Sunday, September 27, 2009

Why can't I grow Crocosmia?


This is the third time that I have tried and failed to grow Crocosmia. Why?
I planted bulbs in winter and tried to keep them watered but not water logged. the Heremocalis (Day Lily) plants around the same bed are doing OK so what went wrong?
This month the RHS magazine featured Crocosmia and noted that Montbretia can often go mad and take over. Not here it wouldn't. But just to give the miserable sulking shoots in the Crocosmia bed something to think about I put the magazine with its glorious cover picture in there - just take a look at what you ought to look like!
Y

4 comments:

maría cecilia said...

Hello, I planted crocosmias 3 years ago and they are doing very well, first I thought they died because I could see nothing but in springtime the rebloom again, all the time is the same, they totally dissapear and then appear again. Rabbits eat them all.
cariños
maría cecilia

Anonymous said...

Cara Yvonne,

You are a lucky girl, Yvonne. At least you can spell the names of your plants. I cant tell one from the other. But I guess you have to weave a spell as well. Perhaps the magazine will "provoke". Good luck! Bacione, Ingrid

joco said...

Hiya Yvonne,
How funny: planting the RHS magazine.
Best thing for it, as I find it unreadable these days.

It surprises me that you can't get the Lucifer to grow in your climate. I would have thought that it would thrive.

hortulus said...

Carol - Late summer/fall blooming Crocosmia does self-seed a bit here in California, but only along our maritime coast, which is shrouded in fog most of the summer. Though it is from South Africa, it is from summer rainfall parts of that region, not the winter rainfall Cape.
Chasmanthe, which is often confused with Crocosmia, does come from the winter rainfall mediterranean climate region of South Africa. In our climates (I am in summer dry California), it will perform in the manner described by others, only growing in fall/winter and blooming in spring (completely dormant in summer).