Scilla peruviana, encourage flowering

[brianw]

My experience with these is they flower well for 1 or 2 years then clump up and stop. What is the best way to treat them? Lift every year or 2, or is it my growing conditions. I have 1 group of 7 young plants, 6 of which are flowering for the first time, but another older group with no flowers. They usually get some frost damage each year at this time of year but recover OK later before they flower.

[John85]

Brian,I think it is your growing conditions
I have three plants for 6 or 7 years and they flower every year.Never move them or feed them except for a fresh layer of compost every year.
They grow in a rather heavy soil.As the winters here are a bit milder there is usually no frost damage.
Summers are hot and dry.

[Jupiter]

Hot and dry might be the key I think. They are very happy here in Adelaide and thrive on neglect. Might be a struggle for you to achieve where you are brian. Plant it on a mound of sand or something.

[fixpix]

That's a good question. I got 3-4 bulbs about a year ago, planted in a pot (trough) and 3 of them bloomed. Now they all multiplied, i have a bunch of leaves. Will have to see if any of them blooms again. Will report when i have news.

[Menai]

I have had bulbs (bought from local Garden Centre) for ten years and have found they flower rather at random. I have had flowers in November and in May! They have been moved from pot to bed and back again - this last to protect from the rabbits. Waiting to see what happens this year.

Erle in Anglsey

[brianw]

A 3 year old clump in full sun has been caught by frost and I can't see any buds. Younger singles alongside look better with 2 buds showing. The other group on the N side of the house has not been frosted and all but 1 have large buds.
A neighbour's several years old clump, with maybe 20+ centres had only 3 flowers last year I think. Can't see any buds on it yet. The soil here is sticky heavy chalk.

[Karaba]

Isn't it a bit early to see flower buds ? My Scilla peruviana flower every year (end of april) with many stalks but I can't see any flower bud yet, maybe in march. You have maybe a very early clone that may suffer from frost. Here, it has already survive by -18°C and no frost damage this year with -10.

[brianw]

A 3 year old clump in full sun has been caught by frost and I can't see any buds. Younger singles alongside look better with 2 buds showing. The other group on the N side of the house has not been frosted and all but 1 have large buds.
A neighbour's several years old clump, with maybe 20+ centres had only 3 flowers last year I think. Can't see any buds on it yet. The soil here is sticky heavy chalk.

A year on; for me. Single bulbs form flower buds earlier than bulbs with offsets, which have much more upright growth. Maybe it is the new side growth shading the growing centre that retards the bud formation. My first bud, on a single flat rosette, is showing.
I bought some "alba" forms last autumn. Are they as hardy as the normal blue form?
A form sold as var. beige, ssp. hughii is very slow in a pot, after 3 years. Is it a difficult grower or am I starving it and it should be in the garden?