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Colchicum advice

derekbderekb Posts: 4
in Plants
I have just bought some Colchicum bormuelleri bulbs after an extensive search and wait, can anyone tell me if it will be ok to plant them outside now please, I know it isn’t the ideal time but I am keen to get them in the ground and I don’t know what else I could do with them in the meantime. It has been very difficult finding stock of these so I want to make sure I give them the best chance, I would greatly appreciate any advice.

Posts

  • Paul B3Paul B3 Posts: 3,154
    Colchicum bornmuelleri is just a variant of C.speciosum ; preferable to plant in late-summer when dormant further to flowering in Sept/October .
    Personally I would keep them in pots until the spring and then plant outdoors .
    I'm sure they'll sort themselves out and synchronise with the vagaries of the UK climate !
    Good luck with them .
  • derekbderekb Posts: 4
    Thank you for your advice, we don’t get any badgers, just squirrels so should be ok. I think I will plant them as soon as conditions allow rather than in spring.
  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307
    Actually Colchicums are poisonous to mammals so badgers would not normally eat them.
    The leaves appear in Spring so planting out now would give them time to settle in and produce their leaves.
  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307
    Our badgers ate all our tulips, but never bothered with the Colchicums even where they were side by side in the garden.
    Where we lost Colchicums it was to poor drainage and their rotting away did leave fairly big holes full of mush.
  • WillowBarkWillowBark Posts: 243
    @pansyface Wow, what a brilliant photo!
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