This year's Crocus cvijicii...

[Alex]

Having been one of those who tried to buy this excellent Crocus from Miniature Bulbs last year, only to find it was C. angustifolius (to be fair, I expected that in view of the price) I have this year paid proper cvijicii money for 3 corms from a leading UK mail order nursery which are coming up now and look to be clearly the wrong thing. I have a few corms of the true species so I do know what it should look like. Anyone else had the same experience? I thought I'd better not name and shame until absolutely sure, but it's pretty much obvious. The same establishment also sold me the beautiful 'Dytiscus' clone of C. korolkowii which has a big bud now (everything early here); it is certainly korolkowii but looks not remotely darkly coloured enough to be this form. Am I alone? Just interested to see if others harbour similar suspicions.

Even my Miniature Bulbs bakerianas have come up with 4 sided stems! But I suspect it's just a mix up, that source is normally pretty good.

Cheers,

Alex

[mark smyth]

After last year I didnt bother trying to get a few more corms of Crocus cvijicii. I'll wait until someone I can trust offers them.

I've also had wrong bulbs from the same supplier as you. A few years ago said person suggested I wrote the wrong name on the label! I also returned soft very mouldy Iris during autumn 2007 and never heard anything back.

[David Nicholson]

Like Mark I decided to leave Crocus cvijicii alone this year. But, one of these years..........!

[mark smyth]

I was tempted by his description this year

[Alex]

Wise to resist it seems

[mark smyth]

Alex is it C. angustifolius again?

[mark smyth]

Like I just to Maggi I would like to know who is conning who? Said supplier always says this corm/bulb/rhizome ... was supplied by this that and the other well known grower. Are they conning him or is s/he conning us. It may be that bulbs have been wrong for years and we were sitting at home thinking isnt this a beaut and being none the wiser that is was something different. It's now thanks to all the experts that now frequent the forum that we are catching on.

[Alex]

It hasn't flowered but the leaves are well up already totally unlike cvijicii (or those I've seen anyway). Could be any number of things including angustifolius, in which case it can join the enormous drift of them in the garden following last year's cvijicii purchase.

[Gerry Webster]

I have had two occasions to complain to this supplier. The first was about 20 years ago when the response was totally inadequate.  I think at that time he had overextended himself & tended to supply poor quality bulbs.  The second was last year when a damaged bulb was replaced immediately & my postage refunded. Otherwise, the bulbs I have had from this source over the last three years have been of excellent quality & true to name.

[WimB]

I ordered a C. cvijicii of that company too this year, leaves are just showing so I don't know yet but I'll keep an eye out to see if it's the real deal. It wouldn't be the first time I get something that isn't up to standard from that supplier but I never can stop buying from him (too many goodies
I've ordered a lot of them in the last couple of years but this would only be the third time I would have to complain. Normally they deliver very good bulbs.

Wim

[mark smyth]

Do you never get under sized bulbs? I have

[WimB]

Sometimes I had to wait one or more years  before they wanted to flower (I think I had to wait for three years before my Scoliopus hallii had it's first flower) but with some of them I don't mind the wait because I can't find them anywhere else (although they can be a bit expensive for not flowering bulbs)

Wim

[Maggi Young]

If we are talking about rare bulbs  (    ) then I am fed up with talk of "naturally small" bulbs of things which I know, when grown well, will be like fat apples for size. Yes, there are some things which do make naturally small corms... like Rhodohypoxis, for instance, which never cease to amze me with the number of flowers you can get from a tiny corm.
 I think six or so years to wait for the first, pathetic flower from a frit bulb supplied as FS is just too much, however.    Likewise the orchid seedlings which needed a hand lens to find them in the moss! 

[WimB]

Maybe I'm too patient. Do you mean the Australian orchid "seedlings"? I had to search for the Pterostylis bulb I ordered for two hours I think Oops, that seems to be complaint number four.

[mark smyth]

Some of my Rhodohypoxis went to Sweden in November. I felt guilty giving the tiny bulbs.