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Tell me about Crocosmia!

*Astrantia**Astrantia* Posts: 307
in Plants
I had a pot of crocosmia not sure which one as I originally dug it up from my garden when I moved and it had been there for years! Its been in the pot about 3 years and hasn’t flowered much in fact last year I think just 2 flowers appeared 🙁 so I read up a bit and have taken them out of the pot and separated them into individual corms as yes they were growing on top of each other. 

So will all the corms be viable or do I just pot on the top ones that have some new growth in them? I’ll be putting them back in a pot, or pots, as unfortunately I now have a damp north facing garden so I want to be able to put them in a sunny spot and with well draining compost with added grit. 
Any other advice is most appreciated!
thank you 😁
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  • *Astrantia**Astrantia* Posts: 307
    Meant to say I know the GW advice is to just use the top 2 corms but I had already split them up so I pretty much know the top one as they have a little growth now on them but not the second as they’re all muddled up now, oops!
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    I would plant the already sprouted ones, then plant the mixed-up corms in a deep seed tray or pot and wait to see which spout, transplant those and throw the rest on the compost heap. :)

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I'd do exactly as @BobTheGardener describes.  :)
    They're like many perennials, and need regular dividing, especially if potted. The only difference is that they're corms rather than roots.  
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Penny_ForthemPenny_Forthem Posts: 455
    I planted 2 pots in 2020, one in the front garden, the other in the back.
    The front one get the morning sun; the back, the afternoon/evening sun.
    The one in the front flowered prolifically last year. You've guessed it - the back sent out leaves and no flowers at all.
    Beautiful North Wales - hiraeth
  • Silver surferSilver surfer Posts: 4,719
    I would be rather wary.
    They can become rather invasive.
    I had some arrive  hidden in a gift with another plant from a friend.
    I never did manage to get rid of it.

    Up here it is sometimes dumped on verges.
    Perthshire. SCOTLAND .
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Yes - I hope it's not  Monbretia, rather than a cultivated variety. It's a nightmare to keep contained. 
    I built an extension over a run of it. It still  tries to appear at one side  ;)

    It might not have been mature enough to do much @Penny_Forthem, although generally speaking, they flower at quite an early stage. It's usually only when the corms are smaller that they're slower. A sunny site is certainly best though.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    Silver surfer said:
    I would be rather wary.
    They can become rather invasive.

    Most of them are much better behaved, some clump and don't run at all. There are some sort of midway ones, like George Davidson, which is quite enthusiastic but not actually a problem in the way the 'common' montbretia can be.
    If the one you have is short and bright orange, then look at it a bit more carefully before you release it, but if it's 2 feet tall or more and any other colour then it'll be fine.
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • Silver surferSilver surfer Posts: 4,719
    edited January 2022
    Fairygirl said:
    Yes - I hope it's not  Monbretia, rather than a cultivated variety. It's a nightmare to keep contained. 

    Crocosmia is just the new name for Montbretia.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crocosmia

    Yes ,there are now many super named cultivars, but they can be rather exuberant at times.

    Trecanna nursery in Cornwall has several super ones.

    http://www.trecanna.co.uk/search.asp?sort=1&search=&types=&menuoption=crocos&special=&letter=
    Perthshire. SCOTLAND .
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It's interesting that you say that re montbretia/crocosmia @Silver surfer.
    When I joined the forum - which is when I moved into this house - I commented on the amount of crocosmia there was around the site. A well known, very knowledgeable member [no longer on the forum] gave me real grief about it. He said it was montbretia, as it was only the cultivated ones which were called crocosmia  :D
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • *Astrantia**Astrantia* Posts: 307
    edited January 2022
    Ok thanks Bobthegardener I’ll do that ! Penny_forthem the ones I have were getting afternoon sun so probably the same as yours lots of leaf & no flowers, my garden sadly gets hardly any morning sun due to the houses casting shadow and big trees which are not mine. I’ll see if I can get them as far down the garden as possible, as I haven’t been here long I’m still working out the sunniest place. Its been so dull or rainy or foggy for what feels like weeks on end it’s getting depressing☹️ Although yesterday was nice & I made the most of it by planting up the last of my daffs! Thanks for your help!

    As they will be in pots hopefully they won’t get the chance to spread 🤞 I think some are Lucifer but not sure what the others are poss the bog standard spreading ones!! Yikes! Oh well I’ll hopefully get some flowers in the summer now and get a better idea what variety they are!
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