Crocus kotschyanus
| Crocus kotschyanus | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Width: | 0.3' |
| Blooms: | Early Fall-Late Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Crocus kotschyanus
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a light sandy soil in pots in a cold frame[1]. The seed can also be sown in a cold frame in early spring[1]. Sow thinly because the seed usually germinates freely[1], within 1 - 6 months at 18°c[2]. Unless the seed has been sown too thickly, do not transplant the seedlings in their first year of growth, but give them regular liquid feeds to make sure they do not become deficient. Divide the small bulbs once the plants have died down, planting 2 - 3 bulbs per 8cm pot. Grow them on for another 2 years in a greenhouse or frame and plant them out into their permanent positions when dormant in late summer[K]. Plants take 3 - 4 years to flower from seed[3].
Division of the clumps after the leaves die down in spring[1][3]. The bulbs can be replanted direct into their permanent positions if required.
Cultivation: Prefers a sandy loam[1]. Plants are easily grown in a bulb frame or in a sunny position outdoors[4], succeeding in a well-drained moisture-retentive soil[3].
A very ornamental plant[1].
Plants tend to move considerably from their original planting place because of their means of vegetative reproduction, it is therefore wise not to grow different species in close proximity[1].
Any planting out is best done in late spring and early summer[5].
Protect the corms from mice[1].
The flowers are only open during the day time, closing at night[5].
Range: N. Africa to W. Asia - Lebanon to Turkey.
Habitat: Scrub and rocky places, 500 - 2600 metres[4].
Edibility: Corm - cooked[6].
Pollinators: Bees, butterflies
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Late Winter-Early Summer
Seed Ripens: Early Spring-Late Spring
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Bird, Alfred. Growing from Seed Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan, 1990.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Bulbs. Pan Books, 1989.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ Royal Horticultural Society. The Garden Volume 113. Royal Horticultural Society, 1988.