Colchicum 2011

[WimB]

Last week the first Colchicum started flowering here too...I guess Autumn has started  

Colchicum bivonae 'Apollo'

[BULBISSIME]

In the Vanoise park, right time to find now Colchicum alpinum this week.

[ArnoldT]

I'm amazed these Colchicums are flowering.  Has the weather cooled that much?

I rarely see any Colchicums until the end of August.

[WimB]

I'm amazed these Colchicums are flowering.  Has the weather cooled that much?

I rarely see any Colchicums until the end of August.

Well, here it has. We had temps up to 30°C and very dry weather in April and now we are down to 15 - 18°C max. and they predict constant rain or showers for the next week. It feels as though it's Autumn here.

[krisderaeymaeker]

In the Vanoise park, right time to find now Colchicum alpinum this week.

Good color Fred. Between two showers I could finally take a picture of Colchicum kotschyi ...   

[Hagen Engelmann]

Oii, I have missed the start of the colchicum season.
But there is no nose out, im my garden!?
What do you do?

[Maggi Young]

Hagen, do as I do... be grateful that it is still summer in your garden! 

[krisderaeymaeker]

What do you do?

Complain that it is to wet and to cold at the moment Hagen.
But in the case of Colchicum kotschyi I think it is normal that he is already in flower . In their habitat they are flowering in june /july ? That is what I have read somewhere.
Other noses also hidden under the ground...

[Hagen Engelmann]

Hi Kris. Early in the year (middle of february) I was in Belgium to visit some friends with galanthus in their gardens. And it was like a pre-season to me because our galanthus have their season four weeks later. Now I could came the second time to belgium for the pre-season of colchicum......
The most early colchicums here, will be C. speciosum bornmuellerii and AUTUMN QUEEN, both end of August

[krisderaeymaeker]

Hi Kris. Early in the year (middle of february) I was in Belgium to visit some friends with galanthus in their gardens. And it was like a pre-season to me because our galanthus have their season four weeks later. Now I could came the second time to belgium for the pre-season of colchicum......
The most early colchicums here, will be C. speciosum bornmuellerii and AUTUMN QUEEN, both end of August

Hello Hagen , yesterday I would not speak about a pre-season but today I have Colchicum montanum above the ground and Colchicum tenorii is getting ready to make flowerbuds .
So you are maybe right about the pre-season
So you maybe must come to Belgium again one of those days.

[shelagh]

Some Colchicum seed found its way into my pocket whilst we were in Zermatt, when is the best time to sow it? and does it need to be in the fridge first?

[Maggi Young]

Oh Shelagh, in our experience, colchicum seed is a law unto itself! 

Have a look at this thread to see if you can get inspiration.....
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3549.0

[PeterT]

More often than not I get reasonable results sowing colchicum seeds, I try to prevent fresh seed drying out too much and as I understand is best with Crocus and believe with Junos, I always try to get them sown early while there is some warmth before winter. This ties in with the information on the link posted by Maggie. usually I have to pick the seeds out of my pots long after the capsuals open, and the seeds usually germinate well.

[pehe]

1 - 2. Colchicum montanum in open garden
3. Colchicum montanum under glass

These pics is a proof that the flowering trigger is temperature gradients and not watering. The first one in the open garden have been more or less wet the whole summer while the one under glass have been bone dry. The flowers appeared within two days.

Poul

[Maggi Young]

Good to see your example of the temperature changes triggering the flowering, Poul. Here in Aberdeen is it getting colder and colder ... terrible to see what the temperature changes are doing to the gardeners!