Eranthis question

Jane McGary janemcgary@earthlink.net
Tue, 10 Aug 2004 16:52:06 PDT
John Ingram asked about Eranthis.

Eranthis tubers do not retain their vigor well in dry storage, so buying 
them from a U.S. importer such as John mentioned means getting tubers that 
are probably too dried out to perform well. If you have no alternative, 
then when you get them, soak them overnight at room temperature and then 
plant them immediately; some may grow.

The plants are much attacked by slugs and, presumably, snails. In this 
area, the best displays are in gardens with a lot of chemical application 
and extremely clean cultivation (short lawns, high-pruned shrubs, no loose 
mulches).

Regarding crocuses and pests, rabbits are likely to eat crocus foliage, 
resulting in the decline of the plants. Squirrels dig up and eat the corms, 
and towhees (a bird) pull up the shoots and eat the corms. Both these 
problems are less likely when the crocuses are grown in grass. C. 
tommasinianus is the best for naturalizing in grass because its leaves tend 
to lie horizontally and don't get mowed off too early.

Jane McGary
Northwestern Oregon, USA




More information about the pbs mailing list