Colchicum germination
Diane Whitehead (Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:09:56 PST)

I received various Colchicum seeds from the Alpine Garden Society 1999
exchange, and sowed them with a spoonful of soilless mix into small
ziplock bags as soon as they arrived, in February 2000. They have been
kept in an unheated greenhouse that never freezes, and never gets very
hot.

C pusillum germinated in September 2002 - 2 years 7 months

C. 'Lilac Wonder' and C. corsicum germinated in February 2004 - 4 years

Today, 1 seed of C. autumnale MESE 302 (from an AGS expedition to
Greece in 1999) germinated - 8 years 1 month
There are still 12 seeds not yet germinated.

The final species, bornmuelleri, has not germinated yet. Its 7 seeds
are still sound.

When the autumnale finally blooms, it will probably look exactly like
the ones sold in bulb bins every fall. Ah well. It will have a story
to make it special.

I
Diane Whitehead
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
maritime zone 8, cool Mediterranean climate
mild rainy winters, mild dry summers