Crocus: October 2010

[TheOnionMan]

Dirk, I like both hybrids very much!  Very special indeed.

[Janis Ruksans]

Nice selection Dirk .Maybe they asked you before but do you always use plastic pots instead of claypots for your Crocus ?
I see Janis using also the plastic ones while others use claypots.What is the advantage ?
[/quote]

Two advantages - 1/ more economical space use
2/ clay pots here often split during heavy winter frosts

There is minus, too - not so easy to check soil moisture
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

    hadriaticus x sativus`Cashmerianus`, F2 cross
   

Dirk, I'm afraid that it isn't possible to cross C. hadriaticus with sativus cashmirianus. I have only sativus, but it never bloomed with me. But between my C. hadriaticus seedlings (open pollinated) are very similar plants - see picture.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Few more pictures made today:
Surprisingly, but still are blooming Crocus vallicola, it is the latest blooming stock. All others are away.
Two different stocks of Crocus robertianus - light blue and pure white
In full bloom now are Crocus pulchellus white form 'Michael Hoog'
More and more blooms C. longiflorus, here plants from Antoine Hoog.
and in this entry last common view of Crocus pulchellus (in front) and C. speciosus pots.
Janis

[BULBISSIME]

I also use plastic pots for bulbs in the frame, the main advantage for me is that they are... square pots : it saves space !

[Janis Ruksans]

Last pictures from today
Crocus boryi - there are many stocks, but all very similar in flower, different are blooming time. The earliest stocks are at end of blooming, latest still didn't started.
Today started to bloom Crocus caspius.
Unusually late this form of C. gilanicus. Really it didn't belong to my favourite species, flowers are small, pale, I think one of less beautiful autumn crocuses.
Today nicely opened C. goulimyi white form (not cv. 'Mani White'). This one I got from Brian Mathew.
Surprisingly large flowers were formed by this stock of Crocus cancellatus mazziaricus received from Gothenburg BG - flower diameter today reached 14(!) cm!!!
And last - common view of pots with Crocus cancellatus
Janis

[Gerry Webster]

    hadriaticus x sativus`Cashmerianus`, F2 cross
  

Dirk, I'm afraid that it isn't possible to cross C. hadriaticus with sativus cashmirianus. I have only sativus, but it never bloomed with me. But between my C. hadriaticus seedlings (open pollinated) are very similar plants - see picture.
Janis

Although C. sativus is intraspecifically infertile it  will produce seed when pollinated by other saffron crocus as I observed on my own plants some years ago. At the time the only other saffron crocus I had were C. asumaniae, C. cartwrightianus &  C. hadriaticus but I do not know from which the pollen came. Unfortunately, just after making the observation I had a minor stroke & so never got around to sowing the seed.  

I remember reading somewhere that C. sativus is readily pollinated by C. thomasii; although I now grow this plant I no longer have C. sativus so have never tried it for myself.

[TheOnionMan]

I remember reading somewhere that C. sativus is readily pollinated by C. thomasii; although I now grow this plant I no longer have C. sativus so have never tried it for myself.

Oh, I have both species growing and flowering together within 40 cm of each other!  Had no idea that they could cross.  In spite of heavy flowering on sativus each year, I have never gotten seed set on it.

Janis, I think I shall be revisiting this thread over and over again once the gloomy winter weather comes, to cheer me up and feast my eyes, never have I seen so many glorious Crocus!

[Janis Ruksans]

Today sun shined very shortly, so not many newcomers between my crocuses.
At first Crocus ligusticus (known as medius, too) from Italy. Flowers remained only half open.
Yesterday I showed Crocus melantherus with yellow anthers. Today some more came up but remained only slightly opened, so I'm showing two major types of petals outside coloring. Plant with striped back has black anthers, but it was too closed to picture inside.
Today started to flower the best Crocus pallasii form known by me named 'Homeri' in Gothenburg BG
Crocus robertianus is blooming quite long but today started to flower stock from Antoine Hoog with deeper blue flowers. I never before saw so deeply colored flowers in this species.
And as last is Crocus tournefortii collected in Greece on Cyclades by Arnis and kindly presented to me this autumn. My own tournefortii stocks still only show noses out of soil.
Janis

[I.S.]

 Janis I agree this one is the best pallasii with black anthers and dark throath  
And it has quite longer style than standart pallasii! is there any mixinig with cartwrightianus?

[Janis Ruksans]

Janis I agree this one is the best pallasii with black anthers and dark throath  
And it has quite longer style than standart pallasii! is there any mixinig with cartwrightianus?

Last autumn I carefully checked all features and it seem to be pure pallasii.
Janis

[udo]

    hadriaticus x sativus`Cashmerianus`, F2 cross
   

Dirk, I'm afraid that it isn't possible to cross C. hadriaticus with sativus cashmirianus. I have only sativus, but it never bloomed with me. But between my C. hadriaticus seedlings (open pollinated) are very similar plants - see picture.
Janis

Janis,i pollinated in autumn 2002 a Cr.hadriaticus CRO 466 with pollen of Cr.sativus 'Cashmerianus'. From these seeds originated
the F1 crossroad with small blue blossoms. The plants were fertile and in the following F2 generation bigger white and blue flowers came out. Now I am strained on them F3.
 
Cr.hadriaticus x sativus `Cashmerianus`F1
                   ``                               F2 blue form,from last autumn and with seed this spring

[Janis Ruksans]

    hadriaticus x sativus`Cashmerianus`, F2 cross
   

Dirk, I'm afraid that it isn't possible to cross C. hadriaticus with sativus cashmirianus. I have only sativus, but it never bloomed with me. But between my C. hadriaticus seedlings (open pollinated) are very similar plants - see picture.
Janis

Janis,i pollinated in autumn 2002 a Cr.hadriaticus CRO 466 with pollen of Cr.sativus 'Cashmerianus'. From these seeds originated
the F1 crossroad with small blue blossoms. The plants were fertile and in the following F2 generation bigger white and blue flowers came out. Now I am strained on them F3.
 
Cr.hadriaticus x sativus `Cashmerianus`F1
                   ``                               F2 blue form,from last autumn and with seed this spring

F-2 is very nice for its white anthers.
Janis

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Stunning Crocus everyone ! 

My modest autumn Crocus season is running to its end.
Here are 2 Crocus flowering with me at the moment, Janis might recognize them... 

Pix 1 to 4 : Crocus niveus - a blue form witch actually is bi-coloured with white inner and lilac/blue outer petals.
The flowers are quite big !
 Pix 5 to 7 : Crocus biflorus melantherus - I love all the black anthered forms !!! 
... and it smells heavely !

[Gerry Webster]

Very nice photos Luc. The colours of C. niveus are captured really well - much better than I can manage.