Crocus November 2006

[Thomas Huber]

First sunshine after more than a week of rain and I found this surprise in the rockgarden:
Crocus korolkowii "Mountains Glory"

I've never seen a spring flowering Crocus that early before 
They didn't get any special treatment, I've just planted them outside.
Anne, what about the one I sent you in summer?

Two similar plants are still flowering.
C. biflorus ssp melantherus


C. laevigatus, creme coloured


You can see the difference when looking inside of the flower.
C. laevigatus has white anthers, melantherus has black ones:

[mark smyth]

David my Crocus came from either Taylors or Walkers. sativus 'grass' below

I'll get my 'lost' Crocus planted tomorrow. Lashing here today

[SueG]

Mark
My saffron crocuses came from Taylors and I got a whole two flowers and lots of grass (and they flowered while I was away on holiday). So I'm trying the feed them well and see what happens next year - maybe it was just a bad year for these crocuses wherever they are grown commercially.
Sue

[annew]

Thomas, mine is in a pot but is at the same stage. Some C baytopiorum are also showing blue!

[tonyg]

These Spring crocus are thoroughly confused .... wonder if the cold, wet weather in august triggered early root and shoot development?  Mine were still dry under cover at that time and are not so advanced as Thomas and Anne report.

The Crocus sativus corms that I have seen in garden centres are often rather small.  In my frame I have found corms up to 4cm diameter, which of course flower OK.  They do need very deep planting and a rich soil.  Grown commercially in North Wales they also need lifting and splitting every few years.  If you can grow and flower Crocus sativus in a pot in consetutive years you are a better man than I am Gunga Din!

[I.S.]

Thomas. Here are a few more with red style which I think very interesting. The 3th. one is much bigger
then you have said hybrid and flower tube was  quite white and strong. l put that one in the pot even if
it is hybrid. l think. l do not get you boring.

[Maggi Young]

More good crocus, Ibrahim. Where do you live? We'd like to hear more about you and what else you like to grow.

[John Forrest]

Mark, I bought a bag of Crocus sativus at a garden centre in December 2004 and the bulbs had produced leaves in the packet but they were being sold very cheap. I potted them up and just got leaves in 2005 but this year about 7 out of 10 of them flowered. Worth the feeding and effort.

[mark smyth]

It's amazing the Crocus pages have been viewed 660 times since it's creation 9 days ago

I fed them today with tomato food.

When my Crocus finish flowering or look like they wont I'm removing them from the plunges to spend the rest of the winter outside. To my surprise today Crocus laevigatus dark form ex Tony Goode had produced flowers. Up to about a two weeks ago all I had was well advanced leaves. What a combination of the wide stripe of purple on the outside and the cream inside. I know Thomas has posted some already.

[I.S.]

Hi Maggi!!

I live in Istanbul where the west meets with the east. I am interesting mostly crocus grow and research them
on the wild. I like to gorw many plants but it is nat posible.
Mark, for me also crocus pages is the best archive.

[Maggi Young]

 There are many of us here who are particularly fond of Crocus, Ibrahim....it appears that we can call ourselves by the collective name of "croconuts" , which is funny for those of us with english as our first language but it may just sound silly to you! I don't know if you realise or not, but there was a special Crocus section in the old forum, as well as many other posts about crocus in other pages.... these are all still available to be read and there is a search facility, also.   The main Crocus pages of the old forum are listed at this link:
http://www.srgc.org.uk/discus/messages/5012/5012.html?1163445358

I am sure that you and many others will find much there to interest you.

Best Wishes!

[David Nicholson]

I'm having my first crack at Crocus growing and would welcome a bit of advice please. I have a four pans of Crocus chrysanthus varieties in my greenhouse, bought at the end of August and potted first week in September, and all of them are showing their noses well above the grit. My questions are:
Should they be so far advanced at this time of year or is this perfectly normal?
If it's abnormal are there possible reasons for it apart from Global Warming, Autumn in Devon has been very wet and windy (to the extreme!) but very warm. Greenhouse temperature today was pushing 18C.
Should I water and feed now, or just water.

I have two pans of Crocus tommasinianus varieties but so far nothing showing.

[mark smyth]

David my chrysanthus cultivars and other spring Crocus are now above soil level too as are a couple of my tommies. Crocus 'Advance' has leaves showing. Ian Young, Tony Goode or Thomas will have views  but I think it's been the very mild autumn

[tonyg]

David - I would get those crocuses out of the greenhouse and into an open frame.  The advance of the shoots is not so unusual, especially in pots.  Keep them as cool as possible and the flowering will be delayed for a while.  Once the leaves lengthen and the buds appear you can bring them into the warm again and enjoy the flowers in comfort.  They may well flower very early by the sound of things.

[David Nicholson]

Mark-are yours in the garden or under glass?

Tony-thanks for the advice I will get them out of the greenhouse tomorrow.