Sternbergia 2009

[Lori S.]

Among all of you successful sternbergia growers, I'm curious as to the coldest zone in which the hardiest species is known to survive. 
Herbert, it seems you might have the coldest climate of those who have responded here so far - what zone are you in?

Sternbergia lutea is often offered here in fall at garden centers (but then, so are a few other things that have next to no chance of survival).  I've tried it a few times over the years, but have yet to have one survive, hence my questions.

[Alessandro.marinello]

I hold the S.lutea under a fir, the slid winter I have had stung less ten c., for the others sp. I do not trust myself

[Lori S.]

Hi, Alessandro.  Thank you for the response.  So, that would be -10 degrees Celsius?

[pehe]

My Sternbergia under glass continue flowering.

Those are very well grown. Please describe the soil mix you use, preferably in excruciating detail so those of us who live in far away places have some chance of mixing something that works equally well.

I have for long had a nagging idea that the mix I use for pretty much everything just isn't right for Mediterranean bulbs, so I'm especially curious about pH, how gritty the mix is, what kind of grit and soil you use, nutrient levels, any additives.

PS: I am interested to see you using square pots; few gardeners do in these larger sizes. I switched to square "one gallon" pots (really 2.5 liters) roughly 20 years ago, and any round pots that come in with nursery stock are quickly recycled. I managed to get a really good deal on some hundreds of used square pots and guard them very carefully! My coldframes hold each a nice tight array of square pots 6×9, 54 pots per frame.

I use basically the compost Ian Young recommend: 2 part loam, 2 part grit and one part leaf compost. As I live close to the see I have a good free supply of sea grit. It is not sharp, but has some broken shells. Grit size is 2-6 mm. (I test the drainage, and if the water not soaks fast enough I add some more grit.) To this I add some bone meal and for Sternbergia some lime. PH is about 7.5

Poul

[Alessandro.marinello]

Hi, Alessandro.  Thank you for the response.  So, that would be -10 degrees Celsius?

Exact, in my zone the winter climate is much humid

[pehe]

Among all of you successful sternbergia growers, I'm curious as to the coldest zone in which the hardiest species is known to survive.  
Herbert, it seems you might have the coldest climate of those who have responded here so far - what zone are you in?

Sternbergia lutea is often offered here in fall at garden centers (but then, so are a few other things that have next to no chance of survival).  I've tried it a few times over the years, but have yet to have one survive, hence my questions.

St. lutea can survive in cold areas. I grow mine in open garden, many of them unprotected. They have survived -22 degrees without snow cover.
But the problem is flowering. If too cold there will only be leaves. To flower well, they require a hot, dry summer bake. Try them at a south facing wall.

Poul

[Maggi Young]

Ian has been trying them higher than before in the pot, so they heat up better.....not in flower yet, but some more buds showing than usual, we think. 

[johnw]

Lori = S. lutea never flowers here except when first purchased.  It survives a few years and peters out here in Zone 6. It is not hot enough for them in the summer and the winters are either too wet or cold.

johnw

[Gerry Webster]

I don't think the soil mix is particularly important for Sternbergias - any old bulb mix will do. What is important in my experience is good feeding & very hot conditions during dormancy (& I mean VERY HOT).  Given less than ideal conditions, some forms flower more readily than others. I find the John Marr form of S.sicula, which I pictured, to be pretty reliable & I would imagine 'Dodona Gold' to be similar since it comes from a collection made in the same area. On the other hand, S. sicula 'Arcadian Sun' - from a collection made in the Peloponnese - seems to require more heat than it in got my garden this year despite being planted out under glass in a south-facing site.

[Pauli]

Lori,

I suggest I garden around hardiness zones 5 to 6. But usually we have quite hot summers with many days around 30C - so a good summer baking is no problem for the sternbergias here.
Sicula from Corfu is in full flower, but little else noow; I think they are waiting for more rain!

all the best from Linz

Herbert

[Tony Willis]

First of mine in flower a Sternbergia grueteriana from Melvyn. No sighn of any others yet but I only watered five days ago.

[Gerdk]

First of mine in flower a Sternbergia grueteriana from Melvyn. No sighn of any others yet but I only watered five days ago.

Nice plant, Tony!

Here is my Sternbergia greuteriana - although according the petal width
close to Sternbergia lutea/sicula.
The second one is Sternbergia sicula Dodona Gold.

Gerd

[Melvyn Jope]

One reason to regret the demise of Woolworths is that they were a good source of bulbs. They were unwittingly selling Cyclamen mirabile ( among other species) as C. hederifolium and packs of Sternbergia which were descibed as 'from Turkey'. I bought some packs of this Sternbergia lutea which have flowered well in the garden ever since.

[Gerry Webster]

One reason to regret the demise of Woolworths is that they were a good source of bulbs.

You have a good memory Melvyn since it is many years since Woolworths were a good source of bulbs.  In my garden all the Galanthus nivalis & various forms of Chionodoxa & Crocus  came from them though I never managed to establish their dried cyclamen. Innocents that we were, it was great fun visiting the stores in Autumn to see what was new - all wild collected I fear.

[Ragged Robin]

One reason to regret the demise of Woolworths is that they were a good source of bulbs.

You have a good memory Melvyn since it is many years since Woolworths were a good source of bulbs.  In my garden all the Galanthus nivalis & various forms of Chionodoxa & Crocus  came from them though I never managed to establish their dried cyclamen. Innocents that we were, it was great fun visiting the stores in Autumn to see what was new - all wild collected I fear.

I bought from Woolworths too for many years and always found their bulbs excellent but you had me rattled about stock from the wild so I looked through my tin of labels and was pleased to see they were from cultivated stock grown in Holland    An enterprising manageress in the UK bought the Woolies she worked in and is adding other stores and employing the original staff - renamed it is a great success - maybe they will reintroduce a bulb section