Crocus January 2008

[Maggi Young]

Lots of lovely Crocus, Do, yours are ahead of ours here.

[tonyg]

Not only lovely crocus but lovely sunshine - I've almost forgotten what that is

Dominique - How long lived is your Crocus ancyrensis.  I have been disappointed with the corms that I have bought in the past.  They do not maintain their vigour over many years.  Here in the garden they flower in January but fall over in the dull weather.  By the second year corms are too small to make flowers, in the third year nothing.

[dominique]

Maggi, The sun was bright to day with a march temperature, and perhaps because we are most in the Sud. Patience ! The daylight is longer with 45 mn more than christmas.

Tony, it's a problem in fact to have that dutch clone very old. The best to my mind is to repot them quickly or let them in the ground in sun spot. But I am not sure. My oldest are 5 years

[Paul T]

Wow.  8 pages of Crocus awaiting me after just a week.  Fantastic.  Mark, your 'Sunspot' is getting even MORE impressive.  I wonder how long it will take to get out to Australia!!?  Somehow I doubt once settled into my conditions I'd be getting that impressive a flowering though!! 

[mark smyth]

Paul I've pollinated all of the flowers so if I I get seed your at the top of the list

[Luc Gilgemyn]

What a great show everyone - I loooooove the Crocus season - mine, outside, are showing very erraticly - some flowers or out while others of the same clump are not even showing foliage yet.  I guess our temperatures of 12 or 13 degrees over the last few weeks might be the cause of that. 
No pictures yet - I await some sunshine.... 

[Maggi Young]

12 or 13 degrees over the last few weeks

Luxury, I tell you, luxury!!

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Maybe we should realize it is luxury Maggi - but we don't, as we're still complaining we haven't seen the Sun for over two weeks now...

[Armin]

the end !!!

Dominique, a beautiful collection.
I'll monitor C. ancyrensis in my lawn the next couple of weeks if it is so short lived as Tony G. presumes.

[Armin]

Paul I've pollinated all of the flowers so if I I get seed your at the top of the list

Mark, I'm very interested in if "Sunspot" is sterile or sets seed.
Good luck for successful pollination.

[tonyg]

A quick down to a gloomy greenhouse and frames today revealed a sad scene.  Its been warm and very dull - All crocuses horizontal, not from wind and rain but just etiolation

However, a few days ago I did catch a moment when the light was better and just a few nice shots to show you.

Crocus biflorus ssp alexandrii.  Note the pale purple wash on the outer petals, the 'trade' form has much darker outers.

Crocus sieberi ssp sublimis.  A small form, very slightly veined.

Crocus kerndorffiorum x leichtlinii.  A 'new' hybrid.  Saving the best until last this is a stunner.  In sunlight you would just drool!!  Last year the small corm made just one flower, this year two shoots give three flowers.  Hopefully next year 2 corms and lots of flowers.  (And then you can start asking ....   I don't grow either of the parents - there is a swap just waiting to happen

Hoping for some sun and cold weather before its too late.

[mark smyth]

Tony I'm sure there will be another flush of flowers

[I.S.]

  Tony I have missed to see your crocuses. You are right your C. biflorus ssp alexandrii looks very simmeler
to my C. biflorus ssp. weldenii.

[annew]

Sorry for the delay in replying, our server's been down. To paraphrase somebody - so many posts, so litte time!
Re the C baytopiorum, I can claim no credit for this species, I originally obtained it from seed from one of the exchanges, and it has since increased happily by division, but more from seed which it sets freely. I now have 4 potfuls like that! It just lives in the plunge with all my daffs and other crocus and gets the same treatment as these. If anyone would like seed or a bulb or two email me privately.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Here's Crocus aff. sieberi PJC215 - first closed yesterday and then opened in all it's glory in today's sunshine