Growing Colchicum Colchicum: Planting, Variety Types and Care

Mysterious charm of the autumn garden

When in September and October bloom colchicum, revealing the petals directly from the ground, it is perceived as a surprise for the autumn garden. This flower is so beautiful that its date is difficult to compare with something. Unless the first spring crocuses produce the same strong impression. But in comparison with crocuses, the flowers of the cedarberry are simply huge, and in the case of double varieties they remind roses.

According to ancient Greek legends, colchicum grew out of drops of blood chained to the rock Prometheus, which was tormented by the eagle sent by Zeus. Not only legends, but also experts consider colchicum to be the most mysterious plant of our flora. Its corms have a rare ability - they can give a full flower, not being planted in the ground, just lying on a window sill or in a box.

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... Summer has passed, autumn escapes, and spring still hides in the tender, quivering, touching petals of a colchicum. That's really a flower without time.

"Son in front of father"

Colchicum, or colchicum, with all its mystery, legend, splendor, is an unpretentious, frost-resistant perennial tuberous plant. More than 60 of its species are known, which grow in Europe, the Mediterranean, Western Asia and India. Among the colchicums there are blooming both in spring and autumn.

Of late gardening species, in which there are two periods of dormancy, summer and winter, are of particular interest to gardeners. In early spring, only leaves grow - dark green, powerful. In June-July, the leaves turn yellow, then disappear, by which time the formation of a new corm and the death of the old maternal is completed.

And in the autumn the corms give only flowers, and they do not even rise on the stems, but on the tubes of the flowers themselves. Flowers in colchicum funnel-shaped or goblet, terry, with a diameter from 4-5 to 20, see mostly pink-lilac tones. One corms gives a few flowers that appear one after another, and each blooms 10-15 days. There are varieties, blooming "bouquet". The general period of flowering of the creepers of autumn colchicum -1-2 months in September-October, often flowering stretches to the very frosts.

A very interesting feature of colchicums is that their seeds ripen for the next year, and the ovary hibernates and develops under the ground. And next spring the fruit box is carried to the surface together with the leaves.

In the Middle Ages for such strange behavior cedar-tree was called "filius ante patrem", which means "a son in front of his father." Ripen seeds already under the sun, just at the beginning of wilting leaves. The corms in the colchicum are large enough, from 2-3 to 8 cm (depending on the species), with a diameter of 2-5 cm, one-sided due to the fact that they have an outgrowth where the resumption point is located, covered with filmy or leathery dry brown scales.

"Prometheus color" from the secret garden of the goddess

Colchicum is known in the garden culture since the XVI century. And the legends about him go to antiquity. According to ancient non-Greek legends, he grew up in Colchis (hence the name kol-hikum) in the secret garden of the goddess Hecate, who gave happiness to people, but at the same time was the patroness of poisonous plants and all witchcraft. The daughter of the goddess-sorceress Medea, who fell in love with the leader of the Argonauts Jason, who came to Colchis for the golden fleece, gave him the Prometheus color. According to the legend, "if someone potions that body with a potion, he can not be vulnerable to iron shocks, or he will not give up fire before the flaming ones."

It is worth noting that the legend was perspicacious. Interestingly, the colcalin alkaloid, discovered many centuries later in a cedar-tree, surprisingly affects plant cells, suppresses their division, but the number of chromosomes in cells doubles. So there is polyploidy, and the cells are enlarged. Colchicine is widely used in the selection of ornamental plants, for example, large-flowered daylilies with corrugated petals.

But the alkaloids contained in colchicum are very toxic. So if you have small children, this plant should not be grown. The most poisonous seeds and corms. Juice of damaged corms can cause skin irritation, so it is recommended to work with this plant in gloves.

Even the water in which the flowers were standing can cause poisoning. However, the ancient healers skillfully used colchicum and as a medicine. It was believed that he had no equal in the treatment of joints. It is known that for another thousand years BC. e. information about the medicinal properties of the cedar-tree was contained in the medical tract of the ancient Egypt and India.

Types of cesspool

We grow one of the types of autumn colchicum - cedar of Fomin (Colchicum E formnii), it is listed in the Red Book. As for the autumn crocuses grown in the culture, today the most effective hybrid varieties a cedar of the beautiful, or magnificent (Colchicum with speciosum), with high enough, up to 20-30 cm, and large flowers.

Corms in this cedarberry are also large, each gives up to 5 from flowers with a diameter of 14-20 cm.

Flowering begins in mid-September. The most famous and popular varieties Waterlily - terry, with large pink flowers; The Giant - with pink purple; Lilac Wonder - with soft lilac; Album - with white flowers. to

Autumn Column (Colchicum autumnale) a native of Europe. This species is more miniature, its flowers are about 15 cm in height and 6-7 in diameter, but no less spectacular, one corms give up to 8 flowers. This species also blooms from mid-September to frosts. Flowers, usually pink in a variety Roseum Plenum - rosy terry; the Alboplenum -primary, pearl white.

"Bouquet" blooming is noteworthy Cyclonic cilicia (Colchicum cilicicum), he has a corms 15-25 bright pink flowers, their diameter in the open form about 10 cm. On sale is his grade Cilicicum purpureum - flowers are purple-pink, with thin white-ash veins. It is very similar to the Cilician colchicum Byzantine, its flowers are also pink, but slightly smaller.

Bournemuller's Colchicum (S. bornmuelleri) blooms in the very beginning of September. He has a large onion, large, up to 12 cm in diameter. bright violet-lilac flower with a white center, and the base of the tube with a greenish-purple hue.

The correct planting colchicum colchicum

For a convivial, both open, sunny areas and semi-shaded areas are suitable. In the shadow colchicums slowly expand, besides the sun needs leaves, which appear in the early spring. From this time until the summer, corms accumulate nutrients for future flowering. Successful for colchicum will be places under the crowns of trees and shrubs.

Optimum soils for deciduous - fertile, loose and moderately moist. In one place they can grow 5-6 years, so before planting the soil

Corms of colchicum have a protuberance in the abutment.

When planting, you can’t make a mistake and plant the bulb nose up, you can lose the plant. The depth of planting of corms depends on their size: for large ones - 15-20 cm. For small ones - 8-10 cm. The distance between large bulbs is 20-25 cm, between small ones - 10 cm. After planting, the plot is watered, you can also mulch with a large mulch. If autumn is dry, colchicum watered. But it is not necessary to overmoisten, this makes the bulbs vulnerable to fungal diseases and attracts slugs.

Most colchicum species hibernate without shelter, but in the first year they can be covered with lapnika, foliage, especially those planted with flowering ones. In the spring, when the leaves appear, the soil around the colchicums slightly loosen. On poor soils during the vegetative period of the leaves, 2-3 fertilizing with nitroammophos (40-50 g / m²).

For transplantation, corms are dug up after the leaves have dried, usually in late June - early July, cleaned of old roots, pickled, dried for 1 to 2 days in the shade with good ventilation.

Then store in a dark place at a temperature of 20-22 ° C until planting in late August, as soon as flower buds wake up on the corms. Dig out and plant uncertipters not earlier than in 5 years, when the flowers are already cramped in one colony. Propagation colchicums are mainly daughter corms. On one corm, 1-3 babies are formed, blooming already in the year of planting

Landing Colchicum - video

Colchicum. Autumnal promise of spring. Transfer

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Dacha with their own hands > Flowers - planting and care > Flower Kolhikum (autumn crocus) - photo, planting and care

3 Review (s)

Irina Yaremenko
09/09/2020 (08:44) #

Planting of autumn crops
At the end of August, I plant the crocus bulbs to a depth of 5-15 cm at a distance of 20 cm from each other. I choose a dry, sunny site (in the shade, plants are attacked by slugs). I add 30 g of superphosphate and 2 tbsp. To the soil. wood ash per 1 sq.m. Plants bloom already in this season, when cold and rain come (at the end of October). Flowering lasts a month.
It is possible to grow a crocus from seeds that ripen during the period of leaf dying off, in June. I immediately sow the collected seeds in open ground (pre-soak for 10-15 minutes).

Oksana SOLNTSEVA, Orel
28/03/2018 (12:35) #

In colchicum splendid wide leaves and large flowers of pink, purple or lilac shades, which are revealed in autumn. Before the first frost, the flowers are pollinated, and in the winter the fruit is formed, which appears in spring together with the new foliage.

Because of this cyclic development, the plant is called cesspit.
Cultivate it is not difficult, if there is an open solar area with loose and light ground. For reproduction, it is better to use bulbs. Colchicum grown from a large bulb can blossom in the first year. But the seeds multiply it more difficult. Firstly, this method is not suitable for all varieties. Secondly, he is "long-playing". If the seeds are sown in early summer, the shoots will appear only next spring. In addition, the plant will blossom only when it builds up the bulb, which will take several years.
Watering colchicum should be in moderation, avoiding waterlogging. In autumn, when flowers appear, the plant must be fed (it is better to use superphosphate - according to the instructions). Shelter for the winter is not required.

Summerman, gardener and gardener (anonymous)
14/11/2017 (11:35) #

Autumn Column (Colchicum autumnale)
Description.
Perennial tuberous plant. The leaves are shiny, light green, up to 40 cm in length, appear in the spring. Flowers - spectacular, light purple, up to 7 cm in diameter. They blossom in early autumn and blossom to frost. There are varieties with white and double flowers.
Agrotechnics.
This unpretentious plant, which grows best and develops in open, sunny areas. Colchicum sometimes, as well as autumn-bearing crocuses, sell already blooming. Planting a plant with flowers is not very good: it may not settle down or winter, it is better to plant corms in spring or early summer.
Breeding.
It reproduces by dividing the nests of the corms (the optimal time of the fission is the beginning of summer).
Using. The late-deciduous cedars are extremely beautiful looking in large groups under the trees against the background of the lawn. But there is one thing: this plant blossoms in the impersonal state, and its leaves appear in the spring, they are large - it is difficult not to notice them - and not the most beautiful, you can not mow them together with lawn grass: do harm to uncaused persons; so here you need to decide whether you can "tolerate" their leaves in spring (but in autumn enjoy luxurious flowering).