Colchicum 2014

[mark smyth]

Here are a couple of selected forms of Colchicum stevenii:
'Gisser' has a large starry flower, while 'Gisser dark is smaller, roundish with very dark color.

Very nice. What size are they?

[Oron Peri]

Very nice. What size are they?

Thanks Mark,

C. stevenii 'Gisser' is about 6cm across while 'Gisser Dark' is half its size

[Oron Peri]

Several forms of Colchicum cupanii and tiny C. pusillum in bloom today;

[johnralphcarpenter]

Love them. Will you have any bulbs or seeds for sale next year?

[Oron Peri]

Love them. Will you have any bulbs or seeds for sale next year?

John, hopefully I'll have seeds from all these plants.

[Oron Peri]

Two more species in flower today:

Crocus fasciculare from Jordan
Crocus zahnii syn. C. psaridis, a species producing much leaves and few flowers generally.

[krisderaeymaeker]

Two more species in flower today:
Crocus fasciculare from Jordan

I really  like all your Colchicums Oron . Some very nice forms like C. stevenii 'Gisser' and the cupanii form from Santorini  .
That Colchicum fasciculare is also stunning and also new to me. 
Here I had a very bad season for autumn flowering Colchicums. I also keep thinking that they don't like to be potbounded.....

[Oron Peri]

Here I had a very bad season for autumn flowering Colchicums. I also keep thinking that they don't like to be potbounded.....

Thanks Kris,

I also think that most of the Colchicum dislike pot culture.
I grow many species but i find that only species that have adapted to grow in small spaces such as rock crevices or between rocks where they are protected from moles do well in pots for example C. stevenii and C. feinbruniae.
The bulbs of other species such as C. tunicatum has its bulbs at about 10cm deep but has many layers of tunic which gives it excellent isolation.
I think that bulbs of  colchicum have bad isolation [unlike crocus for example] therefor they need to find the optimal depth for their bulbs. We found that C. hierosalymitanum for example sends its bulbs  to about 50cm deep. that is why it hardly ever flower in pots.
Since last  autumn when  i have planted all my bulbs in raised beds they flower like they never did before.

[ikizzeki]

So many thanks Oron. I am not good at identifying, only trying to learn..I am going to change its name..

[krisderaeymaeker]

Thanks Kris,
I also think that most of the Colchicum dislike pot culture.
I grow many species but i find that only species that have adapted to grow in small spaces such as rock crevices or between rocks where they are protected from moles do well in pots for example C. stevenii and C. feinbruniae.
The bulbs of other species such as C. tunicatum has its bulbs at about 10cm deep but has many layers of tunic which gives it excellent isolation.
I think that bulbs of  colchicum have bad isolation [unlike crocus for example] therefor they need to find the optimal depth for their bulbs. We found that C. hierosalymitanum for example sends its bulbs  to about 50cm deep. that is why it hardly ever flower in pots.
Since last  autumn when  i have planted all my bulbs in raised beds they flower like they never did before.

Many thanks to add this information Oron !  I think this observation is very useful for al Colchicum lovers on this forum. This is what this forum is all about ...sharing useful information.
As you know I am a Colchicum- lover but I never find them easy to flower wel and I think you give a good explanation to this failure.
I only grow some in pot because of the winter hardiness but even then I am surprised sometimes. I had Colchicum graecum in pots for many years (because I doubt about hardiness ) and it did never flower .  Then I take the decission to put it outside and since then it flowers every year in abundance . And my doubt about hardiness was not necessary ....
It is offcourse not obvious wich  species are hardy enough , there is not much information about Colchicum.
Therefore it is good that some more people grow it. I wan't to try more of them in the garden in raised beds altough some are not possible in our climate. Another thing is that it is useful to grow them from seed so that they can adapt better to your own circumstances.       

[fermi de Sousa]

John, hopefully I'll have seeds from all these plants.

That's good to know, Oron
We'll be hoping for a good crop for "Seeds for Peace"!
Your comments on growing them in pots is interesting as I had been keeping some of the smaller ones in pots but will now look for suitable places to "release them"!
cheers
fermi

[Jan]

New Collection

[Maggi Young]

Welcome back, Jan. Good to hear from you. Fine Colchicum 

[krisderaeymaeker]

New Collection

Great plants Jan .   Can you tell  us something about the way you grow them ? They all look so great, compact and healthy ....

[Jan]

Welcome back, Jan. Good to hear from you. Fine Colchicum 

I'm sorry, I'm home, I had technical problems this year.