Corydalis question

John Lonsdale john@johnlonsdale.net
Sun, 09 Jan 2005 06:45:17 PST
Dear Mary Sue,

I would agree with Dianne that this is one of the fleshy rooted species,
probably C. ochroleuca.  They are pretty things but some species can become
pests in the wrong (right) places.  

The true tuberous species, of any of the groups, are only above ground for
6-8 weeks or so, at most.  They will start making an appearance in about 6
weeks outside and make a fabulous display, especially as they build up into
nice clumps.  I probably have 30 - 40 selections of C. solida and too many
unnamed but beautiful seedlings to count (they self sow with reasonable and
controllable vigor.  Throw in the true blues (fumarifolia and allies) and
the range of colors is spectacular. C. schanginii ssp. ainae is flowering in
the greenhouse at the moment, rather early even for this precocious species.
I have set up a last and probably final 'foolproof' method to grow the
leonticoides section corydalis outside.  The problem is they come up very
early and the ground freezes shallowly whilst they are in growth - this
crushes the very fleshy stems and they rot.  They are buried deeply and
sitting on the sand but covered with nothing but pure gravel for as far (and
further) than their spreading stems can range.  In theory there is nothing
that can freeze and damage the stems.  We shall see.

I can send you a Heinz 57 of fresh C. solida seed from some of the nicer
forms - it germinates easily if you sow it very fresh.  Stored seed rarely
germinates.

I sowed around 200 pots of bulb seed yesterday, much received last week from
Vlastimil Pilous in the Czech Republic.  Any bulb lover should get his seed
list (he hasn't put out a bulb list for a year or two).  Once Ron Ratko's
seed is sown the greenhouse will be full of ungerminated seed pots again!
The recent mild weather has encouraged some germination - yesterday I found
collections of Iris kolpakowskiana and reticulata up, as well as some early
Junos like I. narbuti.  If we see some sun today the first flower of Crocus
(michelsonii x korolkowii) x Snow Leopard will open - if the inside is
anything like the exterior it will be well worth the wait!  The greenhouse
is full of flowering bulbocodiums and they make a lovely sight (and smell).

Best,

J.



John T Lonsdale PhD
407 Edgewood Drive,
Exton, Pennsylvania 19341, USA

Home: 610 594 9232
Cell: 484 678 9856
Fax: 801 327 1266

Visit "Edgewood" - The Lonsdale Garden at http://www.edgewoodgardens.net/

USDA Zone 6b



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