Sternbergia 2008

[David Nicholson]

Gerry my plant spent the Summer underneath the greenhouse staging where it was dry but I don't think any part of the Summer ranked as hot! Maybe next year I shall try and sneak it into the airing cupboard.

[Gerry Webster]

David - During the Summer I keep potted Sternbergias  in full sun, plunged in sand  in a S. facing lean-to frame. No water at all. When I first tried this (in despair) I thought it would be certain death but they love it & flower like mad.

[art600]

I agree with Gerry when he says that Sternbergia require hot dry conditions in the summer - and yes, hotter than you might think sensible.  Unlike Cyclamen graecum, where we were told to bake them to get good flowering - only to find they do need damp at the roots that should continue to grow - Sternbergias can be baked as the roots do not continue to grow.

Every one of my pots has flowered.   

[art600]

Not sure what happened here - possibly I bought some bulbs at a plant sale that were incorrectly labelled.

Certainly not Sternbergia, and it will be interesting to see if they are peshmenii or reginae-olgae.  I think it was a bargain even though not what I thought I had bought.   

[Gerry Webster]

Well Art, at least you got something  worth having. A few weeks ago I bought a packet of  Sternbergia lutea in a garden centre with the intention of trying them in the open garden. The leaves have just emerged & they are obviously & thoroughly virused. Beware garden centre Sternbergias!

[Armin]

Today Sternbergia lutea pleased me during 1hour of sunshine.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Wonderful Armin !!  And growing outside too !!  Beautiful !

[Gerry Webster]

Armin - really nice Sternbergias - and you take much better photographs of them than I can manage.

[Armin]

Thanks Gerry and Luc,

I started last year to replace my old loamy soil with a sand/compost mix.

When I lifted some weeks ago some of the bulb baskets in order to label them I recognized a much better growths rate compared to previous loamy situation. It seems the efforts paying off!
I Keep my fingers crossed.

[Paul T]

Gerry,

A lot of treatments while dormant can create symptoms the first year that look like virus, but I don't know whether this is the case with Sternbergia.  I know that heat treatment of daffodil bulbs often gives distorted growth the first year, which is fine the following year once the plant has settled.  Given that you plants are so obviously ill, I'm wondering whether their treatment by the bulb companies may be the reason, rather than virus?  The first season is always a difficult one to be sure IS virus.  I am very aware of virus, and have destroyed plants where the symptoms have persisted, but sometimes the anomolies of the first year are never repeated.

[Gerry Webster]

Thanks for the info Paul. I think I'll keep them segregated for a year & see what happens.

[Hans J]

Now today we have a sunny day and it is possibly to make pics.
Here is first St. lutea - plant in year 1998 - since this time is grows well ( without any protection free in my border ) -never any sign of virus .....

[art600]

Hans

A very nice healthy clump. 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I second Art, Hans, beautiful group !  Do they flower so profusely each year, even after a lousy Summer like this year's ??

[Hans J]

Here is a

St. lutea

it is from a wild source
that is a interesting plant for me because my other clump of S.lutea has never produced andy fruits in 10 year .....