Crocus and companion plants in the garden February 2010

[TheOnionMan]

Wow, it's hard to keep up with all of the great postings and wonderful croci shots.  Ditto on the kudos to Hendrik, Tony, Luc, Michael, and Janis on such a lively thread with wonderful crocus to help me forget about all the snow and very cold weather (not been above freezing for a long time).  And C. chrysanthus 'Black Fire' - OMG!  Outstanding.

Because it is 2 more months before we have crocus here (I grow all crocus outside), I hope to post some photos of species discussed for comparison purposes, showing them growing and flowering outside in previous years.  It is interesting comparing photos in successive years, to see how the colonies build up and increase.  So, I uploaded 4 views of C. biflorus isauricus, the first 3 taken in 2008, the 4th taken in 2009.  The sun was very bright, and with glare off of snow (not in view) made the photos a bit overexposed.  Now I want to try C. biflorus nubigena, got to have those black anthers.

Then 3 photos of what was received as C. biflorus pulchricolor, but based on discussions here clearly seems to be something else (to be identified)... suggestion that it is C. kosaninii the first two taken in 2006, the last one taken in 2009 and showing considerable increase (sorry, the last on is a trifle out of focus).  I love how this form stands up tall to display the elegant flowers.  This is one that sets good seed, and I sow the seed in-situ around the parent clump to increase the colony.

-- renamed images of my NOT-biflorus-pulchricolor, to avoid further confusion --

[Armin]

Mark,
very beautiful. Would be happy to call such nice clumps my own!

It is quite unusual to see a thick mulch cover for crocus. Obviously they like it.
I made not the best experience with mulch cover due too much moist and danger of root rot.

[mark smyth]

No rain/wind in New Hampshire? It's brilliant to see Crocus growing like that

[TheOnionMan]

Very nice Crocus from everybody
  Mark McD. your biflorus doesn't look like C. biflorus pulchricolor to me! may it be C. etruscus Rosalind!

I got my C. "biflorus pulchricolor" from Jane McGary, along with a number of other crocus species, and perhaps as you say, it is not correctly identified.  I don't think that it is C. etruscus 'Rosalind' though, that looks rather different (unless I have that wrong too  ), but I'll post some photos of my etruscus 'Rosalind' later on tonight.  Here's a couple links on what I could find for C. biflorus pulchricolor.  If anyone can determine what crocus I do have in this case, I'm "all ears", and willing to repost images correctly named, assuming we come up with an ID.

http://www.thealpinehouse.fsnet.co.uk/crocus%20pages/biflorus%20pulchricolor.htm

http://www.edgewoodgardens.net/Plants_album/The%20Plants%20-%20%20Complete%20Collection/Iridaceae/Crocus/Subgen%20Nudiscapus%20Ser%20Biflori/C.%20biflorus/index8.html

[TheOnionMan]

Mark,
very beautiful. Would be happy to call such nice clumps my own!
It is quite unusual to see a thick mulch cover for crocus. Obviously they like it.
I made not the best experience with mulch cover due too much moist and danger of root rot.

I plant my crocus quite deep, 5-6" deep in the soil, with about 2" pine bark mulch.  The deep planting solves the squirrel predation problem, and the crocus seem not to have any problem with deep planting.  I plant crocus, frits, dwarf Iris, species tulipa, etc, in what I call shrub and tree rings.  Here's the theory behind this practice.  Choose late-to-leaf-out shrubs and trees (Hibiscus syriacus vars, Oxydendron arboreum), that are also tap-rooted or deep rooted.  The bulbs flower in spring, well before the shrub or tree leafs out.  Later in the summer when the shrubs and trees are in active growth, they're thirsty for moisture and suck moisture away from the soil at their base.  I've never had things like crocus and Fritillaria pudica do so well and seed to prolifically, as in this dual-purpose plantings.  Here's a photo of one such shrub ring, taken 5 years ago, with some younger clumps of crocus and iris coming along, planted under Hibiscus syriacus 'Aphodite'.

[TheOnionMan]

No rain/wind in New Hampshire? It's brilliant to see Crocus growing like that

Thanks Mark S, plenty of wind and rain here in Massachusetts (about 2 miles from New Hampshire).  Some years, the display on this or that species or cultivar can be rather ruined by excessive rainy periods, or late snow, but one gets enough good years that I enjoy seeing how the bulbs bulk up out in the open garden.  Also, my more recent practice of sowing Crocus seed in situ to additionaly bulk up the colonies surpasses my expectations. 

I'm quite pleased with how the genus Crocus is fairing here, and want to expand my collection.  The key is to find a cultivation method that deals with the squirrel predation problem, and I refuse to use hardware cloth burried over the bulbs... too much work.  See my other post, but very deep planting works just fine.

[johnw]

McMark - Have you had any hardiness problems with any Crocus spp.?  I hesitate to try some of the Mediterranean ones in this summer-cool area as they may not ripen properly.  However your experience with winter hardiness may at least solve that part of the equation.

A cold -7c here at the moment, tomorrow night promises to be a corker - circa -16c they say and no let up to this cold until Sunday.

johnw

[TheOnionMan]

McMark - Have you had any hardiness problems with any Crocus spp.?  I hesitate to try some of the Mediterranean ones in this summer-cool area as they may not ripen properly.  However your experience with winter hardiness may at least solve that part of the equation.
A cold -7c here at the moment, tomorrow night promises to be a corker - circa -16c they say and no let up to this cold until Sunday.
johnw 

Hi John.  -16c eh, that's cold.  For the last several days it's been down to -16c here as well.  So far, with the species I have tried, they've proved perfectly hardy.  I worried about C. vitellinus, but it seems bone hardy after 6-7 years and always the first to flower, along with Galanthus.  I just checked today, and my two year old seedlings of C. thomasii from Italy, from Angelo Porcelli, are green and looking fine in a southery facing spot where the 30cm of snow has dwindled to reveal bare ground in a few spots.  There might be some Crocus that are not hardy here, but haven't found them yet. I have many more to try.  http://www.bulbsociety.org/GALLERY_OF_THE_WORLDS_BULBS/GRAPHICS/Crocus/Crocus_thomasii/Crocus_thomasii.html

[TheOnionMan]

Following up on the possible misidentification of C. biflorus pulchricolor, and the suggestion my plants look like C. etruscus 'Rosalind', here's what I grow as C. etruscus 'Rosalind'.  The first 3 photos taken late March 2008, the 4th photo 2 days later (haha), followed by 2 photos of early anthesis 2009.  It is a beautiful crocus; I hope the ID is right.  This one also came from Jane McGary.

[Thomas Huber]

Because it is 2 more months before we have crocus here (I grow all crocus outside)......

Welcome to the club, Mark - there are not many of us, trying their gems outside, but like you I have
never had bad experiences with growing my crocus outside. Our experiences will hopefully bring more
croconuts away from potgrowing 

Like Ibrahim I don't think your blue crocus is pulchricolor, it looks like the plant I received as Crocus kosaninii.
Please compare with my photo.

By the way: Great photos from everyone which brighten up my days - still everything covered with snow.
Can't remember when we had soooo much snow in the past 

[BULBISSIME]

Hello "Outsiders growers"    do you grow your Crocus in pots or directly in mother earth ??
and what's about mice ??

[Thomas Huber]

Hello "Outsiders growers"    do you grow your Crocus in pots or directly in mother earth ??
and what's about mouses ??

Morning Fred.
The main stock of my corms is grown in plant-baskets with 14 or 20cm in diameter.
This makes it easier to find them while dormant. If the basket is full, the corms are planted
directly in the garden soil. No problems with mice in the last 3 years.

[BULBISSIME]

Thank's Thomas,

have a nice snowy day 

[tonyg]

I think that outside planting is best for crocus but perhaps not all species and not everywhere.  Cold in winter is less of a worry (apart from in areas where the frost penetrates very deep) than warm and wet in summer.  Deep planting is very useful in mitigating temperature fluctuations, protecting the corms from extremes.  They often grow deep in the wild.
Here in the maritime UK, warm and wet is the norm in summer ( ) and can lead to rot in the corms.  This can be offset by using extremely well drained growing medium and the use of raised beds.  
Mouses   are a problem for pot growers too.  If they are on your land they can find the crocus.  There are a number of control methods - but none are entirely reliable.

[Sinchets]

If you want to keep corms/ bulbs 'drier' in summer in the open garden you can also grow them through plants that can be pruned back before winter to let the light through, and which will grow over the dormant corms during summer. Good examples are Thymus, Scutellaria, Salvia, Micromeria, Ziziphora, Satureja.... None of these plants need watering evern in drought and 'soak'up any excess water during summer. It's also a good mimic of how the plants grow in the wild