Sternbergia 2008

[Jim McKenney]

By the way, before 30 years it was not possible to cultivate sternbergia outside.

Franz, my experience with Scilla peruviana here has been similar. I failed repeatedly with this plant back in the 1960s, but now I occasionally see it in local gardens.

I'm not taking a chance here: my plants are in a cold frame (and they are already producing leaves).

[Pauli]

Hello from Linz, Austria!

Here are some Sternbergias from my collection. They all grow near a south facing wall and get all the heat our summer throws on them. I feed them regularly and heavily, no additional watering. I think, it is difficult to feed Sternbergias enough in pots to grow them to their full potential here.

Sternbergia lutea from Garden Centres
Sternbergia sicula from Corfu (my best collection, although I have no plants of Dodonea Gold or Arcadian Sun)
Sternbergia from Crete (I am not very sure about this, I think too big flowers for greuteriana; Sternbergias from Crete are very confusing)
Sternbergia clusiana from Turkey


All the best from Linz

Herbert

[Luc Gilgemyn]

They look great Herbert !!!

[Gerry Webster]

Herbert - very nice. What a triumph to flower S.clusiana outside!

[Maggi Young]

Welcome, Herbert! Your form from Korfu is delightful.... and growing beside a cactus, I see!     Amazing!

Seeing your plants and Franz H's meadow, I am considering a move to Austria very soon!  

[Anthony Darby]

I'm confused. Here are two of mine - the first labelled greuteriana PC, the other labelled sicula #2 IY.

[Gerry Webster]

I'm confused. Here are two of mine - the first labelled greuteriana PC, the other labelled sicula #2 IY.

Anthony - apropos "greuteriana/PC": could the PC be Paul Christian? If so it's probably the Manfred Koenen form from Karpathos which PC has been distributing for some time. As for the other, who knows - Ian Young? 

[Anthony Darby]

Thanks Gerry, you are spot on with the initials. It's the size and shape of the flowers that's confusing me.

[Gerry Webster]

Thanks Gerry, you are spot on with the initials. It's the size and shape of the flowers that's confusing me.

Anthony - Sternbergias confuse everyone, especially me.

[hadacekf]

Armin,
It is actually warmer -- it is the same Sternbergia.
In addition, there are disadvantages too. I cannot cultivate some alpine plants!

Anthony,
I think your two pictures show Sternbergia sicula.

[pehe]

I was interested in your experience of possibly virused plants. This year I obtained some new plants of S. lutea & when the leaves emerged about 2 weeks ago they looked quite obviously virused. Now they look a nice dark green & very healthy with no virus-like markings at all. Very odd.

Gerry, I think there could be two explanations:
1. The plants are virused, but the visibility of the virus markings change accordingly to how well the plants are feed. (Or to the age of the leaves.)
2. The plants are not virused, but due to bad weather conditions or some misfeeding (maybe lack of lime) the leaves show virus like markings. Has anyone seen that?  Or what is the sign of misfeeding on Sternbergias?

As I mentioned I have planted the suspicious Sterbergia on different locations far away from my healthy ones (even some at my summer residence), to find out if they really were virus infected or if the markings was related to the soil. Now I have looked close at them all, and I must admit that all of them still have virus markings to various degrees. Where the soil is rich in lime, the markings are almost invisible (the last two pictures in my previous post). In some years the markings are more pronounced than in other years.
My conclusion is that they have virus and that I have to discard all the suspicious ones.
By the way does anyone know if virus distribute via the soil or is it only from aphids?

[tonyg]

I agree with your observations about virus symtoms being 'masked' by good growing conditions.  I have observed the same in my bulb collection. 
I have not heard that virus can be transmitted through the soil (BAD news if it can) but of course we can pass it through handling infected bulbs and there has been discussion on the forum about transfer by pollinators.

[pehe]

Herbert,
Outstanding Sternbergias you have! . Does Clusiana flower every year?

[Pauli]

Pehe,

Herbert,
Outstanding Sternbergias you have! . Does Clusiana flower every year?

No problem for flowers with clusiana, but it multiplies very slowly for me. And I had to start with one bulb from an exchange - so no seeds until now!

All the best from Linz

Herbert

[Armin]

Armin,
It is actually warmer -- it is the same Sternbergia.
In addition, there are disadvantages too. I cannot cultivate some alpine plants!

Franz,
thanks for your feedback. Indeed global warming has pro and cons