Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Specific Families and Genera => Amaryllidaceae => Topic started by: Hans J on February 01, 2021, 01:54:56 PM

Title: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Hans J on February 01, 2021, 01:54:56 PM
First Sternbergia flowers for me in this year :

Sternbergia fischeriana ( or vernalis )

Have fun
Hans
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Gail on February 01, 2021, 02:17:58 PM
Beautiful Hans, a much needed blast of colour!
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Hans J on February 01, 2021, 02:36:35 PM
Thank you Gail :)

now I hope that also my St.candida will flower ( it is more shy for me )
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on October 30, 2021, 02:16:26 PM
Sternbergia lutea daily diary from mid-September.
I brought the bulbs from Southern Europe in May. When they were collected from my mother’s garden, they still had green leaves and live roots. Both were cut. Planted soon after in a sunny, rocky location.
Question: Do they seem to be a good ‘clone’? (They all looked the same)
I also bought bulbs from local supplier, product of Holland the package said, but I received them at the end of September. Planted them right away, and they just showing above ground growth. I hope they bloom. Can’t wait to compare them to the ones I already had in flower.

Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on October 30, 2021, 02:21:14 PM

Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on October 30, 2021, 02:21:40 PM
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on October 30, 2021, 02:22:11 PM

Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on October 30, 2021, 02:22:41 PM

Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on October 30, 2021, 02:23:53 PM
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on October 30, 2021, 02:24:30 PM
Size
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on October 30, 2021, 02:25:21 PM
and a visitor
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Gail on October 30, 2021, 02:58:40 PM
They are lovely things Nik. I've just got back from a week in the Peloponnese with Greentours - we were so lucky with the weather. It had rained a lot the week before but we had beautiful sunshine and the Sternbergia were fabulous;
[attachimg=3]

[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Gail on October 30, 2021, 03:00:16 PM
More;
[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]

[attachimg=3]
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Gail on October 30, 2021, 03:06:55 PM
and more...
[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=3]

[attachimg=2]
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Gail on October 30, 2021, 03:10:03 PM
and you can't have too many...
[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]

[attachimg=3]
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Gail on October 30, 2021, 03:11:48 PM
At home Sternbergia clusiana is flowering;
[attachimg=1]
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on October 30, 2021, 03:25:33 PM
Wow! Stunning! Thanks for posting these pictures.
Are the plants in situ S. lutea or S. sicula?
My 30 or so original bulbs are from Bulgaria.
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Maggi Young on October 30, 2021, 03:41:47 PM
Gail, stunning images of the  sternbergia - especially  with the  other  little bulbs keeping them company!
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Gail on October 30, 2021, 04:47:00 PM
Thanks for rotating the images Maggi, and yes I do like how Mother Nature creates the perfect gardens...
Nik, we were told that the first ones, with the grey-ish central stripe down the leaves (as in the third image) were sicula, the last lot lutea. But opinions vary!
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on October 30, 2021, 06:06:48 PM
Here is a picture of the bulbs from the Netherlands, I hope I will be able to post photos of the flowers is a week or so.
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: ashley on October 30, 2021, 06:07:59 PM
Great photos Gail; thanks for sharing. 
The variability is considerable (e.g. 2nd photo) & interesting to see.  If these were snowdrops we'd be looking for pink ones ;)
Are the crocus goulimyi?
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Gail on October 30, 2021, 08:13:55 PM
Yes C. goulimyi. I'll try and get round to posting some crocus photos tomorrow. And the snowdrops (found one creamy unmarked one and one with 4 outers but no pinks!).
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on October 31, 2021, 01:02:34 PM
One more example of the Bulgarian Sternbergia lutea from the end of September
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on October 31, 2021, 01:05:35 PM
.. and today, showing a developing seed capsule.
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on October 31, 2021, 01:09:19 PM
Here is the most advanced of the Dutch bulbs today, planted a month ago.
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: fermi de Sousa on November 01, 2021, 12:50:23 AM
Question: Do they seem to be a good ‘clone’? (They all looked the same)
Hi Nik,
considering how they had to be treated (foliage and roots cut off) and they are now flowering, I would call it a "good" clone!
I hope they multiply and spread for you.
Hi Gail,
thanks for sharing your pics from the wild - absolutely wonderful!
cheers
fermi
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on November 01, 2021, 12:59:03 PM
Hi Nik,
considering how they had to be treated (foliage and roots cut off) and they are now flowering, I would call it a "good" clone!

Hi Fermi and thank you! That answer made me very happy.
I have seen many of your Sternbergia posts from previous years and your plants are fantastic! I have planted mine in what seems like very similar to your setting, in crevices between large rock outcrops. I hope they do well. Do you have any advice how to care for them in such conditions? So far I have not done anything and was planning to do nothing, just leave them alone..
(I am in USDA hardiness zone 7, my mother’s plants are in zone 6)
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on November 01, 2021, 03:15:24 PM
One bulb produced two flowers, but the second one was smaller (in the picture compared to normal size neighboring flower).
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on November 01, 2021, 03:49:08 PM
And two more pictures of visitors, but slightly out of focus..
By observing them, I know they are not pollinators, they appeared to be trying to mate with the base of the flowers.
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on November 01, 2021, 03:53:33 PM
Forgot to mention, the soil in our yard is very acidic, pH 4- pH 4.5.
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on November 02, 2021, 09:03:56 PM
And this is where I planted all of the bulbs. Pictures from early spring (first one) and summer (rest).
All of them were positioned close to our back deck, so we can enjoy them both outdoors and from inside the house.
To be honest, I care mostly about the moss and lichen in the yard. For the rest, any survivors are welcome.
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: fermi de Sousa on November 03, 2021, 01:38:48 AM
Hi Nik,
you have a beautiful yard to look out on! I wouldn't want to spoil it by cluttering it up with garden beds.
Introducing a few geophytes here and there can enhance without detracting from the rocky outcrops.
I can't really offer much in the way of advice as our conditions are a bit different here  (around Zone 8 I think).
If the health of the bulbs deteriorates you might need to add a bit of lime to raise the pH but I wouldn't bother if the plants look healthy.
Friends who lived on Mt Dandenong (to the East of Melbourne) used to apply lime to rhododendrons because their soil was so acidic the lime didn't raise the pH enough to affect the rhodies! Lime run-off from the gravel driveway did manage to turn the hydrangeas pink!
cheers
fermi
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on November 03, 2021, 09:15:24 PM
Hi Nik,
you have a beautiful yard to look out on! I wouldn't want to spoil it by cluttering it up with garden beds.
Thank you, Fermi!
We are very lucky to have this natural setting in our yard. This is an early spring view of our side yard, picture taken from inside the house, second floor. We also have a stream running through the front yard.. I try to keep everything as natural as possible. Still quite an effort in terms of weeding.
A little surprising that these forums don’t seem to have dedicated threads about mosses and lichens. I can contribute quite a bit on that front. After all, it’s a rock garden club, isn’t it?
But this is supposed to be about Sternbergia. My Dutch bulbs appear to be all growing, but no sign of flower buds. I guess they were planted too late. The emerging leaves definitely look different than the Bulgarian bulbs. Much lighter in color and much wider. I suspect I will have to wait till next year to compare the flowers. After they get our yard’s treatment during the summer. Quite disappointing..
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: fermi de Sousa on November 04, 2021, 10:06:16 AM
...
A little surprising that these forums don’t seem to have dedicated threads about mosses and lichens. I can contribute quite a bit on that front. After all, it’s a rock garden club, isn’t it?
...
Have a look here, Nik
https://www.srgc.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=13521.msg417939#msg417939 (https://www.srgc.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=13521.msg417939#msg417939)
cheers
fermi
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on November 04, 2021, 11:42:44 AM
Great! Thank you!
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on November 20, 2021, 12:32:58 PM
For the past two weeks we’ve had at least ten frosty mornings. The Dutch bulbs planted at the end of September will definitely not flower, but they are slowly growing even in this weather. Here’s how they look today.
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on November 20, 2021, 12:34:45 PM
And here are some of the plants that flowered in September.
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on November 20, 2021, 06:16:53 PM
Few more of the Dutch bulbs, all thawed out and baking in the sun on a ‘balmy’ 7’C midday.
Having issues posting more than one image at a time, so I’ll split it into several posts. Sorry about that.
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on November 20, 2021, 06:18:47 PM
A little closer
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on November 20, 2021, 06:19:16 PM
And closer
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on November 20, 2021, 06:19:51 PM
Next one
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on November 20, 2021, 06:20:24 PM
Last one
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on December 03, 2021, 02:01:34 PM
I suspect that good sun exposure during the winter (rather than the summer, when the plants are dormant and require heat/dryness) is very important for good flowering the following season. This is why I cleared most of the dry leaves that had the plants half-covered after few days of strong winds. I am sure I will have to repeat the procedure few more times during the winter.
Seed capsule seems to be developing well.
Title: Re: Sternbergia 2021
Post by: Nik on December 03, 2021, 10:02:45 PM
I didn’t mention the reasoning behind my previous statement. Here it is: in my mother’s garden, Sternbergia lutea is in the shade during the summer. Still it is hot and dry in SE Europe, but the only time it gets any direct sun is wintertime. Yet, they bloom profusely every year. So, good winter sunlight, absolutely NO NO NO fertilizer, and just leave them be. I hope even with our highly acidic soil they will do just fine next year. Again, no fertilizer of any kind is critical in my opinion. They simply love poor soil..
SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal