Sternbergia 2020

[Gabriela]

Sternbergia sicula opened first and then these colchiciflora, just three years after sowing.

The stemless flowers of S. colchiciflora are truly spectacular Stefan.

[Gabriela]

Despite of a cold summer this Sternbergia sicula is flowering well
Poul

You inspired me to start Sternbergia from seeds Poul after seeing that they can flower well even in a cold climate.
I only have few seedlings (nothing visible yet), last year they appeared in late fall and thus had a very short growing season. I was wondering what triggers them - cooler nights or the first early fall rains?

[pehe]

You inspired me to start Sternbergia from seeds Poul after seeing that they can flower well even in a cold climate.
I only have few seedlings (nothing visible yet), last year they appeared in late fall and thus had a very short growing season. I was wondering what triggers them - cooler nights or the first early fall rains?

I am glad I have inspired you to grow Sternbergia, as I think they are a little overlooked maybe because they have a reputation of being shy-flowering. In general sicula and greuteriana flower very well for me in many different places and in both fertile compost and in almost pure sand without any feeding.
But they require some sun to flower well. Lutea do not flower as well as the other for me.
I think it mostly is temperature gradient which trigger the growt, but also humidity has influence.
Grown in a humid place the leaves appear before the flowers (as the one in my previous post). In dry places they often flower without leaves. But the flowering time is almost the same for the same clone.
The ones below are the same clone but placed in dryer soil.

[Gabriela]

I am glad I have inspired you to grow Sternbergia, as I think they are a little overlooked maybe because they have a reputation of being shy-flowering. In general sicula and greuteriana flower very well for me in many different places and in both fertile compost and in almost pure sand without any feeding.
But they require some sun to flower well. Lutea do not flower as well as the other for me.
I think it mostly is temperature gradient which trigger the growt, but also humidity has influence.
Grown in a humid place the leaves appear before the flowers (as the one in my previous post). In dry places they often flower without leaves. But the flowering time is almost the same for the same clone.
The ones below are the same clone but placed in dryer soil.

Thank you Poul. We have plenty of sun in the summer, I think the main problem in our climate is that sometime winter begins in November and so they get a very short growing season. This is the reason not many people here bother growing fall Crocus or Colchicum although they are so beautiful.

For now I only have few S. lutea + greuteriana seedlings obtained from SRGC seedex; they showed up in October in the past years. If you say a clone will flower at the same time no matter what it means the planting spot doesn't really matter. 
Last year I also obtained from a kind forumist S. sicula. I am looking forward to the seeds germinating especially that you mention it flowers better for you.

[Gail]

I bought three bulbs of Sternbergia clusiana from a Dutch supplier this autumn and am pleased to find they are not clonal but have slight variation in flower shape and colour. I've tried cross-pollinating so am hoping I get seed set.