Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Bulbs => Crocus => Topic started by: Hans A. on November 02, 2010, 11:27:35 AM
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Some pictures of Crocus cambessedesii in nature. Because of heavy rainfall the last days most flowers were destroyed - but I found some nice ones and was also very lucky to find one without any marking.
This species normally grows in crevices, the colour varies something, even if light purple dominates withe to blue plants can be found. This species not only enjoys Botanists also Goats are glad to find them as you will notice on the pics.
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Did you see them at Formentor? I saw seed pods there in April
The group photo is very good
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Thanks Mark,
took the pictures not far away from Lluc monastery - remember populations of Formentor a bit more homogenous - Hubi might have fotos from there.
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They look delightful in among the rocks. Where is Hubi anyway? He is very quiet. ???
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They look delightful in among the rocks. Where is Hubi anyway? He is very quiet. ???
Yes! Fabulous photos Hans.
Anne - Hubi has been in Greece crocus hunting and family hols combined. Hope the family have had a good time, judging by other comments there may not have been many crocus to see :'(
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Some pictures of Crocus cambessedesii in nature. Because of heavy rainfall the last days most flowers were destroyed - but I found some nice ones and was also very lucky to find one without any marking.
This species normally grows in crevices, the colour varies something, even if light purple dominates withe to blue plants can be found. This species not only enjoys Botanists also Goats are glad to find them as you will notice on the pics.
Fabulous photos Hans of a very beautiful species
Here are a couple of mine unfortunately not from nature
Crocus medius Millesimo from Dirk
C goulymii leucanthus which has flowered now for over a month
C niveus a late flowering form which usually starts now and goes on till December
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Some pictures of Crocus cambessedesii in nature. Because of heavy rainfall the last days most flowers were destroyed - but I found some nice ones and was also very lucky to find one without any marking.
This species normally grows in crevices, the colour varies something, even if light purple dominates withe to blue plants can be found. This species not only enjoys Botanists also Goats are glad to find them as you will notice on the pics.
Love this pictures very much Hans ! We went to Mallorca some years ago ,but in the wrong period for plantsmen.We have been in the area you describe. Never tought that this place hides this magnificent Crocus.In Mallorca,it was the first time that I saw Pancratius maritimus in the wild.Also remind some Astragalus , hardy palms ...I remember also that we try to find Paeonia cambessedesii,but we did'nt find them.
I must go back sometimes! Would like to see some Cyclamen balearicum sometimes...
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Here are a couple of mine unfortunately not from nature
C niveus a late flowering form which usually starts now and goes on till December
Ian - the late flowering C. niveus is very attractive. Is the blue colour true to life?
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Thank you everybody for showing nice autumn crocuses. November is not actually the season here but as there is no snow yet and days are sunny and relatively warm some crocus keep flowering.
1. Crocus speciosus albus
2. Crocus speciosus
3,4. Crocus speciosus Bowl's Blue
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3,4. Crocus speciosus Bowl's Blue
very nice. Does it have black styles with orange tips?
Today I saw my first C. chrysanthus has a nose above ground.
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Here are a couple of mine unfortunately not from nature
C niveus a late flowering form which usually starts now and goes on till December
Ian - the late flowering C. niveus is very attractive. Is the blue colour true to life?
Gerry the colour is not quite correct in fact it does look a little better than life in the photo I expect it is the white balance and the bright sunshine when it was photographed but it is a striking colour nevertheless.
As the flowers went over today I have done my best in Photoshop to get the colour as I remember it . Here is the result :-\
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Great surprise today - came out flower of spring blooming Crocus vitellinus from Boumana. Stock originally collected by Bob and Ranweig Wallis, I got it by wish of Jim.
Pictures quality isn't very good, because it was very dark and all the day raining.
Janis
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It's really a stunning colour Ian !! :o :o
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Thanks Mark,
took the pictures not far away from Lluc monastery - remember populations of Formentor a bit more homogenous - Hubi might have fotos from there.
Yes, I have. Thought I had posted some in 'our' Mallorca thread (http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=2610.0)
But there are only photos from Puig Massanella.
Here some plants from Cabo Formentor:
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Some pictures of Crocus cambessedesii in nature. Because of heavy rainfall the last days most flowers were destroyed - but I found some nice ones and was also very lucky to find one without any marking.
This species normally grows in crevices, the colour varies something, even if light purple dominates withe to blue plants can be found. This species not only enjoys Botanists also Goats are glad to find them as you will notice on the pics.
Very nice pictures, Hans. I wonder whether this species would also thrive in the rock garden? These goats out daredevil feats. Amazing!
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Hans And Thomas,
Very nice Crocus photos in the wild, thanks for showing.
Great surprise today - came out flower of spring blooming Crocus vitellinus from Boumana. Stock originally collected by Bob and Ranweig Wallis, I got it by wish of Jim.
Pictures quality isn't very good, because it was very dark and all the day raining.
Janis
Janis,
C. vitellinus is described in Flora Palestina as a bloomer in December and January,
its distribution reaches S. Lebanon, a short distance north of Israel.
I grow a few plants originated to this area and they flower in early December with the leaves.
Your plant is probably originated to Broumana east of Beirut, 500- 750m. meaning that it doesn't receive heavy snows therefor flowering early and not in spring as the case of high elevation populations.
There is also lack of information regarding the distributions of vitellinus and graveolens both present in this region.
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Janis,
C. vitellinus is described in Flora Palestina as a bloomer in December and January,
its distribution reaches S. Lebanon a short distance north of Israel.
I grow a few plants originated to this area and they flower in early December with leaves.
Your plant is probably originated to Broumana east of Beirut, 750m. meaning that it doesn't receive heavy snows therefor flowering early and not in spring as the case of populations originated in high elevations.
There is also lack of information regarding the distributions of vitellinus and graveolens both present in this region.
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Many thanks for information. It is quite interesting as with me both species - vitellinus and graveolens allways were spring bloomers and not between the earliest, I suppose that even more tended to second half of season. Of course all my earlier stocks are from Turkey. This one is the first from South part of area. Misspelling caused by misreading handwritten label on parcel. Many thanks for correction. Really for me still isn't easy to separate both species. At least stocks grown as graveolens are without bad smell, recorded as very characteristic to this species. Of course there are color, number and size of leaves separating both, but in some cases features are overlapping. If there would not be difference in chromosomes I would like to join both in one species.
Janis
Janis
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3,4. Crocus speciosus Bowl's Blue
very nice. Does it have black styles with orange tips?
Today I saw my first C. chrysanthus has a nose above ground.
Not exactly black, Mark, but rather dark
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Hans And Thomas,
Very nice Crocus photos in the wild, thanks for showing.
Great surprise today - came out flower of spring blooming Crocus vitellinus from Boumana. Stock originally collected by Bob and Ranweig Wallis, I got it by wish of Jim.
Pictures quality isn't very good, because it was very dark and all the day raining.
Janis
Janis,
C. vitellinus is described in Flora Palestina as a bloomer in December and January,
its distribution reaches S. Lebanon, a short distance north of Israel.
I grow a few plants originated to this area and they flower in early December with the leaves.
Your plant is probably originated to Broumana east of Beirut, 500- 750m. meaning that it doesn't receive heavy snows therefor flowering early and not in spring as the case of high elevation populations.
There is also lack of information regarding the distributions of vitellinus and graveolens both present in this region.
I just checked at my office blooming times of those species last spring (2010). Majority of Crocus biflorus group species & subspecies bloomed at middle of March, but vitellinus and graveolens only at end of March (of course in greenhouse). The earliest blooming of vitellinus was some years ago in mid-February. So in my mind they both belongs to late-mid spring bloomers.
Janis
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Here are Crocus grown from NARGS seed flowering for the first time.
Can you confirm that it is Crocus caspius please. It looks like Crocus niveus
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Here are Crocus grown from NARGS seed flowering for the first time.
Can you confirm that it is Crocus caspius please. It looks like Crocus niveus
Sorry, Arthur, can't confirm caspius. As you wrote it looks really like niveus.
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but a nice one! :o
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Here are Crocus grown from NARGS seed flowering for the first time.
Can you confirm that it is Crocus caspius please. It looks like Crocus niveus
Sorry, Arthur, can't confirm caspius. As you wrote it looks really like niveus.
As Armin says - a nice niveus :)
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Part of my birthday present arrived today. I chose some bulbs from Paul Christian. Two of the crocus are the size of dove eggs :o with one 5.5x4.5x3cm having 12 noses. These are out of the top, sides and base.
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here they are. Dream Dancer and Purple Heart
Anthony said in 2009
I have just received a corm of Crocus mathewii 'Dream Dancer' from Rareplants. Two shoots, and the corm was as big as an onion set: it would only just fit into the circle made by my thumb and fore finger!
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A "rare" treat indeed to get those whoppers, Mark! ;D
We'll be waiting to see the flowers..... :D
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Wow ! What a treat !! :o
That's value for money, to say the least !
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WOW - looks great, Mark - at least in first sight.
But my experiences with such large corms is, that they flower wonderful in the first year and then disappear.
Would be interesting to know what your's do, so please keep us in touch.
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WOW - looks great, Mark - at least in first sight.
But my experiences with such large corms is, that they flower wonderful in the first year and then disappear.
Would be interesting to know what your's do, so please keep us in touch.
I'm worrying also. Anthony's survived OK
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Hi, all! Thank you very much for your posts with wonderful and mouth-watering pictures, and practical advice from your experiences. Here is my potted Crocus mathewii, ex. HKEP. 9291, taken this morning. It’s a herald of crocus season at my place, but this year, more than 2 weeks later than usual. Cheers :)
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here they are. Dream Dancer and Purple Heart
Anthony said in 2009
I have just received a corm of Crocus mathewii 'Dream Dancer' from Rareplants. Two shoots, and the corm was as big as an onion set: it would only just fit into the circle made by my thumb and fore finger!
Wow Mark!!!
Very very impressive size!!!
Taking into account my gigantomania, I think I should grow this crocus as well. Besides flowers, I also enjoy big bulbs. And I noticed many growers do it too. During summer I very often visit my store house, touch my big bulbs, look at them and enjoy.
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Hi, all! Thank you very much for your posts with wonderful and mouth-watering pictures, and practical advice from your experiences. Here is my potted Crocus mathewii, ex. HKEP. 9291, taken this morning. Its a herald of crocus season at my place, but this year, more than 2 weeks later than usual. Cheers :)
Yamanaka-san,
a very fine potful of C. mathewii you have in flower. 8)
Do you have a crocus collection?
I'm excited to read your reply and to see more images from central Japan ;)
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here they are. Dream Dancer and Purple Heart
Anthony said in 2009
I have just received a corm of Crocus mathewii 'Dream Dancer' from Rareplants. Two shoots, and the corm was as big as an onion set: it would only just fit into the circle made by my thumb and fore finger!
Wow Mark!!!
Very very impressive size!!!
Taking into account my gigantomania, I think I should grow this crocus as well. Besides flowers, I also enjoy big bulbs. And I noticed many growers do it too. During summer I very often visit my store house, touch my big bulbs, look at them and enjoy.
This is exactly what I feel about bulbs!
I love bulbs more than their flowers
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Zhirair and Arda I totally agree. My fave bulb is Crocus goulimyi
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Herr Armin, danke ;D I really love crocuses and dwarf bulbs! Yes I’m just trying to increase my crocus collection and have got around 40 species, varieties and cultivars now. Several are flowering size and many of others are 1-3 year-old seedlings. The second flowering crocus in my collection is C. tournefortii, but seems taking more than a week to flower, and not in its best condition this season because of we had deadly heat summer in my place I think :(
Zhirair, Arda and Mark, all you're totally freaky croconuts!!! ;D ;D ;D
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Yamanada-san,
please call me with my first name, just Armin ;).
I'm sure all forumists love our plants and share the same passion - you are in good company. ;D
It seems you have got the crocus fever already :o ;D
Be ensured - it is a quickly spreading but harmless worldwide descease ;D
What were the causes/motivation of your passion? And when did you start to collect/breed your own favourites?
Do you grow your croci & bulbs in a glas house or in the open garden or both?
Sorry, if I'm a bit obstrutive. I'm curious, please tell us a bit more about you :D
I wouldn't worry about the conditions due to deadly heat in summer. Many crocus species prefer and require a summer drought to flower abundantly.
I'm excited to see your next images of C. tournefortii.
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A couple of weeks ago I mentioned the problems of aphids on newly emerging crocus shoots. The pests gather under the top dressing and multiply. I have been away for a week and the weather has been very warm. Crocus pelistericus has pushed up its new shoot and as can be seen it is badly infested.
Also a picture of Crocus biflorus ssp melantherus a gift from Melvyn.
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Today I marched through the wilds with the hope of finding a new crocus or colchicum for my collection. Unfortunately all I could find was crocus pallasii pallasii which was already in my collection.
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Armin, Thank you for your warm welcome :) And please call me just Tatsuo or YT. Yamanaka is my family name and ‘-san’ means ‘Herr’ or ‘Frau/Frl’ ;)
What were the causes/motivation of your passion? And when did you start to collect/breed your own favourites?
Do you grow your croci & bulbs in a glas house or in the open garden or both?
Sorry, if I'm a bit obstrutive. I'm curious, please tell us a bit more about you :D
Well… these are good questions. I cannot explain the reason I cherish plants and can only say I just LOVE them. I started my plants life with a morning glory, one of the typical Japanese ornamental plants, when I was a child and soon interested in autumn planting bulbous plants especially dwarf bulbs. Morning glory is a summer annual and I can grow autumn planting bulbs during another seasons ;D
In autumn 2003, I got a flowering C. tournefortii bulb from a friend and was totally charmed with its wonderful contrast; prominent, dissected vivid orange-red pistil with pale mauve perianths, white anthers, and a small orange-yellow eye at bottom of the cup :o :o :o Before that I only saw saffrons, the big Dutch hybrids and few winter flowering chrysanthus-biflorus hybrids. Then, my crocus fever was started ;)
I grow all my crocuses in pots and outside by sunny south facing wall just under the eaves all through their growing period. My place has no snow and very few (weak) frosts and is one of the most sunny winter areas in Japan ;D
I wouldn't worry about the conditions due to deadly heat in summer. Many crocus species prefer and require a summer drought to flower abundantly.
I'm excited to see your next images of C. tournefortii.
Thank you for your advice. Yes, I know C. tournefortii is a typical Mediterranean and likes dry and hot summer, so I don't worry usual summer. But we had humid and unbelievable heat summer days, max. nearly 40 - min. around 30ºC, continued more than 60 days this summer… :o :( In anyway, I'll have a look.
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Tatsuo,welcome. From your blog you seem to enjoy a wide range of plants which makes life interesting. Your Crocus mathewii are very nice. I have just been to see it in the wild.
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Here is C. pulchellus in the wild on Uludag, following a recent visit to W. Turkey. C. pulchellus is a woodland plant, so the meadow pictures are exceptions to the rule. The butterfly is supposed to be Polygonia c-album (strange name isn't it!). I've uploaded pics of 3 autumn visits to Turkey on my site now.
KJ
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YT what is that stunning yellow and brown flower on the first page of your log?
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The butterfly is supposed to be Polygonia c-album (strange name isn't it!).
Anthony will know why
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Kees Jan,
I wish I could travel to Uludag, it is 2-3 hours to the city I live in but I am too lazy&busy for that
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Kees very nice pulchelus pics. I would be interested to see more... from NW. TR. My most commom crocus is pulchellus and it can grow very easyly everywhere even in my pots without any invitation!. But I like the variations this crocus.
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Kees very nice pictures,the last one is a sight I would love to see
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Wonderful images Kees Jan !
By the way, your website is utterly fantastic !! :o :o
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Wonderful images Kees Jan !
By the way, your website is utterly fantastic !! :o :o
How right you are Luc! :o
Here some pics of a few Crocus - a relative new addiction thanks to this forum and especially Hubi. ::) ;)
A blue form of Crocus cambessedesii, C.laevigatus, two forms of C. mathewii (second from a very genorous forumist!), C. sativus and C.speciosus. As C. sativus is known as triploid clone I am surprised about the variation in colour, C. speciosus is nothing special for most growers in the north but here it survives hot and dry conditions during summer without any problem.
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Here is C. pulchellus in the wild on Uludag, following a recent visit to W. Turkey. C. pulchellus is a woodland plant, so the meadow pictures are exceptions to the rule. The butterfly is supposed to be Polygonia c-album (strange name isn't it!). I've uploaded pics of 3 autumn visits to Turkey on my site now.
KJ
Great to see such abundance in the wild. As others have already said - your website is a feast for the eyes. Thanks.
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Tony, thank you and how nice you see C. mathewii in wild! I’m looking forward to showing us your photos of the trip ;)
KJ, thanks for sharing with us your nice wild C. pulchelus pictures!
Hans, your blue form of Crocus cambessedesii is a real beauty and paler C. sativus is very unusual. And that's good news for me C. speciosus can survive summer at your place. I thought my place is too hot for speciosus to live long but I will try them.
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YT what is that stunning yellow and brown flower on the first page of your log?
Mark, that is Hesperantha vaginata, a spring flowering South African small bulb. Sorry I dont have any surplus seeds now. Perhaps you can find bulbs on net shops but I suppose you should get seeds better, because youll be able to enjoy a range of different yellow/black patterns on flowers and pick up favourite one. It takes 2 or 3 years from seed to flower at my place. The new harvested seeds will be available at Silverhill in coming December or January.
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Kees - welcome back and many thanks for your great (as always) photos from the wild. Just had a look at your website - congratulations for this great work!!
YT - welcome to the world of croconuts. Great to have the first crocusgrower from Japan with us. Did you ever try crocus in the open garden? In your climate it should be no problem I guess. Most of them will feel like in their native habitat around the Mediterranean Sea.
Hans - What has happened to you? I remember you telling me, that you don't like to grow crocus ;D The dark blue cambessedesi looks really great! But I've never heard of a white sativus - please separate it and observe if this feature is still present next year.
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Tatsuo,
thank you for telling us more. Your web pages show many interesting plants :o :D
I can only comply with Thomas to motivate you to try to grow crocus in the open garden.
Your climate seem to suit to much more species compared to my wet conditions in my garden.
Tony W,
did you already doctor your croci?
I found out rape oil as a very good and harmless method to minimize infestation i.e. on my rose bushes.
Kees,
it is a great pleasure to see pictures from the wild habitat. 8) Your web pages are great too! 8)
Hans,
it is a pleasure you joined the croconuts ;D
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Armin....please tell us, how do you use the rape oil ?
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Hi Maggi,
I mix 100 ml rape oil (from discounter, < 1,-Euro/ltr) with ~6 Ltr water. In order to get an emulsion I add a few drops of liquid soap concentrate (<1,-Euro a bottle from discounter) and shake it well. Then I immediately spray my roses from all sides.
Causion: do not spray when it gets/is hot and sunshine as the oilfilm can burn the leaves!
The best is to my opinion to spray in the late afternoon.
Above mixture helped 100% against heavy mites infestation on my roses (sprayed every week, 3x times ttl) and also against aphids. The emulsion (oil) encapsules the parasites and they die. It also suppress the growth of downey mildew (in an early stage of infestation) on young shoots.
The challenge is to keep the oil in an emulsion for good surface distribution and I still try to optimize the recipe. If you add to much soap it harms the leaves...
Therefore I'm thinking of to use i.e. lecithin (=natural tensid, (in egg yolk)) (from drog store or pharmacia) instead of the soap next season...
I will make a trial next season to use it proactively biweekly.
In case of crocus I can imagine a good result in case they are in leaf status. I would not spray when they are in blossom.
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Thank you Armin. This is most interesting.
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Lecithin - I use this to keep my cholesterol down
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Armin
yes I have treated them with a systemic insecticide. As most of the pests are under the top dressing a contact one is not effective.
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Mark & YT,
I donated seed of Hesperantha vaginata to the SRGC exchange this year so watch out for your seed list!
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Dutch commercial nurseries usually use a combination of mineral oil and systematic insecticides (based on synthetic pyrethroids) because, eventhough the aphids might die after sucking up the sap with the insecticide, possible viruses might already have been transmitted, the mineral oil makes the plant less attractive to aphids so it prevents them from even start sucking.
A virus takes only 24 hours to spread in the entire body of an aphid and once on the mouth parts there is no stopping the virus if the aphid makes a hole in the plant and comes into contact with the plantsap.
A combination of the 2 therefore is the most effective method. It depends on how precious the plants are because it is quite labor intensive. Although most systematic insecticides only need to be applied a couple of times during the season, mineral oil needs more frequent application. It also depends on the insectide, the emulsion concentrates get in the wax layer of the plant and are less likely to be washed away, the ones applied through waterings generally only need 2-3 applications during the season.
One of the latest insecticides is Sumicidin, an insectide that also has a small repellent effect but I am not sure if it is available for gardeners in the various countries.
The sprays from the garden centres based on fatty accids as an alternative to mineral oil also work quite well, they just smell of an old sock... ;)
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Crocus boryii in flower in Corfu last week. It is all over the island, in some places in considerable numbers, I think it is the only Crocus species to be found on the island.
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How lovely, Melvyn.... a sight to make me smile, thanks.
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Pascal,
thank you for the details of virus growths/spreading and commercial growers treatment. No objections from my side.
As a matter of fact it is impossible to grow modern rose hybrids without proactive treatment with fungicides and systematic insecticides.
Bof June with the first very hot summer days I realized the start of infestation with mites. I immediately sprayed 3 times a systemic insecticide without any success! :o
The mites got resistent against the agent Dimethoat I used over the last 15 years I grow roses... (I didn't notice that the substance is since this year no longer recommended against mites, too. >:()
After leaves got already brownish with visible mite web, the use of rape oil was the genius thought to end the tragedy.
The successful treatment of mites needs to be repeated 2-3times to kill all the new hatched mites from surviving eggs...
Last time I applied it again in September when I noticed aphids and downey mildew.
The advantage of rape oil over mineral oil it is ecologially harmless and cheap.
It works excellent!
Tony,
good to know you have everything under control ;) :D
Mark,
does Lecithine in high dose help?
Melvyn,
very lovely C. boryii from the wild.
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Crocus boryii in flower in Corfu last week. It is all over the island, in some places in considerable numbers, I think it is the only Crocus species to be found on the island.
Beautiful Melvyn. How satisfying to be in the right place at the right time!
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YT - welcome to the world of croconuts. Great to have the first crocusgrower from Japan with us. Did you ever try crocus in the open garden? In your climate it should be no problem I guess. Most of them will feel like in their native habitat around the Mediterranean Sea.
Hi Thomas, Thank you for your welcome :) :) :) Yes, I’ve already tried growing nudiflorus, longiflorus and niveus with some other dwarf bulbs and perennials in my garden about 5 years ago. We have very wet rainy season during June and July (the monsoon) in Japan so I made a mound with well drained blended soil (sand grid, pumice and Akadama etc.) and volcanic stones to avoid bulbs rotting under such high humidity and temperature condition. At last I planted bulbs and plants, and went to bed and dreamed the mound covered with my plants ;D The next morning I found all my longiflorus bulbs were dug up roughly and there was a stinky brownish object there :o >:( I removed it and replanted bulbs again. Several days later, a Pseudolysimachion sieboldianum flew away and same stinky object there again >:( >:( I realised I made a luxurious cats toilet! :o :o :o I tried protecting my mound from cats and took many steps but it was impossible to keep my mound away from cats completely :( Then, my little gems got serious damages day by day and I was exhausted fighting against cats :'( :'( :'( Now I’m growing almost my dwarf bulbs in pots or container (except Ipheion and grape Muscari) and all happy ;D 8)
Armin, so I'll try my crocus in the open garden again some day :)
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Tatsuo,
many of bulb lovers know your problem with cats very well! >:( My family owns a cat, too. ;D
I admit I can't keep off my and neighbours cats from misusing the raised beds but one method to limit the amount of 'brownish objects' is to use a top layer of sharp gravel.
As finer the material as easier and comfortable it is for the cats to dig their toilet pothole.
Further I can recommend to use plastic baskets for corms and bulbs to prevent from being pulled out.
Usual cats learn quickly that they can't dig if they feel the edges of the baskets or see the plastic labels(!).
I have also left some area unplanted - a concession to their effective work against rodents.
An effective method is to top your raised bed with a wire mesh. But that's not looking very nice in a garden.
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Beautyful pictures, Melvyn!
Hans,
it is a pleasure you joined the croconuts ;D
Thanks Armin , I resisted long time because of lack of space to start to grow a larger number of croci, but the crazy croconut Thomas and the great pictures on this forum convinced me... ::) ;)
I still have not found the button to hide all the threads which show not Iris - so not only more and more Crocus but also Arums, Biarums, Cyclamen, Galanthus.... invade my too small Garden ;)
Thomas - thanks ;) will mark and separate this C. sativus.
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Here some pics of a few Crocus - a relative new addiction thanks to this forum and especially Hubi. ::) ;)
A blue form of Crocus cambessedesii, C.laevigatus, two forms of C. mathewii (second from a very genorous forumist!), C. sativus and C.speciosus. As C. sativus is known as triploid clone I am surprised about the variation in colour, C. speciosus is nothing special for most growers in the north but here it survives hot and dry conditions during summer without any problem.
Welcome to the club Hans. If your new crocus do half as well as your Sternbergias then they are going to be spectacular.
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A great series of Croci Hans ! They seem to enjoy your garden just as much as the fabulous Iris' do !! ;D And remember.... once a nut... always a nut !! ;D ;D
Melvyn, what superb shots of the C. boryi in the wild !! Fabulous !!
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Melvyn, what a great sight - seems like you've been there for the right time.
YT - did you try to protect your corms with fence wire? I have the same problems here with cats, but I've noticed, that they stop digging, when the soil is compacted by rain after a few weeks. Until this time you could lie a piece of fence wire on the surface. And like Armin I use plant baskets for my corms. In most cases this helps, but I've had it two or three times, that a fresh dug basket has been digged up completely with the corms - perhaps due to the human smell?
Armin thanks for the tipp with the rape oil !
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Mark, does Lecithine in high dose help?
so far yes
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Mark,
good for you! :D I asked because there are lots of debades about effectiveness/ineffectiveness of Lecithine as dietary supplement...
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Here is another Crocus from W Turkey: C. nerimaniae, which has a somewhat wider distribution than I thought.
http://keesjan.smugmug.com/Botanical-trips/Asia/Western-Turkey-Autumn-2010/
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These crocus in the wild are wonderful...... I am so grateful to be able to see them.
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Kees Jan,
Your website is great!
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Armin & Thomas, Thank you for your helpful advices. I'll take them next time! ;)
KJ, All your botanical trips are great especially to asia! :)
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After leaves got already brownish with visible mite web, the use of rape oil was the genius thought to end the tragedy.
The successful treatment of mites needs to be repeated 2-3times to kill all the new hatched mites from surviving eggs...
Last time I applied it again in September when I noticed aphids and downey mildew.
The advantage of rape oil over mineral oil it is ecologially harmless and cheap.
Hi, I got to this post rather late but am very interested in your use of rape oil. I wonder if it has the same properties as Neem oil or other spraying oils which I use on my pleiones during the dormant period to combat the Brevipalpus mite. Neem oil is very expensive and hard to get. where do you get rape oil? is it the same as culinary rape seed oil?
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Hello Maren,
it is culinary rape seed oil from the discounter I use. It kills Panonychus ulmi and Tetranychus urticae outside in the garden.
I have no idea if it has an effect against Brevipalpus mites and Pleiones leaves tolerate rape oil.
Rape oil is not harmfull and has no systemic effect. The film of oil encapsules the mites. They get glued, can't move, breath and finally die.
Important is to spray the undersides of leaves with highest infestation.
Have you tried to spray / water preventive with a cold water maceration of onion- and garlic skins? (available in every household)
The active substance Allicin frighten away the saugers.
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Hi, I got to this post rather late but am very interested in your use of rape oil. I wonder if it has the same properties as Neem oil or other spraying oils which I use on my pleiones during the dormant period to combat the Brevipalpus mite. Neem oil is very expensive and hard to get. where do you get rape oil? is it the same as culinary rape seed oil?
Maren - I am curious to know if you have had success with Neem. When it first came out I was given samples and gave some to Glendoick Gardens for testing. They reported back that it was not really useful for their purposes in such a cool climate. I understand in warm & hot climates it has been very effective outdoors.
johnw
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I have a pot of Crocus, just open today, that have no label. They look like a very blue C. niveus with narrow petals. How variable are they?
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Wonderful images Kees Jan !
By the way, your website is utterly fantastic !! :o :o
How right you are Luc! :o
Here some pics of a few Crocus - a relative new addiction thanks to this forum and especially Hubi. ::) ;)
A blue form of Crocus cambessedesii, C.laevigatus, two forms of C. mathewii (second from a very genorous forumist!), C. sativus and C.speciosus. As C. sativus is known as triploid clone I am surprised about the variation in colour, C. speciosus is nothing special for most growers in the north but here it survives hot and dry conditions during summer without any problem.
Only yesterday returned from Israel, so late reply, but can't withstand from :o for this cambessedesii. Nothing similar saw before!
Janis
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YT - welcome to the world of croconuts. Great to have the first crocusgrower from Japan with us. Did you ever try crocus in the open garden? In your climate it should be no problem I guess. Most of them will feel like in their native habitat around the Mediterranean Sea.
Hi Thomas, Thank you for your welcome :) :) :) Yes, Ive already tried growing nudiflorus, longiflorus and niveus with some other dwarf bulbs and perennials in my garden about 5 years ago. We have very wet rainy season during June and July (the monsoon) in Japan so I made a mound with well drained blended soil (sand grid, pumice and Akadama etc.) and volcanic stones to avoid bulbs rotting under such high humidity and temperature condition. At last I planted bulbs and plants, and went to bed and dreamed the mound covered with my plants ;D The next morning I found all my longiflorus bulbs were dug up roughly and there was a stinky brownish object there :o >:( I removed it and replanted bulbs again. Several days later, a Pseudolysimachion sieboldianum flew away and same stinky object there again >:( >:( I realised I made a luxurious cats toilet! :o :o :o I tried protecting my mound from cats and took many steps but it was impossible to keep my mound away from cats completely :( Then, my little gems got serious damages day by day and I was exhausted fighting against cats :'( :'( :'( Now Im growing almost my dwarf bulbs in pots or container (except Ipheion and grape Muscari) and all happy ;D 8)
Armin, so I'll try my crocus in the open garden again some day :)
Cover your bed with wire-net and hide it by thin layer of stone chips. It helps against cats. Their legs dont like stone chips and especially the wire-net just below.
Janis
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Maren - I am curious to know if you have had success with Neem. When it first came out I was given samples and gave some to Glendoick Gardens for testing. They reported back that it was not really useful for their purposes in such a cool climate. I understand in warm & hot climates it has been very effective outdoors.
johnw
Hello John,
it's hard to say whether Neem oil is successful or not for my purpose, I guess it must be because I have never had any Brevipalpus mite in my collection. According to Ian Butterfield, it is easy to spot because it turns pleione pseudobulbs to mush.
I feel a bit guilty about elaborating on this topic, maybe we could have a separate one for Treatment with Spraying Oils or something like that. then I can explain what I do, which is quite different to what others have described here.
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Good point, Maren.... I have taken the posts from here to a new topic, as you suggest.... see it here:
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=6238.msg172457#msg172457
Please make further posts on the subject of Spraying Oils for pest control there, Folks.
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Fellow Croconuts and Bulb lovers, see this new thread for posts from Janis about his recent trip to Israel.....
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=6241.0
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After returning from Israel all day passed taking off dead flowers of my crocuses. Nothing I lost due absence. Weather in Latvia was and are cold, dark, wet and flower development is very slow. So I can show you only two newcomers - the first is flower bud of Crocus hyemalis. This specimen comes from Jordan. How Crocus hyemalis looks when flowers are open you can see in entry - Crocuses and bulbs in Israel.
Another bud surprised me by color. It is the first time when it flowers with me. It is Crocus laevigatus GOLD BACK - plant with amazing history. I think it was sent from United Kingdom by Roger Poulet some 20 years ago to "down under" - to Marcus Harvey in Australia. Last summer Markus very kindly sent me corm of it. So it returned from "exile" to its native hemisphere and now made first flower here. I'm shocked by its color!
Janis
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Crocus laevigatus Gold Back looks stunning 8)
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Amazing !! :o
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I think it was sent from United Kingdom by Roger Poulet some 20 years ago to "down under" - to Marcus Harvey in Australia.
When I came along Roger Poulett a bell rang. I had an interesting correspondence about Cyclamen with him in 1994 and until today I cultivate Cyclamen colchicum which originated from him.
He had an excellent handwriting and - he wrote in perfect German!
Some years later I was told - true or not - that he gave up all his plants and went to sunnier climes.
I was very impressed by him and I am curious to know whether there is someone in this community who is able to tell me something about the fate of Roger.
Gerd
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This one has been popping up either and yon. I can't remember the species. Seems very late given the rains we've had in the last 6 weeks.
johnw
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When I came along Roger Poulett a bell rang. I had an interesting correspondence about Cyclamen with him in 1994 and until today I cultivate Cyclamen colchicum which originated from him.
He had an excellent handwriting and - he wrote in perfect German!
Some years later I was told - true or not - that he gave up all his plants and went to sunnier climes.
I was very impressed by him and I am curious to know whether there is someone in this community who is able to tell me something about the fate of Roger.
Gerd
I used to get Roger's wonderful handwritten lists and bought several marvellous plants from him. He retired a few years ago - I can't remember where he went but I probably still have his last list somewhere so I will have a hunt for it.
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When I came along Roger Poulett a bell rang. I had an interesting correspondence about Cyclamen with him in 1994 and until today I cultivate Cyclamen colchicum which originated from him.
He had an excellent handwriting and - he wrote in perfect German!
Some years later I was told - true or not - that he gave up all his plants and went to sunnier climes.
I was very impressed by him and I am curious to know whether there is someone in this community who is able to tell me something about the fate of Roger.
Gerd
I used to get Roger's wonderful handwritten lists and bought several marvellous plants from him. He retired a few years ago - I can't remember where he went but I probably still have his last list somewhere so I will have a hunt for it.
Roger Poulett used to have a nursery not far from here which I visited on a couple of occasions over 20 years ago. If I remember correctly, he specialised in cyclamen though he had many other interesting plants. I'm surprised to learn that some people actually had plants from him since he had the reputation of being unwilling to sell any of his stock & this was my experience when I visited the nursery, though I did manage to buy a couple of his hepaticas at an AGS show. I'm not surprised to learn that he was fluent in German since I believe he spent a few years working there.
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Cover your bed with wire-net and hide it by thin layer of stone chips. It helps against cats. Their legs dont like stone chips and especially the wire-net just below.
Janis
Janis, thank you very much for your advices :) I'll try them. And Im so fascinated your C. laevigatus 'Gold Back' :o :o :o
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I for several years corresponded with Roger Poulett and... not remember now, I think that exchanged with plants (as in this period it was not easy for me to buy something in West...) with Roger. I suppose that it was in first years of our independence, so it was in early 90-ties. I still remember his handwritten bulb lists (catalogues) with prices, so he sold something, too. I'm afraid that during replacing of nursery his lists (catalogues) were lost somewhere, but I'm still growing several of his plants. At moment in brain came Crocus received as abantensis but which turned to be Crocus biflorus taurii. They can easy be mixed by flowers, although tunics are different. Another is very beautiful small Muscari sp. received by Roger as species from Steven. Now it is grown under nickname "miniarmeniacum from Poulett" and most likely is new species later recollected by our team (together with Henrik and Arnis) in Turkey. There was Crocus pulchellus 'Big Boy' (most likely speciosus hybrid) and white pulchellus - those I got from Roger, too. May be there were some others, but I don't remember at moment.
Janis
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As C. sativus is known as triploid clone I am surprised about the variation in colour,
[/quote]
Due long absence from forum, only now read earlier entries, so something delayed comment to Hans entry with marvellous pictures.
As very long cultivated triploid and being sterile Crocus sativus is not saved from mutations which rise some variation. As I remember plants from Apscheron (Azerbaijan, then it was Soviet Union) - the single place in previous USSR where it was cultivated for saffron - there were some variation in color, of course not so prominent as on your picture. I think that in wide area there could be several clones adapted to local conditions. Those, which are cultivated in Spain, could be quite different from those cultivated in Iran or India. Triploid tulips are common with quite greater proportion of mutations than in normal diploid cultivars. Why not accept that for Crocus sativus, too. Of course there are var. cashmirianus, reported by some as rarely fertile at least as pollen parent (although I'm doubtful about correctness of experiment - may be not sufficient isolation from foreign pollen on mother plant was insured, but this is only my opinion). I suppose that your light colored specimen is such mutation. Albinos are usual between purple-blue colored species. If I remember well - very long ago white sativus was offered by Van Tubergen company, then it was owned by Hoog's family and was famous for growing (not only selling) rarest bulbs near Harlem in Holland. It was in early 80-ties or even earlier.
Janis
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An article on the saffron harvest in Spain appeared in The Independent this morning:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/saffron-harvest-brings-a-new-gold-rush-2132857.html
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This one has been popping up either and yon. I can't remember the species. Seems very late given the rains we've had in the last 6 weeks.
johnw
John, it is C. ligusticus (medius). ;)
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Here is the last of three Crocus species that I found in W Turkey recently, Crocus pallasii ssp. pallasii in a pretty good form in Bozdağlar. This is a ssp. with quite a large distribution.
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Marcus very kindly sent me a corm of the Gold Back laevigatus, summer before last. It is really lovely, and unexpected. What a thrill! Marcus, Janis and me! :D
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Crocus laevigatus
From a Steve Keeble collection, Crete. This is small - about 5cm tall.
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Many thanks for all your remarks concerning Roger Poulett!
I still save one of his wonderful written letters from 1994.
Gerd
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Some from last pictures for this autumn:
Cr.asumaniae, a late form
cartwrightianus, ex 'Albus' hort.
laevigatus dark , in front of it laevigatus Gold Back
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Crocus cartwrightianus from Sirikari Crete needed to be brought in for some warmth and light to open today.
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Gerd , I too kept a few of Roger's handwritten letters ( as you say in perfect german ) from 1991-94 . He taught English for a few years at a school in Munich . I too still grow Cyclamen colchicum from seed received from him ( but my first seed of this species came from
Prof . Otto Schwarz , Jena Bot . Garden ) and also Hepatica nobilis 'Elkhofner Resi" - a vivid pink- which Roger collected somewhere in
Bavaria .
I remember , someone told me some years ago ,that Roger had a sea change and went to sunny Spain .
also his spoken German on the phone was really good.
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Thank you, Otto!
A second name - of whom I heard a lot - Professor Otto Schwarz - aka 'Primel Otto'. ;)
Gerd
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Yesterday on a mountain tour I took some pics of Crocus cambessedesii, peak of the season is over but i still found a few nice ones I want to share.
Two vulture followed my steps, think Aegypius monachus, there were also some Gyps fulvus which immigrated Mallorca only a few years ago.
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Gerd , I too kept a few of Roger's handwritten letters ( as you say in perfect german ) from 1991-94 . He taught English for a few years at a school in Munich . I too still grow Cyclamen colchicum from seed received from him ( but my first seed of this species came from
Prof . Otto Schwarz , Jena Bot . Garden ) and also Hepatica nobilis 'Elkhofner Resi" - a vivid pink- which Roger collected somewhere in
Bavaria .
Perhaps Roger Poulett was reluctant to sell me any of his plants because he guessed that I would kill them as, indeed, I did with Hepatica nobilis 'Elkhofner Resi'.
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Today we had unusually warm day - the warmest 15th November in last 50 years. Temperature reached +12 C and crocus flowers opened although the day was dark and cloudy. So it was possible to picture some of last autumn bloomers. Some (cambessedesii) are less floriferous than last year and one (C. oreocreticus) seems that will not form flowers this season qt all.
On the the first picture you can see Crocus cambessedesii - surprised for very few flowers this season.
Very long last blooms of this, quite variable stock of Crocus cartwrightianus (EP-9430)
Two differently colored stocks of Crocus tournefortii - note degree of style splitting in both. One is from Rik, another from Antoine Hoog.
Crocus veneris this season seem to be the species with the smallest flowers.
Crocus vitellinus flowerbuds (Broumana, Lebanon) I showed before, now open flowers. Really shocked for yellow crocus in November (see note of Oron at my earlier entry)
From annulate crocuses still in flowers are C. wattiorum, but quality of blooms during long days of dark, moist, cloudy weather became too poor for picturing. So only Crocus melantherus - one of the latest autumn blooming stocks.
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In this entry only one very variable species - Crocus laevigatus.
The first is nice violet form received from Erick Pasche.
Follows form 'Gold Back' showed earlier in buds. Unfortunately yellow shade slowly pales during blooming.
The smallest flowers in this species have forms from Crete
And on last four pictures are two forms (2 pictures of each) originating from Ray Cobb and which I received by kindness of Jim Archibald.
Janis
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Janis that second form of Crocus laevigatus Ray Cobb is incredible and Crocus vitellinus wow :o
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Janis that second form of Crocus laevigatus Ray Cobb is incredible and Crocus vitellinus wow :o
I agree with you, it is phantastic.
Janis
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Janis that second form of Crocus laevigatus Ray Cobb is incredible and Crocus vitellinus wow :o
I follow Davey in his praise !
C. vitellinus is truly unique ! :o
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Yesterday on a mountain tour I took some pics of Crocus cambessedesii, peak of the season is over but i still found a few nice ones I want to share.
Two vulture followed my steps, think Aegypius monachus, there were also some Gyps fulvus which immigrated Mallorca only a few years ago.
Hans,
Phantastic quality of pictures and marvellous plants! What camera you use?
Janis
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Here is Crocus robertianus from the southern Pindus in Greece, one of the plants in a new gallery that I have created http://keesjan.smugmug.com/Botanical-trips/Europe/Greece-mainland-October-2005/14625509_ocjJ9#1088069757_UoLCR . Having seen quite a few autumn flowering ones in recent years it is interesting that several species are typical woodland plants, i.e. robertianus, pulchellus and kotschyanus.
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Here is Crocus robertianus from the southern Pindus in Greece, one of the plants in a new gallery that I have created http://keesjan.smugmug.com/Botanical-trips/Europe/Greece-mainland-October-2005/14625509_ocjJ9#1088069757_UoLCR . Having seen quite a few autumn flowering ones in recent years it is interesting that several species are typical woodland plants, i.e. robertianus, pulchellus and kotschyanus.
Kees, an amazing gallery... topped off with that monastery, the scale of the mount it sits upon is hard to fathom. really enjoyed some of the Colchicum and Sternbergia photos :o :o
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Here is Crocus robertianus from the southern Pindus in Greece, one of the plants in a new gallery that I have created http://keesjan.smugmug.com/Botanical-trips/Europe/Greece-mainland-October-2005/14625509_ocjJ9#1088069757_UoLCR . Having seen quite a few autumn flowering ones in recent years it is interesting that several species are typical woodland plants, i.e. robertianus, pulchellus and kotschyanus.
Your galleries are excellent, fantastic pics.
Not surprising that some of the geophytes are found away from the most extreme heat that bakes the open places in this area. When grown in Northern gardens (such as here in the UK) they need all the sun they can get. I have found the same with plants like Cyclamen coum which thrives in open sunny places here but is much less happy if I try to replicate its natural, semi shaded habitat.
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Here is Crocus robertianus from the southern Pindus in Greece, one of the plants in a new gallery that I have created http://keesjan.smugmug.com/Botanical-trips/Europe/Greece-mainland-October-2005/14625509_ocjJ9#1088069757_UoLCR . Having seen quite a few autumn flowering ones in recent years it is interesting that several species are typical woodland plants, i.e. robertianus, pulchellus and kotschyanus.
Your galleries are excellent, fantastic pics.
Not surprising that some of the geophytes are found away from the most extreme heat that bakes the open places in this area. When grown in Northern gardens (such as here in the UK) they need all the sun they can get. I have found the same with plants like Cyclamen coum which thrives in open sunny places here but is much less happy if I try to replicate its natural, semi shaded habitat.
I even failed when planted Central Asian shade plants in Latvian shade and even lost some, but they are very happy in full sun here.
Janis
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Another picture of Melvyn's cartwrightianus that I took of his plant on Saturday.
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Wow :o -
two one day away, and again so many unique pictures and plants!
Hans,
Phantastic quality of pictures and marvellous plants! What camera you use?
Janis
Thanks a lot Janis - I use a Lumix DMC FZ-18. In my opinion a good small camera - it (or me?)has only some problems if there is little light. Normally I sharpen the pictures a bit after reducing their size on the Computer.
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Happy to report I have a Crocus wattiorum in flower - thanks Tony
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Arthur thats good but you never mentioned you gave it me in the first place! Shows the benefits of sharing things around.
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Arthur thats good but you never mentioned you gave it me in the first place! Shows the benefits of sharing things around.
I agree Tony !
The best way to keep rare and difficult plants alive is to spread them as much as possible under good and reliable friends...
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A real gem Art !!
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Crocus laevigatus
From a Ray Cobb collection (CRO1012). The seed was a gift from Alan Edwards.
Seedlings are quite variable in size & colour:
0932CRO - White, the most frequent form;
0925CRO-Y - Larger flowers. When the flower first opens the exteriors are quite a strong yellow but this fades quickly;
0944CRO-L - The least frequent form. The flowers are slightly smaller, pale lilac & white.
Edit:
Tony Willis has kindly provided me with some information about this form received from Ray Cobb himself. The original plants were not collected by Ray but came from Ronald Ginns & CRO1012 is not, as I thought, a collection number; moreover, it should be cr1012.
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a couple of Crocus wattiorum.These came from only 150m so very hot and dry area.
The first is quite typical and when they open in warmth they recurve completely in a not very attractive way.
The second is much paler (perhaps not obvious in the pictures) and has much reduced anthers(new sub species!!). These have produced pollen which I have used to pollinate the other flowers.
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Here is very cloudy and extremely wet weather. :'( Rain, rain and rain... Even pools are out of borders and flooding meadows.
Crocus flowers die without opening even once. So no pictures can be placed. For next weekend is offered quick drop of temperatures till minus 20 C or even lower. Could be beat all frost records for November here. It mean that next week I will start covering of pots in greenhouses and no more pictures will be available. Pity, as some stocks of melantherus, aleppicus, hyemalis and few others will stay with flowerbuds for winter and will not be seen in their beauty. Every day I'm plucking of wilted and died buds to prevent botrytis and penicillium rots, so easy starting on died flowers in such weather. Although Colchicums and Sternbergias are even more susceptible. Serious problems with my Onco-irises, some cyclamens, Pelargonium endlischerianum, too.
But I had more time for other observations. I noted that all stocks grown by me as Crocus imperatii (earlier subsp. imperatii) now have quite long leaves (up to 5 cm), but all stocks grown as C. suaveolens (earlier subsp. suaveolens of C. imperatii) still are without leaves. Only one stock bought from P&M company as suaveolens is with same leaves as imperatii, so I now changed its label. I got several stocks of both collected by Thomas and those repeats the same. There are not even tips of shoots visible in pots labeled as suaveolens and long leaves on pots collected as imperatii. Would like to know your observations about those two crocuses.
Janis
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Here in Stockholm itīs also very wet and cool and next week temperatures will start to drop below zero :-\
Unfortunately I donīt have any of the crocuses you ask about Janis, but it I am a bit surprised that my one year old seedlings of crocus alatavicus have come up and are about two cm long by now. Is that nomal with this crocus ?
As usual crocus baytopiorum are up with their noses in the pot.
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I don't have C. suaveolens but C. imperatii has been in leaf here for a month or so & buds are even visible. C. baytopiorum has recently emerged too, both mature plants and seedlings.
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Very overcast and dark today but at least Crocus tournefortii stays open.
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But on my side, the weather is perfect. 10 c more hot than normal average temperature. Two days ago I had chance research around for crocuses. I was very lucky for this time. I made lots of C. pallasii pics but there was no one C. pulchellus in this locations while I have seen lots of C. pulchellus last years.
It seems this pallasii is very rich in variation, not only in color, shape and size of flowers also look very different than each other. Of course not all but I will post a small part of them here..
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I don't want to make you boring but still I will post some more from another locations. There were so nice forms so I could not decide wich one should be at top :)
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Here in Stockholm itīs also very wet and cool and next week temperatures will start to drop below zero :-\
Unfortunately I donīt have any of the crocuses you ask about Janis, but it I am a bit surprised that my one year old seedlings of crocus alatavicus have come up and are about two cm long by now. Is that nomal with this crocus ?
As usual crocus baytopiorum are up with their noses in the pot.
It isn't normal with alatavicus, but can to happen and with my alatavicus seedling box of this autumn is the same. I was a little shocked seeing so abundant germination just now. A little nervous - how they will overwinter. Not allways I have so good seed crop of this species as this year (result of a lot of handpollination) because it blooms so early that even bees from hive placed in greenhouse still are sleeping. So I will cover them with glasswool sheets when frost will start. In nature alatavicus often come out from frosen soil, so corms are quite hardy, but I don't know how it is with first year seedlings coming out in autumn and still not forming new corm. Will hope...
Those crocuses which are wintering with leaves germinated very well and now has nice green shoots. For those it is very common and no problems in greenhouse.
The noses are out in baytopiorum, michelsonii, alatavicus and may be some others. As I showed earlier - vitellinus from Lebanon is in full flowers.
Janis
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But on my side, the weather is perfect. 10 c more hot than normal average temperature. Two days ago I had chance research around for crocuses. I was very lucky for this time. I made lots of C. pallasii pics but there was no one C. pulchellus in this locations while I have seen lots of C. pulchellus last years.
It seems this pallasii is very rich in variation, not only in color, shape and size of flowers also look very different than each other. Of course not all but I will post a small part of them here..
Excellent display of variability of pallasii! Many thanks, Ibrahim.
Janis
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Wonderful selection Ibrahim !
You could never bore us with your pix from nature !! ;D
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Lovely pictures Ibrahim,good to see the variation. Is Uskup near Kırklareli on the European side
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Thankīs Janis !
Letīs hope for a mild winter then.
Lovely pictures of crocus pallasii Ibrahim.
Lars
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Lovely pictures Ibrahim,good to see the variation. Is Uskup near Kırklareli on the European side
Tony, yes this is the exact location where my C. pallasii pics made.
I like to show one more C. pallasii. This was a nice surprise for me to see in a pot of C. cancellatus lycius so it is from quite far and differance part of country. It is smaller than my standart pallasii but very nice in color :).
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Here is very cloudy and extremely wet weather. :'( Rain, rain and rain... Even pools are out of borders and flooding meadows.
Crocus flowers die without opening even once. So no pictures can be placed. For next weekend is offered quick drop of temperatures till minus 20 C or even lower. Could be beat all frost records for November here. It mean that next week I will start covering of pots in greenhouses and no more pictures will be available. Pity, as some stocks of melantherus, aleppicus, hyemalis and few others will stay with flowerbuds for winter and will not be seen in their beauty. Every day I'm plucking of wilted and died buds to prevent botrytis and penicillium rots, so easy starting on died flowers in such weather. Although Colchicums and Sternbergias are even more susceptible. Serious problems with my Onco-irises, some cyclamens, Pelargonium endlischerianum, too.
But I had more time for other observations. I noted that all stocks grown by me as Crocus imperatii (earlier subsp. imperatii) now have quite long leaves (up to 5 cm), but all stocks grown as C. suaveolens (earlier subsp. suaveolens of C. imperatii) still are without leaves. Only one stock bought from P&M company as suaveolens is with same leaves as imperatii, so I now changed its label. I got several stocks of both collected by Thomas and those repeats the same. There are not even tips of shoots visible in pots labeled as suaveolens and long leaves on pots collected as imperatii. Would like to know your observations about those two crocuses.
Janis
Janis, my observation to Crocus imperati and suaveolens:
Cr.imperati from Thomas, 4 cm leaves
Cr.suaveolens Cambridge Bulbs also 4 cm
`` ex. `de Jager` 1 cm
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Dirk, many thanks for your notes about imperatii-suaveolens complex.
I think the attached two pictures are the last from me this year. Outside all is covered by snow and temperature during day stay at minus 4 C. Weather broadcast for following week is quite horrible - from 1st of December is offered even minus 25 C. So, if prognosis will not change, on Monday I will start covering of pots in greenhouses to protect them from extreme low temperatures. Pity that still many crocuses are in buds. In last two weeks we had endless rains and no one sunny day. Many crocuses pushed out flower buds but they never opened before started to wilt. So today I brought in the room two pots with Crocus hyemalis but it was so dark, that it was impossible to picture them without flash. I don't like such pictures, but can't to present you better.
Janis
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Photographed this nice laevigatus last weekend. Think it was a gift, but thanks to birds pulling out labels I do not have a record.
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Photographed this nice laevigatus last weekend. Think it was a gift, but thanks to birds pulling out labels I do not have a record.
Excellent flower, Arthur!
Janis
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Photographed this nice laevigatus last weekend. Think it was a gift, but thanks to birds pulling out labels I do not have a record.
Nice plant Arthur. I like laevigatus It is a bit like this one from a forumist some years ago - I think tonyg in 2005. A nice lavender laevigatus with strong purple outer markings.
I have now a growing selection of seedlings some beginning to flower.
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Yes, Ian that is the 'dark form' that I have distributed. I think I have seen it pictured here by other recipients too! Here are some of mine, planted outside for about 10 years now - tough!
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Yes Tony mine outside also look at bit sorry for themselves just now
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The same Crocus hyemalis pots, only pictured without flash, just before pollination and returning to greenhouse.
Janis
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Here is my another surprise which made me undecided for lable!
I have this crocus in spring with leaves. I thought It was something very common but it is very interesting with light pink color without any feathered but not albino. So it should be just a sample for its own locations.
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janis we still have here over 20 c in day and 16 in night :)
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Some Crocus which flowered today - C. mathewii 'Dream Dancer' is flowering much later than the other forms (and is compared with Anthonys very pale), C. laevigatus 'dark form' and C. hyemalis are very floriferous this year.
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janis we still have here over 20 c in day and 16 in night :)
Ibrahim, the temperatures here on the other side of the world are exactly the same at the moment. :D I left back and front doors wide open last night because it was so muggy and warm and this morning was wakened by a thrush flying around the kitchen and crashing into things. Small dog chasing after it was unlucky and I was able to rescue it. 8)
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Some Crocus which flowered today ...
Hans when I see how beautifully these grow in your garden I feel sorry for the poor things I have in pots under glass :P ;D
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Some Crocus which flowered today ...
Hans when I see how beautifully these grow in your garden I feel sorry for the poor things I have in pots under glass :P ;D
Exactly my feelings Ashley ! ;D ;D
Gorgeous plants Hans ! :o :o
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Yesterday, when I checked status in my Crocus greenhouse, soil surface in pots below stone chips started to harden. At 8 o'clock in evening outside temperature dropped to minus 13 C and sky was full with bright stars. I really started to worry - what will happen with my treasures and called a friend for help in Sunday. Fortunately sometime during night some clouds appeared and dropping of temperature was not so dramatic as suspected and in morning it was only minus 8 C. But weather broadcast for all next week offers only minus 10-13 C.
So my first job this morning was plucking of crocus flowers and buds. I tried to count them but after 500 I stopped - it still was only near half of total. And then we covered all pots in greenhouses with light artificial "snow" - 5 cm thick glasswool sheets. Tomorrow must visit local shop to buy more glasswool. Still left uncovered ~ 200 sq.m. of boxes with plantings.
So attached here are my last pictures from this season and new ones will come not earlier than around start of March next year, when covering I will took off.
Janis
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Some Crocus which flowered today - C. mathewii 'Dream Dancer' is flowering much later than the other forms (and is compared with Anthonys very pale), C. laevigatus 'dark form' and C. hyemalis are very floriferous this year.
Hans,
lovely crocus images.
Your 'Dream Dancer' is unusual...whitish anthers, very long styles, flowering late and with long leaves...
Maybe it has inherited some C. cartwrightianus genes? ;D
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Janis,
bad luck! It is a pity the blossom out had to finish abruptly by the harsh weather conditions.
It hurts to read you had to pluck so many flowers and buds. :'(
But I hope you can savely preserve all your treasuries over the winter!
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Janis do your Crocus stay under the glass wool all winter?
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Janis do your Crocus stay under the glass wool all winter?
Yes, they will stay under cover up to end of February, first days of March - depends from weather.
I'm usually waiting couple days with frost below minus 10 C for soil in pots freeze a little. Then during warm days pots still stay frosen as glasswool protects them both ways - from extreme frost and from high temperatures in our usually very unstable winters. Yesterday I thought that may be I covered my plantings a little too early, but this morning, when temperature outside dropped till minus 19 C, I'm very happy that I did it yesterday,
Three years ago temperature suddenly at Friday's evening dropped till minus 20 C for several days but I had flu just on those days, so I got helpers only on Monday's morning. Pots with bulbs in greenhouse (unheated poly-tunnel) stood exposed for 3 nights. As result I lost all my stocks of Crocus caspius. Seriously suffered, but I didn't loss wattiorum, boryi, melantherus and few other Crocuses, lost Ornithogalum cretense and some other bulbs.
Janis
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Some Crocus which flowered today - C. mathewii 'Dream Dancer' is flowering much later than the other forms (and is compared with Anthonys very pale), C. laevigatus 'dark form' and C. hyemalis are very floriferous this year.
Hans,
lovely crocus images.
Your 'Dream Dancer' is unusual...whitish anthers, very long styles, flowering late and with long leaves...
Maybe it has inherited some C. cartwrightianus genes? ;D
Thanks Armin, you comment something I suspected. This 'Dream Dancer' was strange from the beginning - a large corm, but only leaves, so I thought it would not flower - but now it is even more strange. Whatever it is, it is not awful - but for sure not as beautyful as the a pure mathewii. ::)
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Seems that my Dream Dancer is the same - it made only leaves regardless of large corm and only at very end showed some bud but cold arrived before flower came out. As the supplier is PCh I'm not wondering that different customers got different plants.
Janis
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While most of you already have been closed autumn season.
Here is one of my spring bloomer crosus but for my climate it is like autumn bloomer!
Crocus reticulatus subsp hittiticus
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Ibrahim,
very beautiful - with impressive 'leather like' anthers.
Where is the pollen? And which insects could potential pollinate them in late autuum in their natural environment?
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A wonderful species Ibrahim ! :o :o
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Ibrahim,
very beautiful - with impressive 'leather like' anthers.
Where is the pollen? And which insects could potential pollinate them in late autuum in their natural environment?
Armin, here it is still 22 c. so there are planty of insects around but I thing no need pollinaters! like this species with short style and long anthers. I also can't see pollen it might be because of a young flower!
We are also waiting cold weather, after this sunday!. Temperature will go down 10 c.! I hope not to see snow like you there!
This picture taken in my gaden but in wild (Centr Taurus) they flower in february. It is interesting but some of my spring plants they flower now!
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I didn't know were to post this if maggie wants to move it she can,
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crocuses-Complete-Guide-Janis-Ruksans/dp/1604691069/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291549166&sr=1-2 ,what a fantastic price BARGAIN!
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I didn't know were to post this if maggie wants to move it she can,http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crocuses-Complete-Guide-Janis-Ruksans/dp/1604691069/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291549166&sr=1-2 ,what a fantastic price BARGIN
I have just ordered it,something to look forward to at the end of January
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same here Tony roll on the 25th ;D
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Also ordered.. for end of january :P
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... and I've ordered my copy too.
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Looks that all Europe are covered by snow and frosts. I can see it on forum - crocus pictures disappeared from new entries.
My single novelty - I just got my first copy of my book. :-* :-* :-*
Looks quite nice. This evening will be some champagne...
Janis
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Looks that all Europe are covered by snow and frosts. I can see it on forum - crocus pictures disappeared from new entries.
My single novelty - I just got my first copy of my book. :-* :-* :-*
Looks quite nice. This evening will be some champagne...
Janis
Congratulations!
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I hope snow and ice does not affect deliveries of the book
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My single novelty - I just got my first copy of my book. :-* :-* :-*
Looks quite nice. This evening will be some champagne...
Janis
Congratulations!
I hope that the Champagne went down well Janis !
Many of us will be waiting for the delivery now ! :D :D
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I hope that the Champagne went down well Janis !
Oh yes, may be a little too much...
Janis
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How was the Champagne janis ?? ;D
Here also everything was under snow, even no more water,.. so only Champgne to drink but still no Crocus book to read :P
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You said it, Janis, all Europe (almost) is covered by snow and ice! Not so much snow here but ice. The soil is frozen deep. The freezing cold weather came suddenly mid-November and all autumn bloomers disappeared. This one was among the last ones, I have forgotten the name, maybe C. kotchyanus, I got it from you, Janis. I show the picture only to remind myself of what comes!
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You said it, Janis, all Europe (almost) is covered by snow and ice! Not so much snow here but ice. The soil is frozen deep. The freezing cold weather came suddenly mid-November and all autumn bloomers disappeared. This one was among the last ones, I have forgotten the name, maybe C. kotchyanus, I got it from you, Janis. I show the picture only to remind myself of what comes!
Black frost is the most dangerous. Here soil is not frosen even - not less dangerous (for rodents). All is covered by very deep snow. My roads are cleaned 5 times and all is covered at least by 25-30 cm of snow, but snow heaps now are around 1 m high. Temperature vary from minus 5 in day up to minus 19 C in night.
About the Crocus pictured by you - it more resembles bud of speciosus although there are some forms of kotschyanus with stripes on back of flower segments. It isn't possible to identify in so early stage, of course.
Janis
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OK, Janis, I also have some C. speciosus from you, so they probably are speciosus. I would very much like to have snow cover but today we have got rain and now the roads are glazed by ice. My front door step too, had trouble walking up the steps!