Hi Tony do donors have to request the seed list or is automatic for donors?
Always best to request, then there is no chance of confusion.
Below is an article by David Stephens from the forthcoming Crocus Group Newsletter giving more information about the seed exchange.
Crocus Group Seed Exchange 2009
The aim of the seed exchange is to get seed to members as close as possible to the correct time for them to be sown for optimal germination (in the northern hemisphere). Crocus seed has been shown to germinate best if sown during the higher temperatures of late summer before the lower temperatures of autumn and winter initiate germination. The best time for sowing is therefore at the same time as nature does it in the wild, that is when the ripe seed is expelled from the mature seedpod in late spring to early summer. For this reason we ask donors to send seed as soon as possible after they have collected it, and in any case before 31st of July.
On or about the 1st of August a seed list is compiled and sent to members who have requested a copy by sending me a stamped addressed envelope, again before the 31st of July. Overseas members should not stamp the envelope, but an International Reply Coupon would be appreciated.
Members should indicate on the seed list which seeds they want up to a limit of 30 packets, and the seed request should be returned before the 31st of August. On or about the 1st of September the seeds are divided between the members who requested them, with donors getting first choice, although non donors always get a good deal. You will receive your seeds within a few days after that. They should be sown immediately and left exposed to the weather until they germinate, after which they may be brought under cover.
Donations of seed and requests for seed lists from non donors should be sent, before 31st July to: - David Stephens, ‘Green Hollow’, 76 South Terrace, Dorking, Surrey. RH4 2AQ, UK.
To recap:
Rule 1. If you are a donor, send seed to me before 31.7.2009
Rule 2. If you are not a donor but want a seed list, send a SAE to me before 31.7.2009
Obviously, donors always get first choice and very rare seed in short supply invariably goes to them. However, non-donors receive a fair proportion of what they ask for and always get a good deal.
Some statistics last three years:
Year No. of Crocus group members No. of members requesting seed list No. of members donating seed No. of seed lots offered
No. of Crocus taxa represented
2008 184 61 (33%) 28 (15%) 110 65
2007 166 61 (37%) 27 (16%) 148 74
2006 153 64 (42%) 26 (17%) 159 73
The Crocus Group seed exchange has I think been very successful and instrumental in getting most of the known Crocus taxa into cultivation. When I managed to persuade Primrose Warburg to allow the first seed exchange in 1992, it was very difficult to get hold of many Crocus taxa, even some of those we would consider fairly common by today’s standards.
One of my frustrations as curator of the exchange over the years has been that for the rarer taxa there are never enough seeds to make more than just a few packets. Obviously, most members request these so most will not receive them. These are distributed by a blind draw among the donors. Very occasionally there are enough seeds to allow everyone to have a packet such as with Crocus michelsonii in 2007. However, even with such small numbers of seed available these rare taxa are becoming slowly more widely grown. These last few years has seen the distribution of small quantities of Crocus wattiorum so in a few years time hopefully this will be more widely grown.
Can I urge members to make an effort to try to get seeds from their plants and to swap them in the seed exchange; this is one of the major ways to increase their availability and your collection. It can be difficult to get Crocus seed set in bad growing seasons particularly on the spring taxa. But, if while you are examining your flowering pots you carry a paint brush or similar implement, you can assist nature by becoming a pollinator. Growing bulbous plants from seed does not seem to occur to a lot of otherwise good growers. Perhaps it is the fact that you have to wait a few years to see a flower that deters. However, other than this, the process is extremely easy, just put Crocus seed in seed compost in a pot in late summer, expose to all weathers until germination then put under some protection from excess cold and water logging. Keep on the dry side over the late spring and summer then repeat the process. A few years doing this and you will have the pleasure each year of seeing new flowering pots of Crocus of your own making.
David Stephens
