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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

  • pansyfacepansyface Posts: 21,915
    If the ground’s not frozen, or under water they should be fine.

    By the way, if any badgers visit your garden you won’t have colchicums for long. I bought 40 a couple of years ago. I have 2 now.
    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
    If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
  • Paul B3Paul B3 Posts: 3,077
    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: 4,114
    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.
  • pansyfacepansyface Posts: 21,915
    Nobody told my badgers.😊 Alive and well and scavenging for all they are worth.😕

    From the size of the holes left after the colchicums’ disappearance, it was either badgers or foxes, and I don’t think it was foxes.
    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
    If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,114
    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.
  • pansyfacepansyface Posts: 21,915

    A dry hillside.

    No mush. No leaves. No flowers. No roots.

    Not even a thank you note.
    😊
    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
    If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
  • WillowBarkWillowBark Posts: 236
    @pansyface Wow, what a brilliant photo!
  • pansyfacepansyface Posts: 21,915
    Little blighters push the bird tables over. 🙄
    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
    If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
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