Crocosmia not flowering

One of my favourite plants is crocosmia but I have never had much luck growing them, despite the fact I was led to believe they were very easy to grow. I had another attempt this year, planting some bulbs in a pot back in April. I transferred the plant to a raised bed towards the end of August but all I have is the foliage. Presumably it will not flower at this late stage of the year but should it be OK for next year?

 

Franco, they look healthy enough, leave them alone and I think you will have flowers next year.:gnthb:

 

Hi, my crocosmia has been a bit poor this year too, its a well established large plant and has flowered a bit but nothing like the great displays of years past! I put it down to the fairly poor weatheer we had over August.
Keep positive, i'm sure it will be fine next year :wink:
Incidently....they are one of my favorites too :thumb:

 

What kind of crocosmia is it Franco ?
My Crocosmia, the bright orange stuff, is rampant and always does well.
I've seen "more modern" (I think) varieties in more yellow colours with more flower and less leaf. They come in little packets of bulbs.
I've planted those and get a few leaves the first year and zilch after that.
I hope you get on better.

 

Same prob here Franco planted bulbs last autumn lots of leaves but no flowers this year think they are the tall red crocosmia hope for more luck next summer

 

I've never grown Crocosmia from bulbs, only as young plants. But I always get flowers year after year.

Alison, your clump might need dividing if it is an established plant - the crown might be dying off. Maybe get in there now and dig it up and divide it.

 

Crocosmia varieties are many and varied and some less floriferous than others. I have four or five named varieties most of which have flowered but one has become too dry and refuses to flower at all. One of the later ones has only just come into flower so maybe there is still time. Axie-Ali is right - leave it alone for a year or so it should be OK by the look of it....

 

Alice, it may have been those yellow ones I have tried in previous years with poor results but the ones in question are, if I recall, the 'Lucifer' variety which I think is the orangey-red type? I can appreciate that it hasn't really established yet and maybe I'm expecting too much too soon but it looks like it is not uncommon for them not to flower, judging by some of the replies above. Patience was never my strong point! The frustrating thing is there is a large clump growing wild at the roadside about 2 miles from where I live and it flowers well at this time every year.

 

None of my "crocosmia" have done well this year ,the old fashioned orange type probably need splitting,although they have only been in 3 yrs,
The "lucifer" which is red (Swan Vesta Matches), was only put in last year from bulbs and I expected more this year ,but got less :o

 

Pam, with perennials as rampant as Crocosmia, they benefit from dividing every couple of years.

I'd better practice what I preach - I have a clump of Lucifer that is overdue this treatment!

 

I persume it is in a sunny spot, some don't like too much shade. Could be that if it was in a pot the pot wasn't big enough so the corms did not grow as big as they could or perhaps if it dried out there was a check to growth. Just thinking through the possibilities. Looking at the foliage there should be big enough corms under that to flower next year if it is in a sunny enough spot.

 

You sure you should be gardening?

 

Good point! To be honest I am a sporadic gardener, depending on my enthusiasm levels and I make no claim to being any good at it.

 

I have two clumps of crocosmia, given me by the gardener I hired to landscape my garden in 2000. He had a huge amount in the back of his van that he'd cleared out of someone's garden a couple of days before. Seeing I was starting from scratch, plantwise, he asked if I'd like some. They got dumped at the bottom and it was another day or two before I put them in, so dry now I was certain they wouldn't do anything.

Well, ten years later, they are doing great but, as everyone else seems to be saying, they have done rather poorly this year. One clump managed a few blooms but the other has had none.

But that's gardening for ya!