]

I completely agree with Tony. I even lost sometimes plants when tried to replant at blooming time. In any case it push back development for 2 years, so I prefair to mark pretty seedling with sticker. Sometimes at harvesting not easy decide which one corm is marked, but better then take out of stock 2 - 3 and final separation to make next season. Results will be far better.
Of course - when plants are collected in wild at blooming time there are no other choice. Sometimes results are good. All my white abantensis (2 different), wild x paulinae, white chrysanthus started from single plant collected just in blooming time, but usually alive around 50-70%. From 10 C. atroviolaceus collected last spring shoots formed 6 specimens. Hope blooming and first seed crop in 2014 or 2015.
Janis

[Armin]

  Armin, I can imagined how it is sad to lost some part of collection! Mine are also out side without any wintercare. I had also lots of snow this winter. My raised bads were covered with 30cm snow. I was so sory that I have lost my colchicums (baytopiorum, chalconicum, and some more...) But now they are all perfect. I have only some demaged leaves of C. wattiorum. But me I lost crocuses in hot and rainy summer conditions. (like hadriaticus and from pallasii grps. ex.)
  I believe that you will have lots of cormlets next year for increasing up your collection.

Ibrahim,
I would have been happy if there were snowfalls. But this winter just 1 cm or so. Nothing that really protects the corms and bulbs from deep frost.
I've noticed already the previous season (was too dry in spring) a high number of small crocus leaves (=cormlets) in my meadow. This makes hope for a recovery.
But in the raised beds it is a nightmare. Shots were well developed, sitting just below ground level and finally have been burst by the hard frost. I have no hope for many cormlets.
I also pulled out today my retics (cvs. Harmony, S.J.Dijt, George) - shots 15 cm+ long with visible flowers buds - killed 100%...

[hadacekf]

Crocus oliveri ssp. balansae in my meadow. This species survived this winter but many other not!

[I.S.]

  Franz for me this is a flavus for me not balansae!

[TheOnionMan]

Thanks everyone, tonight I marked the location of the 6 large flowered C. malyi (I think it is actually 3 corms each producing 2 stems, or perhaps pairs of corms very close together).  With mid-summer heat (82 F today, 28 C), they're already almost all gone over. 

So, I shall wait until later to dig them up.  Not as familiar with what these things are doing underground as I rarely dig them up, what would be the best time to dig them and replant, mid-summer?

[Tom Waters]

Crocus 'Blue Pearl' blooming this weekend. I have them planted around a red-twig dogwood, a nice combination but difficult to capture in a photo, so I offer this pic of the blooms.

[Janis Ruksans]

Crocus oliveri ssp. balansae in my meadow. This species survived this winter but many other not!

I agree with Ibrahim - it is flavus! See the number of stigma branches.
Janis

[Sinchets]

If it was bought from a supplier, who sources from Holland it usually is just C.flavus.
Flowering here now Crocus sieberi "Latvian Luck" and some forms of Bulgarian C.tomasinianus.

[hadacekf]

Thanks for the correction. I do not really know whether it is C. flavus and C. oliveri ssp. balancae. The Crocus was collected in Chios

[hadacekf]

This Crocus was also collected in Chios. What is that. Thank you for help.

[Lillii]

Sadly i don't have any crocus blooming in my garden yet, but there are some lovely ones where i have my workshop. Today i noticed that one of them have 2 extra petals..6 is the normal amount, right? Does anyone know what this is? The lady that owns them have gotten them from an old garden.

[Janis Ruksans]

This Crocus was also collected in Chios. What is that. Thank you for help.

Crocus olivieri. On second picture subsp. balansae. On the first not so clear to count branching of stigma.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Sadly i don't have any crocus blooming in my garden yet, but there are some lovely ones where i have my workshop. Today i noticed that one of them have 2 extra petals..6 is the normal amount, right? Does anyone know what this is? The lady that owns them have gotten them from an old garden.

Normal number is 6 but sometimes are formesd extra parts but usually it is not inherrited and next year returns to normal number. Only very few varieties when good grown usually makes extra petals, anthers.
Janis