'Sleeping' Sternbergia

[JohnnyD]

A couple of years ago Clare and I came across a mass of Sternbergia bulbs which had fallen from a collapsed wall in Afrata,Crete.
A request (by sign language mainly!) of the local cafe owner, who appeared to own the garden from which they had fallen, encouraged us to collect those strewn across the road.
I seemed like treasure but, having planted them as soon as returning home, not one has formed a root or a shoot!
The bulbs are still very firm and appear absolutely healthy - so what to do?
Are they simply having a year off?
Any suggestions welcome,
JohnnyD

[fermi de Sousa]

A couple of years ago Clare and I came across a mass of Sternbergia bulbs which had fallen from a collapsed wall in Afrata,Crete.....

It's unusual for bulbs to "sleep" for that long, Johnny,
though I know some daffs can survive in dormancy for a year or more but lose a lot of bulb size
cheeers
fermi

[JohnnyD]

Further research shows that the bulbs were acquired in October 2013! FOUR YEARS!!!!!
There has to be an explanation.
JohnnyD

[David Nicholson]

Give 'em a good feed of Sulphate of Potash and I bet they flower next year.

[JohnnyD]

I reckon they will need to produce roots first David!
J.

[Alan_b]

When I got some Sternbergia lutea a few years ago I quickly killed-off the bulbs, presumably (with hindsight) because I did not give them the full sun that is recommended.  If your bulbs were growing in a wall then unless the wall was in permanent shade they must have got baking-hot in the summer.  Perhaps that summer bake is what they are missing with you and they never get hot enough to realise that that it is summer and so don't respond when temperatures cool in autumn? 

[shelagh]

John we used to grow 2 different Sternbergia leaves, never saw a flower

[Matt T]

I think it can be difficult to break the dormancy of bulbs when they've been sleeping for so long. I had some Narcissus dubius that never grew for me. 5 years they were dormant. Never a leaf nor a root. One year one of them split into 2 bulbs. Eventually they died.

The best I can suggest is to keep them bone dry in the summer, and do bake them. Put them in as warm a spot as you dare. Then give them a sharp drop in temperature in late summer - move them outside and give them a good watering. The sudden drop in temperature is usually what triggers growth. You could still try that now (although in cultivation most S. lutea have finished flowering and are in full leaf by now) or just repot the bulbs in a dry potting mix and keep them that way until next summer.

For those wanting to encourage flowering I recommend
1. Feeding Sternbergia well - use a high potash fertiliser (i.e. tomato feed) at half strength from the time they start growing.
2. Good light year-round.
3. A warm dry summer rest.
4. If you can give them a potting mix that is on the alkaline side I believe that helps a lot.

[Gerdk]

A couple of years ago Clare and I came across a mass of Sternbergia bulbs which had fallen from a collapsed wall in Afrata,Crete.
A request (by sign language mainly!) of the local cafe owner, who appeared to own the garden from which they had fallen, encouraged us to collect those strewn across the road.

In October 2014 - the same situation, probably the same cafe owner. I collected some of the fallen and dry Sternbergia (?lutea) bulbs - they built some leaves during 2015 and 2016 and only a single flower this year (in the greenhouse). It seems this is not one of the best clones.

Gerd

[JohnnyD]

Thanks everyone. I think a strategy or two may be emerging.
Looks like it will be a year before we know if they have worked.
J.

[Tim Harberd]

Hi There,
        I've been using a cool smoke treatment to try consistently breaking dormancy of freesia bulbs. I use a beekeepers smoker to produce the smoke. It certainly seems to help, but not 100%

Tim DH