Crocus crossing

[Thomas Huber]

Hi Guff!

Yes you can try a cross of sieberi Firefly and Tricolor, but you should use tricolor as "mother" with the pollen of Firefly - I can't remember having seeds on Firefly. Also "yes" to the vernus - tommie cross.

The question of planting them 3 or 5 inch apart is not easy to answer. If you plant them 5 inch apart they don't look well in the first year, but better when they have increased in the next years. If you plant them 3 inch apart they look well in the first year, but possibly they will be too close after a few years and you have to replant them, so you best try to get your own experiences. It is also depending on which species you use - some increase better than others and these could be planted more apart than the bad increasers.

Sorry, can't help you with the freezing question - no own experiences, but I hope the answer will be: YES!

The only autumn crocus I have on my lawn is Crocus speciosus. I would also recommend C. pulchellus, kotschyanus, banaticus, nudiflorus - these are leafless until spring which is very important for me, as I have to cut my lawn after the autumn flowering period in December - not good for the plants with leaves. Next cut will be at the end of May.

The prices for the out-of-season crocus are OK - most of the plants on my lawn were also bought in December. They will not flower very well in the first spring, but very well in the next season.

[tonyg]

I have read that it is possible to store pollen in the refridgerator.  Complete anthers may be best and the tubes you use will be OK.  I don't know about freezing it ... you could run an experiment and report on the results later!

[Guff]

Thanks Thomas, Tony.
I will try freezing some pollen this spring. Daylily pollen last for more then a year frozen.

I found this link, they have more of the rare and hard to find forms. Are there any other places to pick these up?

I see they have mathewii listed. I also see its a fall flowering crocus. I had no idea there were any, let alone that many fall flowering crocus.

http://www.hillkeep.ca/bulbs%20crocus_autumn.htm

[Guff]

How much do Crocus scardicus and Crocus pelistericus cost about? I would like to pick up one of each in the fall. I haven't found a source online, so if anyone knows a site/place. Thanks.

[Thomas Huber]

I'm still searching for pelistericus and scardicus for my own collection!

[mark smyth]

so am I. If/when I find them I'll post it on here

[Guff]

Thomas, Mark I will keep looking. I saw a picture of Crocus x gothenbergensis, only way I get one of those is from seed.

I did find seed listed for  CROCUS PELISTERICUS
http://www.jjaseeds.com/pac_productlisted.asp?maingroup=CROCUS&secondgroup=Eur%20W%20Asia%20N%20Africa

A couple more links with hard to find forms

http://www.odysseybulbs.com/springcrocus.html
http://www.odysseybulbs.com/fallcrocus.html


http://www.bulbmeister.com/flowershop/fso2006/page04.html

[Guff]

I received CROCUS PRINCE CLAUS yesterday.

I had a surprise email today, seems they have sent out the 900 crocus mix and 25 Pickwick, which I didn't order. I guess they subbed them for the Coral. I also see, that they upped the crocus price, double what I paid. Glad I ordered when I did.

I should have a really good start this spring with these extra crocus.

[Guff]

When you cross crocus, are the seedling pretty much the same, or are they different from each other? In daylilys, every seed will produce a totally different plant/flower, some so much different looking that you wonder how this could be.

I was also wondering about seed pods. I have only noticed 1 seed pod per corm. Is this the case, or can you have as many seedpods as there are flowers?

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

[Andrew]

When you cross crocus, are the seedling pretty much the same, or are they different from each other? In daylilys, every seed will produce a totally different plant/flower, some so much different looking that you wonder how this could be.

I was also wondering about seed pods. I have only noticed 1 seed pod per corm. Is this the case, or can you have as many seedpods as there are flowers?

Hello Guff,

As Tony and Thomas are probably recovering from too much turkey at the moment (I had mine yesterday), I'll jump in.

I have only just started growing crocus from seed, so that question will have to wait for them but as to seeds pods per corm you can get as many as there were flowers. This year I had five flowers on C. oreocreticus and there looks to be a number of seed pods. The diameter of the leaves/seedpods must be half an inch.

[Guff]

Andrew, thanks. I thought maybe after a flower was pollinated, the rest would abort, thats is why I wondered.

I planted all my mixed snow crocus. The holding bed is about 6x6 foot maybe alittle smaller. I spaced them at 2 inches apart. I would have liked to put them at 3in, but I didn't have enough compost to make the bed any bigger. I added 4 bags of sand (50lbs bags) to about 25 gallons of compost.

Below are pictures of my holding bed and grass banks. Also a picture of some daffodils and tulips, I will be adding snow crocus to this spot at some point. Picture is from spring 06.

[Guff]

I was wondering, since I'm mostly interested in good growing
crocus for the yard/garden, but want to try to get something different looking from crossing.

What forms/species should I get for next fall planting, for spring crossing 08.

I was thinking about picking up some of the different Crocus heuffelianus forms, and then cross those to sieberi Firefly and Tricolor, giant vernus forms and also tommie's. Edit, that is if heuffelianus crosses to the ones listed, I think I read its a vernus.

Thanks for the ideas.

[Thomas Huber]

Hi Guff!

Crocus sieberi will not get crossed with tommies, vernus or heuffelianus.
You could try chrysanthus/biflorus cultivars that I've listed above!

[Guff]

Thomas, thanks for clearing that up, I would have been trying to cross firefly and tricolor to the giant vernus and tommies with no luck.

About the heuffelianus, can these be crossed to the giant vernus and tommies? 

I think in my mix lot there are Pictuatus "versicolor", can they be crosses to anything other then another versicolor form?

Thanks for info.

Thomas, Mark, I did write Mr. Ruksans, and he said he may have a few pelistericus and scardiucus for sale, but he won't know for sure until April-May. I think I'm going to hold off another year and pickup all his heuffelianus and vernus forms instead this summer. He sent his 2007 'word' catalog by email the other day, lots of choices.

[Thomas Huber]

Yes, Guff, heuffelianus are exactly Crocus vernus ssp heuffelianus and can be crossed with tommies and giant vernus variants.

You can try to cross versicolor with imperati, corsicus, minimus - I havn't tried that so far, so good luck!

Didn't get the Ruksans catalogue so far, can anybody send it to me privately, please?