I hope I have spelt that right....

Anyone know how to curb this little runaway?
Its spread quicker than ground elder!

I don't want to get rid of it all....Just to stop it from spreading!

The only good point is that it looks quite nice!

Rick McGreal writes
I hope I have spelt that right....

Anyone know how to curb this little runaway?
Its spread quicker than ground elder!

I don't want to get rid of it all....Just to stop it from spreading!

The only good point is that it looks quite nice!


Montbretia ? That they're now calling crocosmia for some reason ? I
just dig/pull mine out from wherever it comes up that I don't want it.
It is pretty invasive, but not that difficult to keep in check ...

--
Judy
http://members.lycos.co.uk/bluelotusrising/index.html
http://www.rigbys.demon.co.uk

"Rick McGreal" wrote in message
...
I hope I have spelt that right....

Anyone know how to curb this little runaway?
Its spread quicker than ground elder!

I don't want to get rid of it all....Just to stop it from spreading!

The only good point is that it looks quite nice!

Love my Montbretia (I think it is spelled They are wee bulbs and you need
to remove some. I halved mine this year and since no one was interested
they had to go in the compost

Ophelia

On Thu, 8 May 2003 13:41:21 +0100, "Ophelia"
wrote:

~
~"Rick McGreal" wrote in message
...
~ I hope I have spelt that right....
~
~ Anyone know how to curb this little runaway?
~ Its spread quicker than ground elder!
~
~ I don't want to get rid of it all....Just to stop it from spreading!
~
~ The only good point is that it looks quite nice!
~
~Love my Montbretia (I think it is spelled They are wee bulbs and you need
~to remove some. I halved mine this year and since no one was interested
~they had to go in the compost
~
~Ophelia
~
~

I had a bit of mass dig earlier this year getting shot of four huge
clumps. They had been four 6" diameter clumps three years ago, filling
in gaps in my newly planted-up shrub border. Now the shrubs have grown
and the crocosmia were winning... I planted the removed clumps in the
wooded bank opposite, in among ivy and sycamore seedlings and other
wildstuff. Should do well :-) I even resorted to Kill Weeds Dead Fast
on one clump, growing in the daffodils...

The lucifers in the back garden are not of the same thuggish
persuasion. It's the common montbretia that's the pest. I wish the
lucifers *would* increase!

My best advice is now they're up and you can see the leaves, don't
just pull, stick a fork underneath and lift the clump to loosen it,
then pull the individual unwanted corms out.

I also put some in pots - they do brilliantly in terracotta as you can
move them into gaps in a bed when they flower then hide them behind
the shed afterwards so this might be your best solution - dig them
all up, and replant in 6-8" pots and sink the lot in the ground,
rather like mint.


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove nospam from replies, thanks!

Judy Rigby wrote in
:

Montbretia ? That they're now calling crocosmia for some reason ?

Erm...I have no idea....
Oh....Here is an image....
Except mine are a little redder than this
http://www.weedinfo.com.au/wd_crcro.html
This guy calls them a weed!


I just dig/pull mine out from wherever it comes up that I don't want it.

Thats what I have been doing....
I must be missing some runners or something!
Because they are starting to shoot form the place where they wer last
year...And also in a couple of new areas....

It is pretty invasive, but not that difficult to keep in check ...

The problem is that my next door neighbour has MASSES of them....but they
are all neatly pruned and kept up against the fence he shares with me.....
This is obviously where they are coming from...

"Ophelia" wrote in
:

Love my Montbretia (I think it is spelled

There seems to be quite a few was to spell it!

They are wee bulbs and you need to remove some. I halved mine this year
and since no one was interested they had to go in the compost

I obviously must have missed a few....B-)

"jane" wrote in message


I also put some in pots - they do brilliantly in terracotta as you can
move them into gaps in a bed when they flower then hide them behind
the shed afterwards so this might be your best solution - dig them
all up, and replant in 6-8" pots and sink the lot in the ground,
rather like mint.

That is a good idea Jane for next year

O

Rick McGreal writes

Montbretia ? That they're now calling crocosmia for some reason ?

Erm...I have no idea....
Oh....Here is an image....
Except mine are a little redder than this
http://www.weedinfo.com.au/wd_crcro.html

That's the chap. They grow from corms, and each corm produces *tiny*
little corms, each of which will grow & produce more corms ad infinitum
....

.... I'm very fond of them (in moderation) because they remind me of
Cardiganshire & they've been very useful for filling in spaces until I
can get something better to replace them.


This guy calls them a weed!

Sticks & stones can break their bones ... I've been called all sorts of
things in my time too, but I just get on with life regardless
--
Judy
http://members.lycos.co.uk/bluelotusrising/index.html
http://www.rigbys.demon.co.uk

"Rick McGreal" wrote in message
...
I hope I have spelt that right....

Anyone know how to curb this little runaway?
Its spread quicker than ground elder!

I don't want to get rid of it all....Just to stop it from spreading!

The only good point is that it looks quite nice!

I have it in clumps in the lawn here, just mowing the spreading shoots
keeps it in the size clumps I like.
--
Chris Thomas
West Cork
Ireland

Judy Rigby wrote in
:

That's the chap. They grow from corms, and each corm produces *tiny*
little corms, each of which will grow & produce more corms ad infinitum

Wow.....When I pulled them up last year I must have missed quite a few as I
have a whole stand of them.....

... I'm very fond of them (in moderation) because they remind me of
Cardiganshire & they've been very useful for filling in spaces until I
can get something better to replace them.

Oh....they are very pretty without doubt....
And make a nice contrast to a green garden

Sticks & stones can break their bones ... I've been called all sorts of
things in my time too, but I just get on with life regardless

B-)
I just thought it was funny that they were labeled as a weed.....

plant it in large pots and sink them into the ground with rims just above
soil level


"Rick McGreal" wrote in message
...
I hope I have spelt that right....

Anyone know how to curb this little runaway?
Its spread quicker than ground elder!

I don't want to get rid of it all....Just to stop it from spreading!

The only good point is that it looks quite nice!

The message
from "Ophelia" contains these words:

Love my Montbretia (I think it is spelled They are wee bulbs and you need
to remove some. I halved mine this year and since no one was interested
they had to go in the compost

I'll hold my hat out for some next year - - -

--
Tony
Replace solidi with dots to reply: tony/anson snailything zetnet/co/uk

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi

"Rick McGreal" wrote in message
...
I hope I have spelt that right....

Anyone know how to curb this little runaway?
Its spread quicker than ground elder!

I don't want to get rid of it all....Just to stop it from spreading!

The only good point is that it looks quite nice!


They even do well and add a little colour in front of leylandii, you'd think
they'd suffer from lack of water and nutrients, it seems they can grow just
about everywhere! We have a hedgehog come's and hibernates under the dead
leaves of ours in winter... is this unusual??

Shan

"Rick McGreal" wrote in message
I just thought it was funny that they were labeled as a weed.....

A weed is a plant that grows where you dont want it.

Rick,
All you need to know about Monbretia, and Crocosmia in particular, is
readily available at www.theafricangarden.com is here.

I have the same problem as you but with bluebells. No matter how many I dig
up there are always a few that will pop up where they are not wanted. Just
perservere and invite friends round to dig them up for you as freebies for
their own garden.
--
Regards,
Mike Gilmore
www.winsfordwalledgarden.freeserve.co.uk


"Rick McGreal" wrote in message
...
Judy Rigby wrote in
:

That's the chap. They grow from corms, and each corm produces *tiny*
little corms, each of which will grow & produce more corms ad infinitum

Wow.....When I pulled them up last year I must have missed quite a few as
I
have a whole stand of them.....

... I'm very fond of them (in moderation) because they remind me of
Cardiganshire & they've been very useful for filling in spaces until I
can get something better to replace them.

Oh....they are very pretty without doubt....
And make a nice contrast to a green garden

Sticks & stones can break their bones ... I've been called all sorts of
things in my time too, but I just get on with life regardless

B-)
I just thought it was funny that they were labeled as a weed.....