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Camassia

crosbyjoe3crosbyjoe3 Posts: 6
in Problem solving
I bought some Camassia from 2 sources 2/3 years ago.
They had stunning spring flowers in 2021, but nothing but leaves in 2022.

I read various causes for non-flowering:
   Bulbs should be 4/5” deep (mine were planted too shallow)
   They mustn’t get overcrowded
   Avoid waterlogged soil as the bulbs could rot

So I lifted my (30?) bulbs after the foliage had died down -they didn’t appear to be rotten - planted them the said depth, and made sure they were not overcrowded.

Sadly the 2023 show was also without flowers.

Do I need to start with new bulbs? 

I can’t understand why all 30 bulbs are not flowering

Posts

  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    Ours are only just starting to have flower buds. They did have leaf growth last month but very slow. We haven't moved them or split them up but gradually they are becoming a nice clump.
  • crosbyjoe3crosbyjoe3 Posts: 6
    Interesting.
    Leaf growth on mine starts really early - shoots come out even before daffs.
    The leaves seems to be past their peak, which is why I think they won’t flower this year
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Mine flower at the end of May, which is fairly normal for the UK.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • crosbyjoe3crosbyjoe3 Posts: 6
    Thanks - maybe there’s hope!
    Is it also normal for the leaves to go a bit floppy before they flower?
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Yes.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited May 2023
    Mine naturalised in grass were bought in flower 5 years ago.  They are flwering now for the first time since then.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Leaves appear a long time before flower spikes @crosbyjoe3 . They also take a long time to die back after flowering, so be aware of what you have around them.  :)  
    Mine are only just getting their buds too- perfectly normal, and they're actually quite crowded but it doesn't stop them flowering either. As long as they're in the right site, they're fine, and it's the soil condition that's most important - they need consistently moist soil to do their best. 
    I need to split mine as there's now a lot of them - I started with 10, about 7 years ago. They spread quite readily.  :)  
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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