Montbretia
Mulch in the first winter in colder gardens — some named cultivars are less hardy than the most vigorous garden forms.
Care
Full sun to light part shade.
Standard border watering.
Fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil.
Cut back foliage once it has died down in autumn; divide congested clumps every 3-4 years in spring.
A light balanced feed as the leaves come through is enough on most soils. Crocosmia is vigorous by nature — feeding it hard mostly produces more foliage to flop.
Lift and split the congested chains of corms in spring, replanting the plump top corms and discarding the shrivelled old ones below. Doing this every three or four years is also the cure for a clump that has stopped flowering.
Month by month
Months change with the climate: in southern Italy tomatoes go out two months earlier than in England.
- MarchDivide congested clumps every few years. how ›
- AugustMain flowering season.
- NovemberCut back foliage once it has died down. how ›
Months based on climate: UK. Your choice stays on this device.
- MarchDivide congested clumps every few years. how ›
- AugustMain flowering season.
- NovemberCut back foliage once it has died down. how ›
Months based on climate: Northern Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
Common problems
How to spot it. Fine mottling on leaves in dry summers.
What to do. Increase humidity/watering.
How to spot it. On young shoots.
What to do. Protect emerging growth.
Popular varieties
Questions
Montbretia: is it hardy?
H5: Hardy in most of the UK, but can struggle in the coldest inland or upland spots. It survives down to −15 °C.
Can it grow in a pot?
Standard container culture.
Montbretia: when do you prune it?
Cut back foliage once it has died down in autumn; divide congested clumps every 3-4 years in spring. In the calendar for UK, pruning falls in November.
Montbretia: when does it flower?
In the climate of UK it flowers in July–September.
When do you feed it?
A light balanced feed as the leaves come through is enough on most soils. Crocosmia is vigorous by nature — feeding it hard mostly produces more foliage to flop. Feeding months, UK: April.