Sternbergia 2010

[krisderaeymaeker]

Fermi ,
    this is the S. sicula col. by Alan Edwards in Selia Gorge ,Crete , in flower now in my garden ,

        Otto.

Gorgous Otto. Together with sicula 'John Marr ' the best sicula-form ever?

[krisderaeymaeker]

Here Sternbergia sicula 'Arcadian Sun' at is best .
First cultivated in pot. (picture 1-2-3)
Second in the rockgarden.  (picture 4 )
In the rockgarden they are just a little bit later en the best is there to come.

[pehe]

Kris,
Nice pictures of an excellent sicula! I find it difficult to get really good pictures of Sternbergia. Maybee the colour is not the best for my camera.
Do you grow the pots in an open frame or under glass? If under glass, when did you give them the first water?

Poul

[krisderaeymaeker]

Kris,
Nice pictures of an excellent sicula! I find it difficult to get really good pictures of Sternbergia. Maybee the colour is not the best for my camera.
Do you grow the pots in an open frame or under glass? If under glass, when did you give them the first water?
Poul

Thank you Poul. I keep them in a sandplunge outside. In wintertime they are covered with a plastic roof.The same in spring and summer during periods of heavy rain .But I try to keep them without covering  so much as possible during spring and summer.In august I didn't cover them at all and just let the rain do his job .In Belgium we had very much rain during august ,so they start to grow/flower soon this year.In the rockgarden the same species only get winterprotection.   Kris .

[Pauli]

Hello,

my Sternbergias are also starting to flower!

First what I call sicula from Corfu: narrow leaves with a distinct white center and sepals pointed.

The last picture is of one of my many luteas, they start flowering a few days later than the siculas from Corfu. This plant is from Italy, from the surroundings of Monte Cassino. Broad leaves, white center not as distinct, sepals more rounded.

[Tony Willis]

very nice Herbert,here are four of mine

Sternbergia sicula
Sternbergia greuteriana
Sternbergia lutea
Sternbergia sicula 'Molly Dawson' this is strange because it is supposed to be the last to flower

[Gerry Webster]

Congratulations to everyone on their Sternbergias. I am envious for, despite the relatively warm summer, flowering is very poor here.

[krisderaeymaeker]

very nice Herbert,here are four of mine
Sternbergia sicula
Sternbergia greuteriana
Sternbergia lutea
Sternbergia sicula 'Molly Dawson' this is strange because it is supposed to be the last to flower

Wow  , again a splendid selection Tony.Greuteriana is not flowering here and even in summerrest.

[BULBISSIME]

Same for me Gerry, congratulations as nothing at all here... 
But I'm patient and will sleep close to the bulbs to watch first signs of growth 

[Pauli]

Hello,

I do not think, that Sternbergias are particulary difficult to flower.
They must be fed very well and have a dry warm sumer rest.
I think they are more difficult in a pot than planted out, at least here in Austria!

Herbert

[Tony Willis]

I have never flowered one outside here it is to wet and only an occasional hot day.They just produce a few leaves for a couple of years and then rot away.

I grow all mine in pots and rarely feed them but they are repotted in a rich compost each year. They are kept dry all summer and as warm as possible.!!

[Ian Y]

Great pictures everybody how lovely to see these wee beauties.

I have only one flower so far but this is still early for us so I do hope that more will appear in the next month.

I have to grow them in pots as they just do not flower in the garden and I have the same experience as Tony.

I start feeding my Sternbergia in pots with potassium as soon as the flowers fade- they are the only bulbs that I feed with potassium in the autumn.

[krisderaeymaeker]

This sicula 'Arcadian Sun ' flowers for the second year in our rockgarden.I think this is a robust form .
Perhaps the form or variety has something to do .
In pot Sternbergia lutea (Monodendri ).

[pehe]

Herbert, you have great success with your Sternbergia!
It is a very nice clump of sicula. Your lutea is very free flowering. Do you give them some protection in the dormant period?

Poul

[pehe]

It seems to be a good Sternbergia season in Denmark. We had a long warm summer so I expect many flowers in the open garden. But I have to wait a few days for flowers. But under glass there is lots of flowers.

1. Sternbergia sicula in rain
2. The same in sunshine
3. Close up
4. In clay pots
All these sicula are from Janis Ruksans
5. St. sicula ex. Corfu
6. Sterbergia greuteriana buds
7. Sternbergia sicula 'Dodona Gold' in the open garden

Poul