Crocus planting and care in the open field in the Urals

varieties ❀ planting ❀ care

 

Crocus (or saffron (, forms a genus of herbaceous bulbous plants of the Iris family. In nature, crocus saffron grows in the steppes, forests and meadows of the Mediterranean, Central, Southern and Northern Europe, Minor and Central Asia and the Middle East. Scientists have described about 80 species and 300 varieties of crocus Crocus is interesting for modern flower growers because it is one of the earliest and most beautiful primroses, but there are crocuses that bloom in autumn.

   

Crocus plant is short, reaching a height of about 10 cm. Flattened or rounded crocus bulbs reach a diameter of 3 cm, they are dressed in scales and have a bunch of fibrous roots. Crocus does not develop a stem. The narrow, linear, basal leaves that appear during or after flowering are collected in a bunch and covered with scales. Single goblet crocus flowers with a diameter of 2 to 5 cm, white, cream, blue, lilac, purple, yellow or orange, blooming on a short leafless peduncle, surrounded by membranous scales. There are varieties of crocuses with spotted or two-colored colors. The mass bloom of crocuses lasts from two to three weeks.

 

 

Crocus planting in open ground

 

When to plant crocuses

 

Spring crocuses are planted in the ground in autumn, and autumnal ones in summer, the plot is chosen sunny, although crocuses grow well in partial shade and even in the shade. The soil for growing crocuses is preferable to be light, dry, loose and nutritious. When preparing a plot for crocuses, it is advisable to place fine gravel or coarse river sand in the soil for drainage. As an organic additive, compost, rotted manure or peat with lime are added to the soil for digging, since crocuses do not like acidic soils. Ash is introduced into clay soil. For those species that do not tolerate wet soils, they arrange high beds with crushed stone or gravel as a drainage layer. The planting material must be free of defects and damage.

 

Planting crocuses in autumn

 

To see the blooming of crocuses in spring, their bulbs are planted in open ground in September. Planting crocuses in loose soil involves planting the bulb to a depth of twice its size. If the soil is heavy, one size deep will suffice. The average distance between the bulbs is from 7 to 10 cm. After planting, the area is watered. Do not thicken the planting, because crocuses grow in one place from 3 to 5 years, and during this time one bulb grows over a whole colony of children, and the area with crocuses turns into a solid carpet of flowers. After a five-year period, crocuses need to be planted.

 

Planting crocuses for forcing

 

Many growers yearn without their favorite garden flowers in winter, so even in winter they grow them in their apartment. The easiest way to grow a bouquet is from bulbs, including crocuses. Large-flowered Dutch varieties are most suitable for forcing. Crocus bulbs of about the same size are planted from five to ten pieces in shallow wide pots in order to get a whole bunch of primroses by the appointed time. The soil for crocuses planted for forcing should be neutral, loose, air and water permeable. The procedure and conditions for forcing crocuses are described in THIS article.

Crocus bulbs are not thrown away after flowering, they continue to be watered and even fed with a weak solution of complex mineral fertilizers for indoor plants. When the leaves begin to turn yellow, watering is gradually reduced until it stops completely. After the leaves have completely dried out, the bulbs are removed from the pot, cleaned of soil, wrapped in a napkin, placed in a cardboard box and stored in a dark, dry place until planting in open ground in the fall.

 

 

Crocus outdoor care

 

How to care for crocuses in the garden

 

Crocus care is simple. They need to be watered only if the winter was snowless and the spring was without rains. The height of the crocuses depends on the amount of moisture received, but in general they are quite drought-resistant. The soil on the site must be loosened and freed from weeds. During active growth, crocuses need additional feeding, and the use of fresh organic matter is unacceptable. But crocuses love mineral fertilizers, but they mostly require phosphorus and potassium, but an excess of nitrogen fertilizers in wet weather can provoke fungal diseases. For the first time, complex mineral fertilizers at the rate of 30-40 g per m² are applied in early spring in the snow, the second top dressing, with a reduced dose of nitrogen, is carried out during flowering.

After the foliage on spring-blooming crocuses turns yellow, you can forget about them until autumn, unless, of course, the time has come to dig their bulbs out of the ground. Autumn flowering varieties will remind you of themselves when their flowers open in September.

 

Crocus transplant

 

It is not necessary to dig up crocus bulbs every year for the winter, but once every three to four years in the middle of summer, when the crocuses have a dormant period, it is necessary to do this, because over such a long period of time, the mother corm increases greatly due to the many daughter bulbs, which every year, in depending on the type and variety, it grows from one to ten. The bulbs begin to interfere with each other, and from this the crocus flowers become smaller.

 

When to dig up crocuses

 

The bulbs are planted once every three to five years, but if you need planting material, you can dig up, divide and transplant crocus bulbs more often. Bulbs of autumn-flowering crocuses, again, depending on the species and variety, are dug up from June to August, bulbs of spring-flowering ones - from July to September. The bulbs extracted from the ground are dried, defective scales, dead roots are removed from them, diseased bulbs are discarded, and mechanical damage is treated with crushed coal or ash. Before landing in the ground, they are stored in a cool and dry place.

The annual cycle of spring-blooming crocus begins with the regrowth of leaves in late winter or early spring. Their dormant period begins closer to mid-June. In autumn, crocuses become active again, begin to grow roots and accumulate food. At the same time, the process of formation of the renewal bud is completed. That is why it is very important to keep the crocus leaves intact during the dormant period. The digging of spring flowering plants, as well as their planting, is carried out during the dormant period, that is, from mid-June to the end of summer.

The cycle of an autumn-flowering crocus usually begins in August with flowering, during which leaves grow and a replacement corm is formed.And their dormant period begins a month earlier than that of spring-flowering ones. Therefore, it is necessary to dig up the bulbs of crocuses blooming in autumn, if such a need is ripe, from early June to mid-August.

 

Crocus care after flowering

 

When the flowers fade, the stalks can be cut off, but the green crocus bushes will decorate your garden for a long time until the leaves turn yellow and fade. Once the leaves have dried naturally, the spring-flowering bulbs can be dug up and dried to be planted again in September. However, as already mentioned, it is not necessary to dig up crocus bulbs every year. If you planted them no earlier than three years ago, and soil is still visible between the crocus bushes, just mulch the crocus area for the winter with a thick layer of peat or dry leaves.

 

 

Crocuses reproduction

 

The propagation of crocuses by daughter bulbs, or babies, which are separated from the mother's bulb during transplantation, we have just described. Planting crocuses in the ground after dividing the bulb is carried out according to the rules described in the corresponding section. Depending on the variety or species, the separated and planted baby will bloom in the third or fourth year. Spring crocuses also reproduce by seeds, but crocuses from seeds only bloom in the fourth or fifth year, so seed propagation is not as popular as vegetative propagation. The seeds of autumn-flowering crocuses do not have time to ripen in our conditions.

 

 

Crocuses storage of bulbs

 

After being removed from the soil, crocus bulbs are dried in the shade, cleaned of soil, dead roots and scales, laid out in one layer in a box or box. The smallest onions can be arranged in candy boxes. Until August, the storage temperature should be at least 22 ºC, because a lower temperature will prevent buds from forming. In August, the temperature is lowered to 20 ºC, and a week later to 15 ºC. But these are ideal storage conditions that are created only in specialized farms. At home, crocus bulbs are stored in a dark, dry place with room temperature and good ventilation before planting.

 

 

Crocus diseases and pests

 

Subject to the rules of agricultural technology, crocuses are almost not affected by either diseases or pests from the world of insects. The worst enemy of crocuses is rodents, field mice, which gladly eat the bulbs of flowers, so do not leave the planting material laid out to dry unattended. It is very convenient to keep them in egg cartons, laid out in the cells.

Sometimes in the bulbs of crocuses, holes are found made by a wireworm - the larva of a click beetle. It is yellow and hard to the touch. If there are a lot of pests on crocuses, in late April or early May, spread bunches of last year's unripe grass, hay or straw over the site, moisten them and cover them with boards - wireworms will gladly get into these traps, after which the traps with larvae are burned at the stake. If necessary, this unpleasant procedure must be repeated. Sometimes crocuses are harmed by slugs, which have to be collected by hand.

Self-seeding of crocuses and their germination in the most unexpected places can become a problem, as a result of which the culture is reborn into a weed.

Sometimes you can find in a flower bed with crocuses a specimen with flattened flowers in gray spots on the petals that do not fully open. This is a sign of a viral disease, which can be carried by mice, thrips and aphids. Diseased plants must be immediately dug up and destroyed before the disease spreads to other plants. The soil where the flowers affected by the virus grew is disinfected with a strong hot solution of potassium permanganate.

With improper or insufficient care, the crocus in the garden can be affected by fungal diseases of gray, penicillous or sclerocial rot, as well as fusarium. Warm and damp weather increases the risk of illness.To avoid this problem, carefully examine the planting material when buying, try not to damage the bulbs when digging up, and if you do accidentally scratch or cut the bulb, sprinkle the wound with ash and dry it at room temperature. Before planting, etch the planting material in a fungicide solution.

 

 

Crocus species and varieties

 

All crocus varieties are classified into 15 groups. The first group includes autumn-flowering crocuses, and the remaining 14 groups represent spring-flowering species and varieties of crocuses. Spring crocus was the basis for many varieties and hybrids, most of which belong to the authorship of Dutch breeders. The most popular commercial varieties are classified as Dutch hybrids. Another popular group of commercial varieties in culture is Chrysanthus, which was formed by hybrids between golden, two-flowered crocuses and its hybrids. We offer you a quick introduction to these groups and their best varieties.

 

Spring blooming crocuses

 

CROCUS SPRING (Crocus vernus) grows up to 17 cm high. The corm is flattened, covered with mesh scales, the leaves are narrow, linear, dark green with a longitudinal silvery-white stripe. Purple or white flowers with a long tube, bell-funnel-shaped, in the amount of one or two, develop from one corm and bloom in spring for about three weeks.

 

 

CROCUS TWO-FLORAL (Crocus biflorus) occurs naturally from Italy to Iran, as well as in the Caucasus and Crimea. It has a variety of natural forms: with white flowers, lilac-blue with brown spots on the outside of the petals, white with violet-brown stripes, white on the inside and violet-brown on the outside. The pharynx of flowers is white or yellow.

 

 

CROCUS GOLDEN (Crocus chrysanthus) grows on the rocky slopes of the Balkans and Asia Minor. It reaches a height of 20 cm, its corms are spherical, but flattened, the leaves are very narrow, the flowers are golden yellow in color with the perianths bending back, shiny from the outside. Some forms have brown streaks or tan marks on the outside of the petals. Anthers are orange, columns are reddish. Blooms in April for three weeks. In culture since 1841. The following varieties are common in floriculture:
❀ Blue Bonnet - flowers up to 3 cm long with a pale blue perianth and yellow fauces.
❀ Nanette - a variety with large yellow-cream flowers with purple stripes on the outside.
❀ I. Gee. Bowels - crocus with very large bright yellow flowers on the inside and gray-brownish on the outside.

 

 

CROCUS TOMAZINI (Crocus tommasinianus) naturally grows in deciduous forests and on the hillsides of Hungary and the countries of the former Yugoslavia. It has pink-lilac perianth leaves, sometimes with a white border around the edge. The open flowers are in the shape of a star with a white throat. The flower tube is white. From one corm develops up to three flowers up to 6 cm high.This species blooms in April for three weeks. Crocus Tomasini, one of the most popular species, has been cultivated since 1847. The most famous varieties:
❀ Laylek Beauty - wide-open, almost flat flowers up to 3 cm in diameter with yellow anthers and narrow oval-shaped narrow lobes of lilac color on the outside and a lighter shade on the inside.
❀ Whitwell Purple - large, wide-open, almost flat purple-violet flowers up to 4 cm in diameter with narrow elongated lobes. White tube up to 3.5 cm long.

 

 

In addition to those described, such spring-flowering crocuses are known in the culture: narrow-leaved, reticulated, Crimean, Korolkova, Imperate, Sieber, yellow, Geufel, Ankyrian, Alataevsky, Adam, Corsican, Dalmatian, Etruscan, Fleischer, Malia and the smallest.

 

Autumn blooming crocuses

 

CROCUS BEAUTIFUL (Crocus speciosus) grows on the edges of forests in the mountainous regions of Crimea, the Balkans and Asia Minor.Its leaves reach a length of 30 cm, lilac-violet flowers with longitudinal purple veins up to 7 cm in diameter bloom in early autumn. In culture since 1800. Garden forms of this species are known with dark blue, white, blue, lilac and light purple flowers. The best varieties:
❀ Albus - white-flowered variation with a cream-colored tube.
❀ Artabir - flowers of sky-blue color with bracts covered with dark veins.
❀ Oksinan - The flowers are violet-blue with a dark perianth and sharp leaves.

 

 

CROCUS GOOD (Crocus pulchellus) is a very beautiful plant with light purple flowers in a dark strip, the diameter of which is from 6 to 8 cm, and the height is from 7 to 10 cm. On each plant in September or October, 5-10 flowers open. The cute crocus is not afraid of light frosts.

 

 

CROCUS BANATIAN (Crocus banaticus) grows in the Carpathians, Romania and the Balkans. The name was given in honor of the historical region of Banat, located in Romania. It has linear silvery-gray leaves up to 15 cm long. Graceful light lilac flowers with yellow anthers rise 12-14 cm above the ground surface. The outer tepals are up to 4.5 cm long, the inner ones are narrower and twice as short. It has been cultivated since 1629.

 

 

In culture, autumn-flowering crocuses are also grown beautiful, Pallas, Holmovoy, Sharoyana, Gulimi, holo-flowered, Kardukhor, medium, Cartwright, Kochi, trellised, medium, yellow-white and late.

Dutch hybrids, or large-flowered crocuses, are unpretentious and fertile spring-flowering plants, the flowers of which are on average twice as large as those of the original species. The first varieties of Dutch hybrids appeared in 1897. Now there are more than 50 of them, and they are divided into groups by flower color. The first group includes varieties with pure white flowers or white with a spot of a different color at the base of each lobe of the bracts. The second group combines varieties with purple, lilac and lilac colors. The third represents varieties with a net or striped color of flowers with or without a spot at the base of the lobes. Hybrids bloom during May, flowering lasts from 10 to 17 days. We recommend you several varieties that grow well in our climate:

❀ Albion - white goblet flowers up to 4 cm in diameter with rounded lobes, with a tube up to 5 cm long with a rare lilac streak.
❀ Vanguard - cupped, open bluish-lilac flowers up to 4 cm in diameter with elongated oval lobes with small spots of a darker color at the base, with a bluish-lilac tube up to 4.5 cm long.
❀ Jubilee - goblet blue flowers with a barely noticeable purple-violet tinge and with a clear light purple spot at the base of the lobes, as well as a narrow light border along the edge. The tube is light purple, up to 5.5 cm long.
❀ Sniper Banner - goblet flowers up to 4 cm in diameter with oval lobes of mesh color - a light grayish-lilac shade on the outside and with a densely lilac mesh on the inside. The lobes of the inner circle are lighter in color than the lobes of the outer one. At the base of the lobes there is a small but very distinct dark lilac speck. The tube up to 4 cm long is dark lilac.
❀ Kathleen Parlow - cupped white flowers up to 4 cm in diameter with a short lilac streak at the base of the inner lobes and with a white tube up to 5 cm long.

 

CHRIZANTHUS - spring-flowering hybrids, in the formation of which golden crocuses participated, natural forms of two-flowered crocus and their hybrids. The flowers of this group are not as large as the flowers of the "Dutch", but among the chrysanthus there are many varieties with yellow and bluish flowers. The most famous varieties:
❀ Gypsy Girl - cupped, wide-open flowers up to 3.5 cm in diameter, light yellow inside with a dark yellow throat, and yellowish cream outside. There is a small brown speck on the inside of the lobes. The tube up to 3 cm long is cream-colored with dusty lilac streaks.
❀ Marietta - wide-open, almost flat flowers up to 3.5 cm in diameter with oval narrow dark cream lobes with a yellow throat, outside at the base of the lobes of the outer circle, covered with dense dark purple stripes, a greenish-brown spot. A tube up to 3 cm long in a light gray-green shade.
❀ Lady Keeler - cupped, almost flat flowers up to 3 cm in diameter with elongated oval lobes of white color from the inside, the lobes of the inner circle are white outside, and the outer ones are dark purple with a white border and a small dark-gray spot at the base. Purple bud, tube up to 3 cm long, dark purple-violet hue.
❀ Saturnus - wide-open, flat flowers up to 3.5 cm in diameter with slightly elongated tops of the lobes of the outer circle. The color is yellowish cream with a bright yellow throat. Outside, at the base there is a greenish-brown spot, the lobes of the outer circle are streaked with thick lilac strokes. The tube is grayish-green, up to 2.5 cm long.

 

 

Where to buy crocus bulbs

 

The Scientific and Production Association "Sady Rossii" has been introducing the latest achievements in the selection of vegetable, fruit, berry and ornamental crops into the wide practice of amateur gardening for 30 years. In the work of the association, the most modern technologies are used, a unique laboratory for microclonal reproduction of plants has been created. The main tasks of NPO Sady Rossii is to provide gardeners with high-quality planting material for popular varieties of various garden plants and novelties of world selection. Delivery of planting material (seeds, onions, seedlings) is carried out by Russian post. We are waiting for you for shopping: NPO "Sady Rossii"

Crocuses: planting and caring for them in the open field requires specific knowledge so that this fragile and delicate flower takes root in the soil and pleases the eyes of the owners with its variegated petals. Another name for the plant is saffron, and most gardeners believe that it blooms exclusively in the spring. However, breeders have long bred special varieties of crocuses that can bloom in the fall.

The choice of planting material and landing site

Saffron is widespread almost throughout Eurasia and thrives in temperate climates. But, before moving on to the issue of planting and caring for crocuses in the open field, you need to choose healthy plant bulbs and select the right place for planting flowers in your garden.

How to Pick Viable Saffron Bulbs:

1. Under proper storage conditions, the planting material will not have extra shoots and sprouted roots.
2. Healthy bulbs are fairly heavy and firm. If, upon contact with a part of the plant, their lethargy and looseness is felt, then they are unlikely to be able to germinate.
3. Dark spots on the surface of the crocus bulb indicate rotting.
4. If the planting material has any mechanical damage, it is also better to refuse it.

Even healthy parts of future flowers require pre-treatment before planting. It is necessary to peel off the old skin from the bulbs and disinfect them by sprinkling with ash or keeping them in a manganese solution.

Planting and caring for crocuses in the open field should take place in spacious flower beds (flowers can occupy the entire area in a short time). They should be located in an open area where there is a lot of sunlight. Therefore, it is not recommended to plant saffron under trees with a dense crown.

The soil for crocuses of all subspecies should not be excessively wet. The soil structure should be loose, nutritious, light and not acidic. Do not be afraid if the soil in the garden does not meet these requirements, it can be made suitable for saffron using simple methods. Coarse river sand, gravel or crushed stone, which is used as a drainage layer, will help get rid of excessive dampness. The acidity of the soil neutralizes a mixture of peat and lime, ash or rotted manure.

Crocus planting time in the garden

When to plant crocuses outdoors? It all depends on the type of plant that the gardener has chosen, but they are all divided into flowers that bloom in spring or autumn.

Spring flowering plants include:

Since the flowering of these subspecies of ornamental flora occurs in the spring, crocuses are planted in open ground in the fall. They should be planted from late September to early October.

If spring-flowering varieties are planted earlier than the second half of September, then saffron can bloom by the frost period and eventually die. And if you plant a flower later than the first half of October, then the soil for the bulbs will be too cold, they will not be able to take root in it and will simply freeze.

Autumn-flowering saffron subspecies include:

Flowers bloom in the garden in autumn, and therefore crocuses are planted in the ground in spring (late May) or early summer (first half of July).

How to care for saffron?

Saffron is not a flower that needs abundant watering. If autumn or spring (depending on what kind of flower is planted) were rich in precipitation, then they should be watered only when the soil becomes dry, not only on the surface, but also in depth. Otherwise, the plants can simply rot.

Crocus care outdoors is easy enough. Periodically, you will need to weed the flower rows, getting rid of weeds. The soil (especially after rain) must be loosened so that the root system of the plants gains access to air.

Like any decorative flowers, crocuses need feeding. However, it is not recommended to fertilize saffron with organic mixtures. It is better to purchase granular mineral supplements enriched with potassium and phosphorus. Nitrogen fertilizers should be applied with caution, in small doses, as they can provoke the growth of fungus on the plant bulbs.

Top dressing should be applied in at least 2 stages: first, fertilize the soil before planting crocuses, and then during the period of their increased growth.

Below are photos of crocuses in the open field:

Two ways of planting crocuses - video

Crocus is a plant that can be called a "snowdrop". This is due to the fact that it blooms when the snow melts, but has not yet completely melted.

However, there are also varieties that bloom towards the end of summer. They require very careful care, as they are extremely whimsical. This explains the fact that such crocuses are not widespread.

These bright flowers are used to decorate the alpine slides. And if crocuses are planted very tightly, then they will be a spectacular decoration of the flower beds in the garden.

Growing and caring for crocuses

If planting is carried out in open ground, then you need to choose a suitable place. Crocuses in the country and in the garden prefer an open sunny space. But in the spring, when they bloom, it is also light under the deciduous trees. After all, there are no leaves on them, which means that the sun will penetrate enough to them.

Crocuses are excellent companions for peonies and ivy, as well as other short perennials.

When to plant crocuses

Second important point: satisfactory drainage of the soil. If it is such that moisture stagnates in the soil, then the crocus bulbs will rot.

The question of its composition is also a requirement for the soil. Sandy loam soil is best suited for crocuses. If the cottage is located in an area where the soil is too dense, then coarse sand will save. Sprinkle it on the flower bed and dig it up well.

Before planting crocuses, the soil must be enriched with nutrients. Compost is perfect for them, which can be replaced with a mineral fertilizer with a high content of phosphorus and potassium.

Crocus care is as simple as possible. They only require weeding and loosening the soil. Crocuses do not need watering. Because in the spring there is enough moisture in the garden from the melted snow. The exception is when there was too little snow in winter. Then the soil in the flowerbed will need to be slightly moistened.Find out more about the chips of planting and caring for flowers ❀ secrets of growing crocuses, reproduction: by seeds and tubers, protection from diseases

Planting and caring for crocuses in the open field also means feeding them. Spring occurs when they are actively growing. For her, it is supposed to use a complex fertilizer, which must be sprinkled directly on the snow.

With the beginning of flowering, fertilizing with urea is carried out. 2-3 weeks after the beginning of flowering, the third fertilization is carried out. Now you can use phosphate or potassium.

Care, storage and problems of growing for bulbous flowers crocuses

The undoubted advantage of caring for this plant is that they do not need to be dug out regularly and they are suitable for creating a lazy flower garden. They can grow in the same place for several years. After a few years, the tubers will grow and interfere with each other. Then it will be necessary to plant the plants so that the quality of the flowering of crocuses does not suffer. Most often, this action is performed every 3-5 years.

You need to dig up the tubers depending on the flowering time. If these are autumn flowers, then all summer is suitable, and July-August is reserved for spring flowers. It is important that about 3 months should pass before planting the tubers.

Until this time, they must be dried. Remove all affected tubers. Sprinkle mechanical damage on them with ash. Then they are supposed to be stored in a cool room.

Among the problems of cultivation are the following:

• aphid infestation in dry summer;
• decay of bulbs from excess moisture;
• uncontrolled spread due to self-seeding of seeds and forgotten tubers.

Planting crocuses in the garden

Since these plants are small, the planting scheme looks like this:

1. depth from 4 to 12 cm, depending on the size of the tuber, small ones closer to the surface, and large ones deeper into the ground;
2. the distance between adjacent bulbs is optimally left within 5 cm.

Options for creating and planting flower beds and crocus compositions:

• single landing;
• group;
• ring in the shape of a wreath.

When to plant crocuses?

After preparing the beds for planting, you need to figure out when to plant crocuses in the fall or earlier? Summer months are suitable for planting late flowering varieties. And for early spring crocuses, the best time will be in the second half of September. It will be too late in October because the plants will be weak.

The most optimal time for planting small-bulbous flowers, which include crocus flowers, is the end of August - beginning of September.

Planting crocuses at this time, the bulbs overwinter well and bloom in early spring.

Growing crocuses at home

For forcing crocuses at home to end with flowering, you need to repeat the entire cycle of changes in nature. First, dry the bulbs in June and bake them at a temperature of about 34 ° C for a week. Then it should be lowered to room values. Every two weeks, the temperature drops slightly and is brought to a value of 17 degrees. This should be done by mid-August.

Now comes the hardening of crocuses. They should be placed in a cool place. At a temperature of about 6 ° C, the bulbs should be stored for about a month.

Then comes the rooting period of the plant. To do this, you need to plant it in a pot. If planting is carried out in September, then flowering will begin by January. When it is necessary to delay the emergence of flowers, the rooting period is extended.

If the plants are to be used as indoor plants, then crocuses should be planted using nutritious soil. It is supposed to stick the bulbs into it at a shallow depth. You just need to leave a small distance between the adjacent crocuses and the walls of the pot.

The crocus pots should again be removed to a cool place. And now they need to be given a time of at least two months. Then put it on the windowsill. They will bloom in two weeks.

While the crocus is growing, home care is not a big deal.They need to be watered like other plants to keep the soil from drying out. If you want to prolong flowering, then they need to create a cool temperature. And at night it is better to expose them in the cold, you can even in the frost down to -3 ° C.

When flowering is over, crocuses can be planted in the garden to form new bulbs.

When to transplant crocuses?

If the plants are domestic, then every year. The same recommendations exist for garden crocuses. So, it will be possible to keep track of them and prevent them from spreading through the flower bed, becoming a weed crop.

In addition, transplanting bulbs allows for their reproduction. Different varieties give their own number of children. Usually this number does not exceed 10. In addition, crocuses can be grown by seeds. Only in this case they will bloom only after a few years.

🎥 Video lesson from an expert of the newspaper Economy "2 ways of planting crocuses in the soil"

An expert gardener talks about 2 ways to plant crocuses in the soil in the garden and on the lawn ⇓.

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How to grow crocuses in the country, in the garden

Crocuses. Planting and leaving

Care: the plant needs care.

Planting and flowering dates: spring crocuses are primroses. They are planted in the fall, and their flowers appear in the second or third year.

Frost resistance: Crocus bulbs are dug up for the winter.

Crocuses are popular in gardens and are among the first to decorate spring flower gardens. The duration of their flowering is 8-15 days.

general description

Crocuses grow naturally in North Africa, Europe, Asia. Their homeland is the Middle East. Crocuses are bulbous plants. One bulb gives 1-4 short stems on which flowers are located. The height of crocuses is no more than 10-15 cm. Their leaves are long, narrow, with parallel venation and stiff. There is a silvery stripe in the middle of the leaves. Most of the leaves develop after the flowering period. Crocus flowers are goblet or cupped, brightly colored (white, yellow, blue, purple, lilac), up to 5 cm in diameter. Due to their short stem, they are not suitable for cutting.

Crocuses. Varieties

Various varieties of spring crocuses differ in size, shape and color of flowers (table).

Table. Crocus varieties

Variety name	Short description
Albiilorus	Goblet flowers up to 4 cm in diameter, oval petals, white with lilac strokes at the base
Albion	Goblet flowers up to 4 cm in diameter, rounded petals, white with lilac
Baron von Brunov	Cup-shaped flowers up to 5 cm in diameter, rounded petals of dark lilac color with white strokes on the inner surface

The end of the table.

Variety name	Short description
Vanguard	Cup-shaped flowers up to 4 cm in diameter, with oblong petals of a pale bluish-lilac color
Violet Vanguard	Cup-shaped flowers up to 5 cm in diameter, pointed oblong lilac-blue petals
Wivex	Cup-shaped flowers with a diameter of 5 cm, oval petals, pointed, lilac color
Jubilee	Goblet flowers with a diameter of 3.5 cm, with oval petals of purple-violet color
Jeanna d'Arc	Goblet flowers with a diameter of 3.5 cm with oval white petals, at the base of which are lilac-blue strokes
Queen of the blues	Goblet flowers with a diameter of 4 cm with oval twisted lilac petals and a light border

Crocuses. Growing conditions and care

Many types of soil are suitable for growing crocuses, especially light ones with a high organic matter content and good drainage properties. They do not grow on acidic soils and wetlands. Also, do not plant them in places of significant accumulation of snow. In the spring, it will thaw for a long time and the soil will become very moist. For crocuses, it is better to choose a place that is well lit and protected from the wind.

The soil for growing crocuses is not fertilized with fresh manure, as this harms them.

To improve drainage properties, sand or fine gravel is added to the soil.

Fertilizing with mineral fertilizers has a positive effect on the flowering of crocuses. The first time they are brought in when the snow has not melted. The second time is during the flowering period. Used for 1 m2 of soil 1 tbsp. l. nitrophoska or liquid organo-mineral fertilizers intended for bulbous plants.

Crocuses are drought tolerant and rarely watered. Even without watering in central Russia, they will not disappear.

The soil with crocuses for the winter is mulched with peat or covered with fallen leaves. Otherwise, in very harsh cold weather, the plants will freeze. If the crocuses did not come up in the spring, then you should not dig them up. They may well start growing next year.

In order to reliably preserve crocuses in winter, it is preferable to dig up the bulbs. This work is carried out during the dormant period of the plant, when its leaves turn yellow, - from July to September.

Reproduction and growth features

Crocuses use their bulbs, babies and seeds for breeding. Planting is carried out in September, so that the bulbs have time to give roots in the soil, but do not have time to germinate. They are embedded in the soil at different depths, depending on their size. A distance of 6-10 cm is left between the bulbs. To obtain planting material, the bulbs are planted deeper, then they will grow larger. When planted shallowly, sprouts will appear faster.

Crocuses do not grow well next to all plants. You can create comfortable conditions for them in a flower garden if you bury a flower clay pot with a diameter of 7-8 cm without a bottom in the planting site. Crocus roots will grow deeper and will not come into contact with neighboring plants. With this planting, they will grow well even next to cereals.

Crocuses grow in one place up to 5-6 years. However, in order for them to bloom in large flowers, it is recommended to plant them every 3-4 years.

When planting with seeds, it is possible to wait for the blooming of crocuses only in the 3-4th year.

Growing problems

Most often crocuses suffer from fungal and viral infections, chlorosis. Of the pests, caterpillars, slugs, mice, moles are dangerous for them.

Use in decoration Crocuses grow well and look next to other bulbous plants and primroses. They are usually planted along the edges of flower beds, mixborders and curbs. They are beautiful when planted in groups (15-20 bulbs) and in rockeries. It is recommended to plant summer plants around them, then the site will decorate the garden all the time. Crocuses look very impressive next to conifers and shrubs. On lawns, saffron is planted where the grass is not overgrown. Then they mow it not earlier than the end of June (after the ground part of the crocuses has died off).

Good partners for crocuses are scillas, muscari, primroses.

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