Montbretia is a pretty plant to have around the place, as long as you keep an eye on where you’re growing it so that it doesn’t take over! If you want to know how to grow crocosmia montbretia from seeds then this is the information you have been looking for – we have it all!
What You'll Learn Today
How To Grow Crocosmia Montbretia From Seeds?
This plant, unlike many others, is actually pretty easy to grow from seed, and requires very little intervention to do so.
- Prepare a bed where you want your Montbretia to grow. This should be good, fertile, soil-based compost, for best results.
- Sprinkle the seeds liberally; you can always thin out the seedlings or wait for natural selection to do it for you.
- Cover the seeds lightly with compost or fine grit – this plant likes well-draining conditions so it won’t mind a bit of grit!
- You can choose to sow your Montbretia seeds in the autumn, so that they get the benefit of the cold conditions which help them to germinate, or you can plant them in the spring to bloom the following summer.
- If you want to give your Montbretia a bit of a head start, it is perfectly fine to plant them in a greenhouse to get them established before you plant them out.
How Long Does It Take To Grow Crocosmia From Seed?
This plant is a labor of love – it may seem like it is never going to sprout forth into life! However, with a little patience and care, you can get them going.
Growing this plant from the corms, which are similar to bulbs, is the best and easiest way to get them to grow.
However, growing from seed is possible too – it will just take a fair while longer before you have an established plant.
You can either buy seeds from a good gardening supplier, or you can snitch some seeds from an established crocosmia.
- Harvest the seeds when you spot that the seed pods are starting to turn brown and papery. Place them in a paper bag and store in a cool, dry place until you are ready to plant.
- Don’t leave it too long between harvesting and planting – the seeds do not have a very long shelf life!
- Place a couple of inches of seed compost into a tray, and mist the surface well with a spray bottle so it is moist.
- Sow the seeds 1/4 inch deep, and mist the surface again to give the seeds a little extra water.
- Put the tray in a position with bright, indirect sunlight, and keep them at around 6-70 degrees F.
- Water the tray regularly, but try not to let it become waterlogged as this can make the seeds rot.
- These seeds can take a long time – in some cases up to 9 weeks – to become an established plant, so don’t give up hope too quickly!
- In late spring, it’s time to plant out your seedlings. They should have 4-6 sets of leaves, and be strong and vigorous.
- Plant them in rich, well draining soil at least a foot apart as they will spread out as they grow and become established.
- Water them in well, as mulch before the winter to add nutrients and to warm the corms underground.
- You won’t need to fertilize – this plant really does not need it, and too much feed can prevent flowers forming well.
This article will explain to you just about everything you need to know about growing crocosmia, and there’s a useful section on collecting seeds, too.
Will Crocosmia Bloom The First Year?
This plant can be a little fussy, and as such it may not flower in its first year, before it becomes properly established.
It may also be “shocked” if it has been transplanted, and again will not bloom in its first year in your garden.
If your crocosmia has been established for a while and you are still not seeing blooms, there are a few things you can do:
- Reduce the fertilizer. If you have been diligently feeding your plant, you may have unwittingly been putting it off from flowering! Fertilizer can encourage foliage but detract from the flowers, so give it a break.
- Increase the sunlight. These plants like a good, full sun position in order to produce those striking blooms, so it may be time for a move.
- Add water. Crocosmia likes a good drink, and without adequate moisture it will not flower. Get that watering can out!
- Check the drainage. Most plants do not like to be waterlogged, and this one is no exception. Add some gravel to the soil to aerate it.
- Prune occasionally. Removing any dead or dying foliage, and any spent blooms, is a great way to encourage further flowering.
Is Crocosmia Hard To Grow?
The answer to this question depends on how you are growing your crocosmia. Are you transplanting, or growing from seed?
Transplanted crocosmia are very easy to grow, require very little input from you, and are perfectly happy left to their own devices.
Growing crocosmia from seed is a more difficult process, and it takes much longer to get an established plant.
One exciting thing about growing crocosmia from seed is that you never know what the resulting plant will be – they are often different to the parent plant!
Some crocosmia may take a while to get over their transplant shock, if you are growing from corms, but once established they will be fine.
Generally, crocosmia is a pretty easygoing plant to have around – it doesn’t need fertilising, won’t demand a lot of water, and will just happily do its thing!
Here’s a little video telling you all about how to plant your crocosmia for best results:
Crocosmia Montbretia is a striking plant to have in your garden, and it take a surprisingly small amount of effort to get this plant looking fabulous.
Now that you have a better idea of how to grow crocosmia montbretia from seeds, you can have a garden that is the envy of everyone else for miles around!
Montbretia Key Facts
| Name | Montbretia |
| Scientific Name | Montbretia Crocosmia |
| Family | Iridaceae |
| Light Requirements | Full sun to dappled or light shade |
| Soil Requirements | Fertile, moist, well-draining soil |
| Temperature Requirements | Hot in the summer, but can tolerate freezing conditions |
| Water Requirements | Water once a week during active growth, to ensure soil stays moist |
| Fertilizer Requirements | No need for fertilizer – this can reduce the amount of flowers |
| Bloom Time | Will flower 2-3 years after sowing. 8 weeks of blooms from July-September |
| Pests | Generally resistant to pests, but Leaf Beetles can eat leaves |
| Size | 2-4ft high, 1-2 ft across |
