Crocus January 2014

[I.S.]

  I have also problems with C. baytopiorum. I have lots of light,  rain, very little snow.  They were in open corner of garden and no shrubs around. They start to flower very early in December. The leaves start to yellowish just at the end of march and in first year I lost 3 from 5 corm. I think this crocus does not like much watering. This might be reason why it is close to sativus group by phylogeny.

ibrahim

[krisderaeymaeker]

  I have also problems with C. baytopiorum. I have lots of light,  rain, very little snow.  They were in open corner of garden and no shrubs around. They start to flower very early in December. The leaves start to yellowish just at the end of march and in first year I lost 3 from 5 corm. I think this crocus does not like much watering. This might be reason why it is close to sativus group by phylogeny.
ibrahim

Many thanks Ibrahim . Good to hear about your experience ! So we can learn and try to do better each time .It is amazing that they cause some problems in the country of origin to .But ofcourse you live in a large country . 

[Cyril L]

Interesting discussion about how C. baytopiorum and other plants behave in different gardens.  Cold, bright days certainly help but I think some clones are naturally more compact than others and also later flowering clones benefit from more light.

[krisderaeymaeker]

Interesting discussion about how C. baytopiorum and other plants behave in different gardens.  Cold, bright days certainly help but I think some clones are naturally more compact than others and also later flowering clones benefit from more light.

Again this is an interesting remark  Cyril .

[art600]

Growing in the greenhouse currently:

I think Crocus chrysanthus, but would welcome confirmation.

Crocus alatavicus - delighted to see this appear.  Has proved difficult in the past,

[tonyg]

Growing in the greenhouse currently:

I think Crocus chrysanthus, but would welcome confirmation.

Crocus alatavicus - delighted to see this appear.  Has proved difficult in the past,

Yes, I think Crocus chrysanthus too.   (Although perhaps in future years we will have several names for the subtly different forms that we grow  )

[ian mcenery]

Again this is an interesting remark  Cyril .

Since it takes a year to test any of the theories on growing this beauty the experiences shared here are really useful to me and what I think is a great about the forum.  I think that although light may be a factor it cannot be the whole story particularly as Janis's plant probably gets less winter daylight than many of the rest of us. Mathew states this as growing at 1300 to 2700m altitude so it probably won't mind it cold. Next year I intend to grow baytopiorum much harder probably in an open frame so we shall see

[Janis Ruksans]

As I wrote earlier I'm very common with C. baytopiorum for around 20 years. It perfectly grew outside with me and I suppose that Ibrahim's problems mostly are caused by different climate. Ibrahim's garden is located near Black Sea at much lower altitude and I suppose that there rarely are such frosts as here and it starts growing too early. In its homeland winters are quite hard. In nature it is early runner to use spring moisture as summers there are very hot and dry - just opposite to our conditions. In W Europe it starts growing too early when days still are dark. This winter with me it went under cower with well coloured buds. Last night we had coldest night - minus 20 C, but it still is nothing special. I hope that cold will stop development and will not kill flowers and plants.

[YT]

As I wrote earlier I'm very common with C. baytopiorum for around 20 years. It perfectly grew outside with me and I suppose that Ibrahim's problems mostly are caused by different climate. Ibrahim's garden is located near Black Sea at much lower altitude and I suppose that there rarely are such frosts as here and it starts growing too early. In its homeland winters are quite hard. In nature it is early runner to use spring moisture as summers there are very hot and dry - just opposite to our conditions. In W Europe it starts growing too early when days still are dark. This winter with me it went under cower with well coloured buds. Last night we had coldest night - minus 20 C, but it still is nothing special. I hope that cold will stop development and will not kill flowers and plants.

Thank you, Janis. Your advices are good help. I've never had 'flopping' problem fortunately but I'm concerning my baytopiorum, too. Mine bulbs from you (of course excellent quality at that time) divide by itself into smaller bulblets year by year. I use to growing this crocus at the mildest place on my outside bench called as VIP area from October to the end of its growing season. I’ll reserve its special seat in chilliest and shaded area next season

[YT]

Crocus abantensis JJA339.609
This is the first flower from seeds, sown on 13/10/2009

[Janis Ruksans]

Very nice and good looking C. abantensis, Tatsuo. Crocus abantensis I think is the single species which completely don't like growing in greenhouse! I can't grow up so good quality corms of C. abantensis as I would like regardless of regular watering and fertilising in greenhouse. It far better grow in outside garden, but... nothing is perfect. Unfortunately I com0pletely lost my outside grown stock in winter something similar as this one - very mild up to end of January with following hard black frost for two weeks in February. It was perfectly growing and selfsowing everywhere in garden even becoming weed up to this fatal season when left only small stocks in greenhouse pots + seedlings. So I'm not risking more. I only try to bring out all pots as early only possible in spring because this high mountain species from NW Turkey don't like high temperatures of greenhouse.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Thank you, Janis. Your advices are good help. I've never had 'flopping' problem fortunately but I'm concerning my baytopiorum, too. Mine bulbs from you (of course excellent quality at that time) divide by itself into smaller bulblets year by year. I use to growing this crocus at the mildest place on my outside bench called as VIP area from October to the end of its growing season. I’ll reserve its special seat in chilliest and shaded area next season

You may have problems growing baytopiorum, YT, but this is the best grown specimen I have ever seen !!!  Congratulations !

[YT]

Thank you, Janis Then, the hot summer could be a problem at my place

Luc, thank you but that foto was taken last season. The bulbs have divided into smaller bulblets now but I'll see that beautiful flowers soon again

[YT]

Crocus 'Sunspot', today

[krisderaeymaeker]

Crocus 'Sunspot', today

 

So stunning YT  !