Allotments 4 All
Produce => Non Edible Plants => Topic started by: caroline7758 on August 20, 2008, 22:20:44
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I got a big bag full of these from a kind freecycler. They are in flower, so I'm wondering what's the best thing to do with them- plant them as they are and see if any of the flowers keep going or cut off the flowers before planting?
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Personally I'd plant them as they are - hope you've got loads of room though they spread and spread and spread and spread :)
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and spread and spread. good luck. they are rogues btw. Although I must say my crcosmia lucifer hasnt spread so much.
;)
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Lucifer is a beauty!
I find crocosmia flourishes in the dark, dank areas where not much else wants to grow and in that kind of place doesn't become too invasive.
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Just plant them, they're indesctructible.
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Just plant them, they're indesctructible.
Which means that if you ever want to get rid of them - you can't :o :o :o :o :o :o :o
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Not quite true. I got rid of them in my south facing Med type front garden over 5 years with constant weeding. ;D ;D 8)
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Five years must feel like forever ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Grow them like you would mint. In a buried bucket.
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Only certain kinds are invasive. I grow Lucifer and its pretty well behaved. i also have a variety called 'Citronella' which is a lovely yellow (of course) and has been almost a shrinking violet.
i do have a couple of the more vigorous kinds, on of which I 'obtained' from a local waste recycling centre (the tip!), potting them up to start with then planting out. they havent thaken over yet, however in a clients garden they are growing absolutely everywhere so i will have to keep an eye on them.
The invasive kinds are Crocosmia x crocosmifolia, the original 'Montbretia'. rarely sold in garden centres and nurseries as they arent the best garden varieties. That freecycler clearly had too much and wanted rid!
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well I love them! and having something that just keeps on growing is great in my garden, where the soil is like dust. if anyone ever wants to get rid of some, just let me know and I'll gladly take them off your hands for the cost of postage! ;D
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NL, i have lots you can have i have sent you a PM Ok. ;D
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I was thinking of planting some of them on the allotment, so plenty of room, although the ones I've got in the garden haven't spread much- that's why I took these.
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I love them too! That fabulous splash of vibrant colour is just great. I put them in places that couldn't have that level of beauty with anything else.
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I'm thinking of putting some of them in a narrow bed in front o my leylandii, but wonder if it will be too dry. Do they need a lot of moisture?
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No. They seem pretty tough! Survivors.
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I can never grow them though. I have lost count of the number of plants and bulbs I have bought of Montbretia and Crocosmia and they always die. Probably to do with the soil here which is on chalk but the pH is 7, so not too high. I used to have the same problems with Lily of the Valley but Lorna kindly gave me some last year and they are doing really well.
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Well, I've spread them around the garden this afternoon. If they do go mad, I can always freecycle them again!
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I can never grow them though. I have lost count of the number of plants and bulbs I have bought of Montbretia and Crocosmia and they always die. Probably to do with the soil here which is on chalk but the pH is 7, so not too high. I used to have the same problems with Lily of the Valley but Lorna kindly gave me some last year and they are doing really well.
My soil is chalk and mine do fine, so it cant really be the soil. I thought they grew anywhere?!
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I want my Crocosmia to spread - lovely plant. The flowers constrast well with the mid-green of the leaves - beautiful!
Even when not in flower, a good solid clump of crocosmia look very 'architectural'. The Lucifer variety is not as strong as the commonal garden varieties...which I think have recently been banded for sale in the UK due to there invasive nature.
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Paulines7, you are not alone! Two things I've always had trouble with are Montbretia and Lily of the Valley, and I've only managed to grow LOV recently from plants given to me 'in the green'.
Another plant I can kill with a single glance is ivy.
;D
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Amazin pop over and sweep my garden with a glance please ;D
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Gladly!
;D
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Just as a warning to those of you who want crocosmia/montbretia to spread, just be carefull what you wish for. I am working in a garden at the moment where there is crocosmia growing absolutely everywhere. In this situation they are a weed and you have to get every single corm out or it will return. This is not as easy as it might seem. The garden also has lots of ground elder and it is a close call as to whats harder to remove IMO!
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Not all crocosmia spreads though, only that nasty orange one!!!!!!!!!!!!
Most just grow into nice litle clumps.........
Mark
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Not all crocosmia spreads though, only that nasty orange one!!!!!!!!!!!!
Most just grow into nice litle clumps.........
Mark
I quite like the orange flowers on that one. It is its ambitions for global domination thats the problem!!
In some ways i wish some of the nice flowered types would spread just a little bit to produce decent groups. I have one called 'Citronella' which even though i split it last autumn has grown very little since it was planted in the garden. If only it had just a tiny bit of its cousins spreading ability then i would be happy.
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Citronella should be one that grows quite well.......... it has pottsii in it so needs to be kept quite damp while growing and needs feeding well.
I am trying to get all these small yellow flowered crocosmia grouped into one type... probably called Citronella Form...
It will include such cultivars as citronella, mount usher, sulphuria, honey bells etc etc
should be interesting
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Citronella should be one that grows quite well.......... it has pottsii in it so needs to be kept quite damp while growing and needs feeding well.
I am trying to get all these small yellow flowered crocosmia grouped into one type... probably called Citronella Form...
It will include such cultivars as citronella, mount usher, sulphuria, honey bells etc etc
should be interesting
I have my 'Citronella' planted in a sloping sunny border. I moved it there only last autumn from a cool shady bed at the top of the garden. It was growing fine there but not flowering so decided to move it and divide it at the same time as it seemed to be a bit overcrowded. It replaced a more vigorous red form that had grown too big. Did I do the wrong thing? Would it be better back in a cooler, more shaded spot?
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Oh no.... I have inherited loads of these in this garden. I want to keep some but it sounds like I am going to have a job on my hands getting rid of the bulk of them !!
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Just dug out a load from a client's garden this week. About 1.5- 2 square metres of solidly packed corms. Hard work but not as difficult as some weeds to remove.
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Welcome to the site Hosta! ;D