Crocus september 2016

[Yann]

whouah what a pots collection  , we don't play in the same playground

[ruben]

Thats superb news Janis! Hopefully you get the other needed donations soon - really looking forward to read the new masterpiece!!

[Tony Willis]

Janis

wonderful collection,great to see.

[tonyg]

Crocus banaticus at Birmingham Botanic Gardens this week.

[Janis Ruksans]

Some crocuses pictured today (nothing very special):
Incredibly early blooming of C. banaticus (seedling from white form)
Crocus bolensis - early and beautiful! (the earliest from speciosus group is C. ilgazernsis - already finished blooming)
Crocus puringiorum from Crimea
Crocus speciosus from near Geghart Monastery in Armenia
Crocus vallicola from near Artvin

[Maggi Young]

Is the weather still hot with you, Janis?

[Janis Ruksans]

Is the weather still hot with you, Janis?

We had the first day with temperature not above 18 C. Today I four hours watered crocus pots and cleaned them from dry flowers. Had very short time for pictures and many are gone. At least labels are checked. Still most of time goes for book proof reedings and only yesterday finished key for "biflorus" crocuses. It was real nightmare. But now it is done! I really was afraid about this part and left it for very last... But now it is finished and more or less tested.

Some more pictures from today will follow but here picture of F-2 generation seedlings from hybrids between C. gilanicus and C. autranii. True gilanicus already finished blooming but pure autranii was not in so good shape - too hot weather for those high mountain species.

[Janis Ruksans]

Few more crocuses
Still a lot of job must be done in researching of C. mazziaricus complex. Here some pictures from Samos, from Athos peninsula, from near Thiva and neighbouring Paleohori
+ C. boryi

[Janis Ruksans]

And last pictures for today
Crocus cancellatus group, SE of Gurun
Crocus cappadocicus
Crocus hadriaticus
Crocus pallassii - true type species from Crimea
Crocus salzmannii from Sierra Nevada

[Maggi Young]

F-2 generation seedlings from hybrid between C. gilanicus and C. autranii are very smart.

[Janis Ruksans]

F-2 generation seedlings from hybrid between C. gilanicus and C. autranii are very smart.

This makes problems to nurseryman - C. autranii is not fast increaser by corm splitting and must be multiplied by seeds, so it must be isolated from C. gilanicus at blooming time. Not always it is easy. Now I'm doing this with few corms introduced directly from wild and for propagation are used only those seeds.

[Tony Willis]

This makes problems to nurseryman - C. autranii is not fast increaser by corm splitting and must be multiplied by seeds, so it must be isolated from C. gilanicus at blooming time. Not always it is easy. Now I'm doing this with few corms introduced directly from wild and for propagation are used only those seeds.

Lovely pictures Janis.

Still a lot of bees about in this warm weather visiting every flower. Not so much of a problem in spring when it is just the odd bumble bee.

[annew]

I was very interested at a recent Discussion Weekend to see Janis using deep pots for his crocus, as I had always thought shallow ones sufficient. After taking his lead last year, my crocus have done much better. And look at these C mathewii seedlings pretending to be erythroniums and escaping out of the bottom of the seed pot! One is already almost out, and the others crowded at the bottom of the pot.

[Matt T]

Glad to hear the long pots are working out Anne. Something I've considered but not yet taken the plunge. Will save a few pennies and maybe convert next year.

Those Crocus seedling corms are a good size, are they 2 year olds?

[ruben]

Stunning pictures Janus! I really love the mazziaricus from Athos peninsula - very attracive throat.

Nice picture Ann! I don't use deep pots but i plant my pond baskets for crocus also deeper (about 5 cm) below the surface. I have better results also because the are better isolated of extreme heat and cold.

Here still 'hot' and dry weather for september. No many thing to say but many things in but 'waiting' for colder nights and better conditions.

Crocus kotschyanus sp. kotschyanus in flower. Only one day and the flower are allready fading.