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Crocosmia confusion and different growth rates

NollieNollie Girona, Catalunya, Northen Spain.Posts: 5,677
in Problem solving
Apologies for the barrage of questions, I do hope I am not trying your patience too much of late!

problem 1 - I have managed to confuse a load of potted Crocosmia Lucifer and Masonorium corms following a poly tunnel tidy :| they are only small shoots at the moment, but is there any way of telling them apart from the developing foliage or will I have to wait until they flower before planting them out in the border? Will they survive in 9cm pots that long? 

problem 2 - my other perennials for the same border have wildly different growth rates, the 20-30cm high salvias are desperate to go out, some Agastache are 20cm high but their pals of the same sort are only 5cm, Heleniums and Echinaceas only 5cm too, Crocosmia 3cm.

I had planned on setting them all out together so I could work out where everything would go - should I do that then plant the lot, babies and all, and hope they catch up/survive?
Alternatively, would it be better to set them out where I think they should all go, mark the spots then return all but the well developed ones to the poly for another few weeks?

I’m torn between the two options, so any advice gratefully received!


Posts

  • hogweedhogweed Central ScotlandPosts: 4,037
    edited April 2018
    Nollie - what is the weather like in your part of the world normally over the next 6 weeks? 
    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
  • NollieNollie Girona, Catalunya, Northen Spain.Posts: 5,677
    Hi Hogweed, we should be all set for summer now with all risk of frost past, but we did suffer from a freak (allegedly) late April frost last year. The other problem I didn’t mention is that at the insistence of OH we are going on holiday for 10 days on the 10th of May, and as much as I love my housesitters dearly I am thinking I don’t want to entrust them with watering newly planted perennials, so I do need to get them in the ground soonish and reasonably established before I go. It’s a dilemma!
  • StevedaylillyStevedaylilly Posts: 1,087
    Hi 
    First, it will be difficult to confirm what Crocosmia you have until they flower. Lucifer grows about a metre high and very vigorous 
    Planting out will depend on your predicted weather as Hogweed is suggesting. Young plants, if planted out, would be effected by a drop in temperature throught frost? I would leave them protected. Plan out your boarders and then wait until the beginning of May when hopefully warm weather is due and the soil has warmed up and dried out 
  • Bright starBright star Wrea GreenPosts: 1,120
    The leaves of a Crocosmia lucifer usually  look as though they have been folded like a fan, the lines going down the leaves are more pronounced. 
    Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.

  • Bright starBright star Wrea GreenPosts: 1,120
    Both the Crocosmia you mentioned are late summer flowerers -August/September 
    Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.

  • NollieNollie Girona, Catalunya, Northen Spain.Posts: 5,677
    Thanks everyone, think I have decided what to do... set out the border, plant just the large, sturdy-looking salvias, put everything else back in the poly throwing some shade netting over the top and leaving all the ventilation open, give the housesitters strict watering instructions and plant everything else out when I get back in late May. Think it’s called hedging ones bets.

    As for the crocosmias, at least I have two labelled, one of each from each muddled tray, so I can wait and see if significant differences in the foliage appear to aid identification, like the fold you mentioned Bright star. They will probably be a month earlier into flower here, most stuff is.

    How I got myself into such a guddle...

    x
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