Crocuses, planting and care. Planting crocuses of different flowering periods in open ground

In early spring, as soon as the snow melts, the crocus blooms - a flower whose second name is saffron.

This bulbous plant of the Iris family is native to the tropics, but also thrives in harsher climates.

Delicate, exquisite flowers appear almost the very first in sunny areas freed from snow.

But they bloom not only in spring, but also in autumn. Caring for crocuses does not require any special skills.

This plant is suitable for those gardeners who live outside the city and have the opportunity to admire its early flowering. After all, it blooms for a very short time - no more than 7 - 10 days.

In such a short period of time, it can be difficult for city dwellers to get out to their dachas in order to catch the saffrons blooming. Crocuses that do not require planting and care in open ground special effort, are an unpretentious and disease-resistant crop.

In early spring, the plant does not need the care of gardeners. However, a number of agricultural technology features will have to be observed, otherwise flowering may not occur.

Saffron prefers sunny places, if possible protected from cold winds. Growing crocuses comes down to choosing the right planting location.

The more illuminated area provided to the plant, the larger the flowers will be.

The plant prefers fertile soil with a neutral reaction. Light loams are best suited for them, but crocuses can tolerate heavier soils. The main thing is that there is no stagnation of moisture.

Crocus propagation

The culture is most often propagated by daughter bulbs. They are formed from dormant buds, which are present in the axils of the scales covering the crocus bulbs.

The vegetative propagation method is the most preferable, since it preserves all varietal characteristics.

Young bulbs grow annually near the old mother plant. Depending on the variety, their number can vary from 1 to 10 pieces. Daughter corms bloom after a season.

Seeds can also be used to grow crocuses in open ground. But this method is much more labor-intensive.

It is more often used by professional flower growers when breeding the latest varieties and hybrids, as well as for propagating rare varieties and obtaining a large number of bulbs at the same time.

Flowers from plants grown by seed can only be expected after 4 - 5 years.

Rules for planting crocuses in open ground

The best period for planting spring-flowering varieties is Aug. Sept. In the time remaining before the onset of cold weather, the bulbs will have time to take root.

But sometimes, when the weather is warm and dry, planting crocuses in the fall is acceptable even in early November.

Autumn-flowering varieties are planted from early July to early August.

Bulbs are planted according to the following rules:

large specimens are embedded in the soil to a depth of 12 cm;
medium bulbs deepen by 4 - 6 cm;
small bulbs - no deeper than 2 - 3 cm;
the distance between individual corms should not be less than 3 cm (it is better to leave about 10-15 cm, since plantings thicken quickly).

Crocus bulbs have the ability to go deep into the soil on their own, forming retracting roots. Therefore, it is not necessary to strictly observe the embedment depth.

Seed material (from seeds prepared at the beginning of summer) is sown directly into the ground in the fall. During the winter months, the seeds undergo natural stratification; in the spring their germination will be better.

Forcing crocuses

Crocuses, like many bulbous plants, are often grown in room conditions by forcing method. You can get it quite easily flowering plant to the desired date (Christmas, March 8, etc.).

It is necessary to select bulbs of the same variety and approximately the same size, since they will bloom at the same time and the stems will be the same height. The larger the onion, the larger the crocus flower and the sooner it will bloom.

Approximately 3 - 4 months before the expected date, the bulbs are planted in wide bowls with a soft, loose and permeable substrate so that they do not touch the walls of the container or each other.

Then the pots with crocuses should be stored in a room with a temperature of +5...+8°C. This could be a cellar, basement or even a refrigerator.

Within 8 - 10 weeks, rooting occurs and sprouts appear. When they reach a height of 4 - 6 cm, the pots are brought into a cool room with a temperature of about +10...+15°C and shaded with paper caps.

After 5 - 7 days, the covering can be removed and the crocuses can be placed on the windowsill in a warm room. The better the lighting, the larger the flowers.

If the room is too warm, the crocuses will quickly fade. To prolong flowering, the temperature should be maintained no higher than +15…+20°C.

After 2 - 3 weeks, the flower stalks will fall off, and the leaves will wither and gradually dry out. After the foliage has completely withered, the bulbs can be removed from the ground and, after allowing them to rest for 2 months, they can be planted again.

How to care for crocuses

Caring for these bulbous plants consists of: good choice planting sites, timely weeding, loosening, regular watering, etc.

Choosing a place for landing and transfer

The place intended for crocuses should be as sunny as possible. In heavily shaded areas, flowering will be weak.

If crocuses are planted and replanted in soil that is too heavy and does not absorb water well, then the soil must be drained.

To do this, you need to add fine expanded clay or coarse river sand to the soil and dig it well. Excess and stagnation of moisture has an extremely negative effect on plants.

It is advisable to fence the area with a low fence or decorative border stone so as not to forget this place.

The fact is that when the foliage dries completely, the bulbs are quite difficult to find. Moreover, over time they go deep into the ground.

Fertilizer and feeding

There is no need to fertilize crocus corms immediately after planting them in well-prepared soil.

However, if the bulbs are not dug up, the soil is gradually depleted, and mineral potassium-phosphorus fertilizers will be required.

Phosphorus has a positive effect on flowering, there will be more buds and they will be larger. Potassium helps the formation of healthy and large bulbs.

Nitrogen fertilizers have a detrimental effect on crocuses, as they can provoke the development of fungal diseases.

During the growing season, the crop is fed 3 times:

When the first shoots appear, a potassium-phosphorus complex is added in a 1:2 ratio. The granules are simply scattered over the snow that has not yet melted.
During the mass ejection of buds - in a 1:1 ratio.
At the end of flowering - in a 1:1 ratio.

Crocuses do not tolerate fresh organic matter, but the use of humus and peat is allowed.

Watering

During the period of active growth, plants require a lot of moisture. But, since crocuses bloom early in the spring, nature itself takes care of this, providing the plantings with melted snow water.

There is no need to water them, because the crop is quite drought-resistant. In the future, watering is carried out only when the top layer of soil dries and as needed.

Why don't crocuses bloom?

The reason for the lack of flowering is often improper care of the crop. The reasons may be the following:

Long-term cultivation of crocuses in one place. The corms grow too much, become smaller, they become crowded, and they stop blooming.
The foliage was trimmed ahead of time after flowering, or the bulbs were dug up before the leaves completely dried out. The plant does not have time to gain enough nutrients.
The bulbs are planted too deeply or have sunk deep into the ground (if they are not replanted for a long time), and they do not have enough strength to flower.
Depleted soil.

Diseases and pests

At proper care Crocuses rarely get sick or are damaged by insects. If there are errors in maintenance, they can be affected by fungal infections: gray and white rot (sclerotial), fusarium.

All affected material must be destroyed, and for prevention purposes, the corms are soaked for 20 minutes in a fungicidal solution.

Must be carefully selected planting material and when digging, try not to accidentally damage the bulbs. Damaged areas are treated with crushed ash.

Plants are occasionally damaged by wireworms (larvae of click beetles).

To collect pests, traps are set up from bunches spread around the area. wet grass, hay or straw covered with boards.

After a few days, the traps with crawled larvae are burned. With excessive moisture, slugs may appear on the crop, which are simply collected by hand.

Crocus bulbs are often attacked by hares, mice and other rodents.

Caring for crocuses after flowering

Crocuses fade quickly, but the leaves remain green for some time. Peduncles can be cut off as soon as the flowers fade, if you do not plan to collect seeds.

The foliage is not touched until completely dry. At this time, a renewal bud is laid and formed inside the bulb. If you cut the leaves ahead of time, this process will be disrupted.

If this is not required yet, then the flowers are left in the ground without any care. It is also necessary to dig up crocuses after flowering if they plan to plant them in another place in the fall.

The bulbs are removed from the ground, dried in a shaded place, and cleaned of remaining soil, scales and old roots.

Sick and damaged specimens are rejected. Healthy bulbs are stored until autumn at a temperature of +18...+ 22°C in a regularly ventilated area.

Spring-flowering varieties of crocus are dug up from about the second half of June to mid-August.

Plants that bloom in autumn should be removed from the soil between the end of May and the end of July, since their vegetative cycle is different and the dormant period begins earlier.

It must be remembered that all manipulations with corms (digging, planting) are best done when they are at rest.

Wintering crocuses

During the winter months, crocus bulbs remain in the ground; they can easily withstand frosts down to -20°C.

In regions with more severe climatic conditions, it is recommended to cover them with spruce branches, branches or dry leaves.

The best varieties of crocuses

Many varieties and varieties of crocus have been bred. Hybrids with large flowers are especially popular.

Some of them will be discussed below:

Albus. A snow-white flower up to 7 cm in diameter, with a creamy center. Blooms in September - October.
Artabir. The plant is up to 18 cm high, with large (about 12 cm) sky-blue flowers. Autumn blossom.
Pickwick. The flowers are about 4 - 6 cm in size, light purple in color with purple stripes, with large yellow stamens. It blooms quite late in the spring.
Grand Mater. The flowers are goblet-shaped, up to 4 cm in size, the petals are a rich dark purple color and pointed at the top. Spring flowering variety.
Saturnus. Flat, wide-open, creamy-yellow flowers with bright orange stigmas, up to 3.5 cm in girth. A hybrid that blooms in spring.
Marietta. Spring Flower lemon or light yellow in color, the oval petals are mottled on the outside with thin stripes of a dark brown hue.
Blue Pearl. Small (about 2 cm) delicate white-bluish flowers with a yellow center. Blooms early in spring.

The crocus saffron itself, from the stamens of which the spice is made, is called sativus. It belongs to the autumn-flowering varieties.

Incredibly beautiful spring flowers – these are crocuses. They are starting to bloom in early spring and delight others with their colors for up to ten days. After the flowers wither, the petals remain juicy and fresh, but by mid-June their turn to wither comes. Next, the crocuses enter a period of rest. In this article we will tell you everything you might be interested in about crocuses.

Crocus or saffron - description

Crocus or, as it is even better known by another name, saffron is a corm-like perennial plant. IN wildlife it grows in the steppes, meadows, highlands and rare forests of the Caucasus, Crimea, Asia, the Middle East and southern Europe. Several endangered species of crocuses are listed in the Red Book. Crocus – beautiful plant, but no matter how much you would like it, it doesn’t bloom for so long - only 7-10 days.

– This is the scientific name of the flower crop, but the Latin name, crocus, is still used in the literature on floriculture. This is a small flower up to 10 cm high with thin linear leaves that are curled down. The plant has a different color, but the identical bell-shaped funnel-shaped flowers. When crocuses bloom, most species open their buds early spring period, some - in the fall.

Flowers appear one, two or three from each bulb. The perianth is segmented in the form of a corolla. The segments grow together into a long tube, which can reach 10 cm in some species. In the absence of a stem, the perianth plays its role and brings the flower to the surface. The segmented process consists of six parts, each of which bends at the top. A fully opened bud can reach 8 cm in diameter.

Did you know?The name crocus comes from the Greek "kroke" - thread or fiber. Saffron is similar to the Arabic "zepheran", which translates as yellow.

Choosing a place to plant crocuses

Not many people know that crocuses can be conditionally divided into autumn and spring, and therefore planting and caring for them in the open ground will differ. When choosing a place for them, keep in mind that species that are planted in spring require more sunlight. Autumn crocuses, in turn, tolerate slight shading from coniferous shrubs. We would like to note that in the shade many goblet-shaped saffron flowers do not fully open, but, for example, the autumn Sharoyan crocus blooms much worse under the rays of the sun than in the shade.

Crocuses look very harmonious among the greenery of a grassy lawn, but you should refrain from choosing such a place. And that's why. Lawn grass requires regular mowing, and this way you can accidentally damage the saffron foliage. As a result, the corm will not ripen fully.

From an aesthetic point of view, it is better to organize the cultivation of crocuses in the country in groups. In addition, the greatest naturalness is achieved if the bulbs are planted at different distances from each other, imitating a spontaneous natural cycle. To create a continuous flower cover of crocuses, they need to be planted on a 3x3 cm grid. Per 1 sq. m should yield at least 50 bulbs.

Important! Before planting corms in open soil, treat them in Fundazol or Maxim.

In this case, as a public flower garden, the first crocus should be planted at the starting point of the edge - a fence, for example. Saffron goes well with summer bulbous plants or annuals. It is not recommended to plant it among perennial crops, because the period of their active development falls during the digging and replanting of corms. Crocuses look impressive in rock gardens. After they fade, the bare soil can be covered with small creeping annuals.

Are crocuses demanding on soil?

Due to the fact that crocuses are autumn and spring, shade- and light-loving, a reasonable question arises as to whether there are universal soils where all types of this plant can be planted. In fact, special requirements does not extend to soils. Any cultivated ones are suitable, but the most comfortable for development will be those that are light and rich in humus. Saffrons love well-moistened, loose soils generously fertilized with organic matter. But, like all bulbous plants, they can die from stagnation of water.

If on your site it is dominated by clay soils, then, in order for the crocuses to grow healthy and beautiful, care must begin with improving the soil. It is necessary to add peat and sand to clay substrates and fertilize them well with organic matter. For 1 sq. m are entered following materials : 20 kg of peat or humus, 100 g of bone meal and 50-70 g of fertilizer based on microelements.

Important! Humus should not be added to cultivated soils; it is better to replace it with high-moor peat. Crocuses will not develop well and grow in an excess of nutrients, especially nitrogen.

When to plant crocuses

Most flower growers mistakenly believe that crocuses are exclusively blooming in spring plants, therefore they are surprised and say: “We only plant crocuses in the fall”. When buying planting material, be sure to take into account one important fact: there are also autumn species that are planted in the spring. This characteristic plays a significant role, since the development cycles of autumn and spring corms do not coincide. This important point when recording and determining landing dates.

In qualified flower shops and at exhibitions, planting material for autumn-blooming crocuses is sold with the mark “Crocus autumn flowering”. Spring-flowering ones can also be purchased at regular markets. Of course, the flower shop will select the highest quality varietal material for you, but, oddly enough, those crocuses whose bulbs were bought at spontaneous markets take root better, and growing them will not cause any special troubles.

Did you know? Saffron has been used as medicinal product and incense during religious rituals. As a fine seasoning that enriches the taste and color of food, saffron is used in cooking to this day.

In spring-flowering crocuses, the annual development cycle begins in March (there are some species that even in February) with the growth of the first leaves. For more stable and rapid development of plants, you need to know how to feed crocuses in the spring. Fertilizers based on phosphorus and potassium are suitable for them. They can be applied when the first shoots appear, then during the flowering period and at the end, when the flowers have faded.

This way you contribute correct formation corms and feed it enough. A little later, in the month of April, flowers appear and bloom. When crocuses bloom, the buds open alternately over two to three weeks. After flowering ends, the leaves continue to grow until the seeds ripen. By the end of June they dry out.

All these processes occur solely due to the nutrients in the corm that were accumulated over the past year. When the bulb becomes depleted, it dies. Crocuses form a new bulb on top of the old one when flowering time has passed. She will become a substitute. It has bud rudiments for renewing flowers and leaves.

Over the next period of growth and dying of leaves, the bulb will already accumulate the necessary energy. Somewhere by mid-June, the corm will go into dormancy mode, and by autumn it will be active again: it will grow roots and continue the process of accumulating nutrition. Next, the process of bud formation and the resumption of preparations for future parts of the plant will be completed.

Do not remove leaves prematurely and do not replant the plant during the growing season, so as not to rack your brains later why the crocuses didn’t bloom in the spring. This disrupts the life rhythm of the crocus and leads to developmental delays. The bulbs themselves do not die from this and are restored over time, blooming again. But rehabilitation can take two years, and during this time you can forget about the planting material and accidentally dig it up.

Obviously, the cultivation of the plant is directly related to the ripening of the bulb, which means that the crocus must maintain the integrity of its leaves before withering. Therefore, you need to help the flower in every possible way by removing seed pods that weaken the corm and planting the material before the end of the dormant period. The best time to plant spring saffron is September, because after a while small roots will appear on the bulbs, which are easily damaged.

The life cycles of spring-blooming crocus are similar to those of colchicum. They are often confused. To avoid mistakes, you should know that saffron bulbs are much smaller - up to 2.5 cm and there are three stamens in a flower, while colchicum has twice as many. Most of the autumn crocuses begin their life cycle from flowering.

During this period, leaves grow and a replacement corm is born. Some produce leaves with a seed capsule and complete the formation of a new bulb by spring, when the species described earlier begin to bloom. Crocuses that bloom in late autumn go to winter without finishing flowering. As a result, seeds are not formed. But this does not weaken the plant and should not be a cause for concern.

In autumn-blooming crocuses, the dormant period begins a month earlier than in spring-flowering crocuses, which is why the peak activity of corms occurs in August. Therefore, for the normal development of autumn crocuses in the same year, they must be planted from the end of July to mid-August. But why don’t crocuses bloom that were purchased in a good store and planted in properly fertilized soil? The purchase of already flowering crocuses or delays in planting will have a detrimental effect on the formation of future plant organs.

Late-planted crocuses only grow leaves and do not bloom in the first two years. Transplanted crocuses with leaves and flowers quickly wither and enter a two-year recovery period. Crocuses that have successfully completed the life cycle are greatly weakened and should receive appropriate care after flowering. This will fuel them with energy next year.

Did you know? In ancient times, the spice of saffron was not only worth 15 times more than black pepper, but even gold. For 450 g of spice you could buy an Arabian horse. Today this spice is also not cheap.

Planting and propagation of crocuses

Crocus propagation involves two methods: seeds and daughter corms. This is not a difficult process at all.

Sowing crocuses with seeds

Growing crocuses from seeds is practiced much less frequently than from corms. This practice is inherent in flower growers who want to propagate a certain valuable plant species, so planting material is taken in large quantities.

Most botanical crocuses do not have problems with the formation of seeds, but only in autumn the fruiting cycle may be disrupted due to the onset of early frosts. Planting material is preserved well, but in the case of autumn-blooming species it is better to sow only collected seeds for overwintering.

Since stratified material germinates better, completely healthy and stronger crocuses can be grown from these seeds. Future crocuses harvested with seeds produce very small shoots, and since weeds “don’t sleep,” it is initially better to plant them in containers or boxes. Until the first sprouts appear, containers with seeds should be covered with light-protective film or spunbond. In the second case, watering may not be carried out. Seedlings will begin to bloom in 3-4 years.

Planting crocus bulbs

It is not necessary to dig up corms every winter. This must be done every three years summer period dormancy of crocuses in order to separate the mother bulb from the daughter tubers that have grown during this time. There can be up to ten of them, and they begin to interfere with each other.

As a result, saffron flowers are significantly reduced in size. In this case, separation of daughter bulbs, their transplantation and further care for crocuses, do the following. To collect planting material in the form of corms, the mother plant can be dug up more often than once every three years. It is better to disturb autumn-blooming saffrons from June to August, spring-blooming ones - from July to September. Planting material must be removed from the ground, dried, and defective scales and dead roots removed.

You should also carefully inspect the bulbs for diseases. Leave only healthy material. Mechanical damage must be healed with ash or crushed coal. Until planting in the ground, they should be stored in a dry and cool place.

Caring for crocuses in open ground

We will tell you below how to grow crocuses strong and healthy after planting. But know that you won’t spend a lot of effort and a lot of time.

Watering crocuses

There is no need to water saffron regularly; besides, it is very sensitive to stagnation of moisture. Crocuses need a lot of water in spring and autumn periods flowering. But nature helps us there too: in one case, the snow melts and gives water, in another - autumn rains. Additional watering is organized if the winter was not snowy and the autumn was not rainy enough. But even with insufficient moisture, crocuses successfully go through the growing season. They will only become smaller in height. In summer, during periods of calm, crocuses do not need water; they prefer to rest in a dry environment.

Fertilizer and feeding

The basis for growing all plants in the garden is fertilizing, therefore, when thinking about how to grow healthy and beautiful crocuses in your garden, you need to prepare a complex mineral fertilizers. Feeding crocuses has some nuances. Fresh are not allowed organic fertilizers. They cause various diseases. Peat, completely decomposed manure and other mineral fertilizers will be preferable.

In early spring, during the period of active growth, you need to sprinkle fertilizer on the melting snow. At the beginning of the vegetative period, urea can be introduced. Later, an excess of nitrogen will cause a sharp growth of leaves, which will provoke the appearance of unwanted fungal diseases in wet weather. After half a month, fertilizers rich in phosphorus and potassium should be added to the planting site. They will contribute better flowering and the formation of strong and healthy corms.

Care after flowering

Like many bulbous flowers, these flowers lose their leaves by mid-summer, so you need to take special care of the crocuses in your garden after they bloom. If you have no plans to transplant the plant to a new location, then you can get by with removing the wilted foliage. If the decision was made to dig up crocuses, then best time- it's July.

The procedure looks like this:

Remove blooms that have faded so that the plant does not have to put extra effort into trying to form seeds.
Gradually reduce the amount of watering. So the outflow of all nutrients will gradually go into the corm
When the leaves turn completely yellow, the bulb needs to be dug up and dried a little at room temperature.
Next, remove scales and discard diseased and damaged daughter tubers.
Bulbs should be stored in a well-ventilated area at a temperature within 20 °C.

Transplanting crocuses

Due to the abundant formation of daughter bulbs in crocuses, they need to be planted. Otherwise, a large nest of shoots will form. They become crowded, they become deformed, the flowers become smaller, and the plant loses its aesthetic appeal.

The bulbs should be dug up after the leaves have completely died in mid-July to early August. Store in a warm, well-ventilated area until transplantation. They need to be planted in flower beds in August or September at a distance equal to two to three corm diameters from each other. The hole must be dug to a depth equal to three bulbs in height.

The extracted corms must be cleaned of soil, dead roots and scales, and then laid out in one layer in a box or box. The smallest ones can be placed, for example, in candy boxes. Until August, planting material should be stored at a temperature of +22 °C and not lower, since it is under this regime that flower buds are formed. In August, the temperature should be lowered to +20 °C. In a week - up to +15 °C. But such conditions are difficult to create at home, and they are ideal, because only in specialized farms can the thermal regime be adjusted. Under our usual conditions, crocus bulbs need to be placed in a dark, dry place with good ventilation and room temperature.

Did you know? To obtain 1 kg of saffron spice, you need to collect about 600,000 stigmas from newly blooming crocus flowers. Hence the expression “as dear as saffron.” A very justified statement.

Seasonal rhythm of crocuses

Spring crocus flowers can begin to bloom both in mid-March and mid-April, provided that you grow them taking into account all the nuances. But the timing of this event can vary significantly depending on snow melting and soil warming. Cases have been recorded of spring crocuses starting to bloom even at the end of February.

Autumn species are more stable and constant in in this case. The quality of the vegetative period depends directly on the conditions in which the restoration bud was formed last season - this applies to spring-blooming or this summer - autumn-blooming saffrons.

Why don't crocuses bloom?

Many gardeners and amateur flower growers are perplexed why crocuses do not bloom when everything seems to be done correctly, but in fact there is no flower and there are only leaves. Let's look at this problem together and decide why this happens?

First, What can negatively affect flowering is the density of plantings. The daughter bulbs become so crowded that the mother tuber is only able to push new feathers of young green leaves out of the ground. The bulbs interfere with each other, so there can be no talk of flowering. The solution here is obvious - to plant crocuses and give more space to new tubers.

The second reason may lie in planting the bulbs too deep. They simply don't have the energy to bloom. They spent all their strength punching the leaves through the ground. Often bulbous plants, which are planted in sandy soil, involuntarily go deeper into the loose substrate.

The situation can be improved by replanting the corms to a depth of 7 cm. In heavy clay soils, the bulbs should be deepened no more than 5 cm.

The final reason why crocuses don't bloom in your garden is a lack of soil fertilization. The main thing is in a timely manner and in required quantities apply mineral-based preparations. Firstly, this is done during planting: fertilizer is applied directly into the hole. Saffrons that grow in one place long years, draw all nutrients from the soil. Such flowers must be fed in the spring, watered with a solution of mineral fertilizers. Organic fertilizers are also suitable, the best of which is compost added to the planting hole.

Did you know? Fraudsters have become adept at counterfeiting saffron. In Iran in the Middle Ages, hands were cut off for this. In Germany they were buried alive or burned at the stake. In France, everything was much more humane - just a fine of 60 kg of silver.

Diseases and pests of crocuses

No matter how hard you try to care for your garden, grow crocuses or other bulbous crops, sometimes something goes wrong. The plant either stops at one stage of development, or loses its aesthetic appearance, or even dies.

The reason for this is diseases and pests:

Viruses. The first sign of their appearance on saffron is white spots on deformed leaves. They stretch out and twist at the tips. They are carried by sucking insects such as aphids, mites or thrips. The affected plant by default becomes a spreader of the infection and must be immediately destroyed. But don’t worry if the disease has destroyed a rare species of crocus on your site. Viruses do not reach the seeds, and the plant can be revived by reseeding. It may take some time, but you will get your flower favorites back.
Fungi. They become active in warm and damp weather. As a rule, they affect the corm of the plant. It loses its density, wrinkles, and spots of unnatural color form under the scales. Such an onion must be destroyed, and the other daughter bulbs must be dried in a cool place. Before planting, they need to be soaked in a weak manganese solution or a 0.2% Fundazol solution.
Chlorosis. With this disease, the leaves begin to turn yellow, which is not caused by a lack of any nutrients in the soil, but by mechanical damage to the tuber, poor drainage or unsuitable growing conditions.
Mice and moles. They damage corms by digging tunnels under them and even carrying them entirely into their homes or gnawing off the roots. If the plant grows poorly and blooms poorly, then we can judge that the bulbs have rotted. In this case, they need to be dug up and the rotten parts removed. Treat the cut areas with ash and leave for outdoors for several hours to dry. In order not to attract mice, you need to remove all dead wood and grass within a radius of three meters from the plantings, because mice nest there. They will no longer run further than three meters from the nest.

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An early flower with the first ray spring sun pleasing to the eye, it bears the proud name of crocus. This flower is also widely known as saffron. Crocuses are planted in the fall. It is necessary to first add to the soil required quantity fertilizers, since this flower prefers loose, fertile soil.

Crocuses: a brief description of the plant

This plant belongs to the Iris family. About 80 of its species and more than 300 varieties are known. Crocuses are divided into two huge groups:

those that bloom in spring;
those that bloom in summer.

Their flowering period is very short - no more than 10 days.

The main features of the above flower:

resistance to unexpected weather conditions;
tendency to reproduce quickly;
ease of care.

These flowers can grow in one place for 5 years.

Crocuses: planting in autumn. Landing dates

Planting these plants depends on their type. The dates for planting crocuses are as follows:

late spring or early summer (autumn flowering);
October-November (spring flowering).

You just need to remember the main rule: this process is carried out only when the plants are in a period of absolute dormancy. Crocuses are planted in the ground before winter. Gardeners recommend buying crocus bulbs in August or September. At this time, the plant is at rest. If the autumn weather is warm, then the crocus planting dates may shift slightly until mid-November.

The above plants, which bloom in autumn, are purchased in June or early August.

Planting crocuses in the ground in autumn is characterized by the following features:

the leaves of the plant wither and turn yellow;
they die off over time;
the bulb remains weak, but alive.

In the first spring after the above planting, crocuses may not bloom at all.

Location and soil for flowers

This plant needs well-prepared soil. It is fertilized with compost and manure, in addition, it is well loosened. Excessive amounts of moisture and stagnation of water are not good for the flower. Therefore, if crocuses are planted in the fall, you need to add a little sand to the soil, especially clayey soil.

The best soil for of this plant is, of course, sandy loamy light soil. The site must be well drained, since stagnation of water leads to rotting of the plant.

To prevent the flowers from being small, it is important to choose a place for them that is well lit. It is important that the plants do not shade the trees. Although this plant grows well in partial shade.

Fertilizing the soil also needs to be taken seriously. It is important to remember: nitrogen is a big danger for crocuses. That's why the best option for it are fertilizers rich in phosphorus and potassium. After all, the first microelement is necessary for the formation of crocus buds and prolongation of the flowering period. The second microelement is important

Planting crocuses in the ground in autumn

These plants must be planted or replanted without flowers. If you do plant flowering specimens, they will gain strength only after about two years.

Planting crocuses before winter is carried out using the following method: the bulb is lowered to a depth of 10 cm. The distance between these plants must be maintained and be at least 4 cm.

The thickness of the soil layer above the planting material is at least twice the diameter of the bulb. This is when the ground is loose. But in the case of heavy soil, this figure is only one times the diameter of the planting material.

To extend the flowering time of this plant, gardeners use a little trick: they plant crocus bulbs in separate holes at different depths. This will allow you to enjoy the beauty of crocus flowers for at least a week longer.

After planting, the ground where the plants are planted is watered a little and lightly covered with pine litter. This will retain moisture longer and also protect the plants from severe frosts in the event of a snowless winter.

Propagation of crocuses by seeds

These plants reproduce by their “children” - these are daughter corms. They are formed from buds that sit in the axil of the scales. When the old corm dies, new children begin to grow independently, forming a kind of “nest”. It turns out a group of related bulbs. The above method is the most effective method on the propagation of plants such as crocus flowers. Planting and care in this case are done very carefully so as not to damage the bulbous material.

The corm grows and becomes larger every year. As a result of this, many so-called children are formed. When they become crowded and begin to interfere with each other, they definitely need to be seated.

If conditions permit, it is important to plant children of one bulb of a particular type in groups. This one blooms approximately 4 years after planting.

The second method of propagating crocuses is by seeds. But this method is only suitable for spring-flowering plants. Crocuses, which bloom in the fall, fruit irregularly because early hard frosts prevent them from setting seed.

This planting material should be sown in small pots or boxes. This will allow small seedlings not to get lost among large ones, and they will also be better protected from weeds. The pot must be covered with black film and ensure that they do not dry out. If the leaves of the seedlings die completely, they can be sprayed a little with Roundup. But here it is important to be careful not to make the soil too wet, as this can cause rotting of the seedlings. Seedlings bloom at approximately 5 years.

Crocus care

Plants such as flowers do not require particularly complex self-monitoring; they have only a few rules:

Once every few years they must be thinned out, because in favorable conditions each corm gives birth to up to 10 children annually and becomes larger;
The process of digging up spring-flowering plants is carried out in the summer after their leaves turn yellow;
The bulbs are dried and stored in the shade.

Additionally, it should be noted that there are many diseases and pests in plants such as crocuses. Planting and care in the fall is carried out taking into account the following recommendations:

Before landing in open ground It is advisable to keep the plant bulbs in a solution of potassium permanganate. This will prevent the development of fungal diseases in the planting material.
Crocus bulbs must be stored indoors, that is, away from rodents. These are the main enemies of the plant.

Also, to get good nests of corms, gardeners recommend planting them every year. This will allow children to have more room to grow.

Forcing crocuses

It is forcing that helps achieve very early flowering in crocuses. Only the healthiest bulbs are suitable for this purpose. Sometime in September, gardeners recommend planting them in pots. The soil in the container should be slightly damp. The pots should be covered with film; first make several holes in it for ventilation.

This container with planting material is placed in the basement or in any dark and cool place. The first shoots appear in early January. After this, the pot is removed to a room with an air temperature of up to 15 degrees Celsius, where it is shaded paper bags. It is also important not to forget to water the plant.

A week after this, gardeners advise removing the film from the pot. It is necessary to bring them into a warm room when the first buds appear. The flowering of crocuses depends on the temperature in the room: the lower it is, the longer they bloom.

Driven out crocuses can be safely planted in open ground in the fall.

The best partners for crocuses

Gardeners note spectacular flowering and growth of these flowers near the following plants:

Mahonia;
boxwood;
yew;
galanthus;
Helleborus;
primrose;
erythronium;
erantis.

Application of crocuses

These plants are widely used for the following purposes:

to create a beautiful landscape design of the site;
as gifts for the holidays (Valentine's Day, March 8);
as a seasoning in cooking;
as a food coloring.

This plant is also widely used in alternative medicine. Based on the crocus, special eye drops and restorative tinctures are made, since saffron has antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic properties.

Planting crocuses in the ground in the fall provides the opportunity to enjoy the flowering of this plant in early spring. But so that these flowers do not disappoint you and grow really beautiful and spectacular, it is important to follow some simple recommendations for planting them.

Crocuses are early spring bulbous perennial plants. The color combinations of these spring flowers delight and delight tired eyes and hearts after a long winter. Under natural conditions, growing these bulbous plants perennial plants carried out on sandy, rocky and loose soils. Planting and care is carried out in sunny areas in open ground.

Crocuses: varieties and varieties

The homeland of these perennial flowers is European countries, North African states and western Asia. In addition to the remarkable property of pleasing the eye, the scope of this plant is wide: crocus (or saffron) is used in cooking as a seasoning, as a dye and as a medicine. Selection has produced varieties with large inflorescences, differing in color: striped, spotted, two-colored, with a contrasting pattern. The propagation method for preserving the variety of this plant is simple and quite accessible to gardeners.

Crocuses are one of the first to bloom after winter.

Crocuses, grown in modern conditions made it possible to obtain more than 250 species, differing not only in color, but also in the size of the stamens and pistils.

At the end of the 19th century in Holland, the propagation of species contributed to the emergence of the Crocus sativa variety, but interest in it, as in ornamental plant, appeared much later. Along with this variety, varieties such as angustifolia crocus, yellow crocus and spring crocus were introduced into European gardens. It was thanks to these varieties that Dutch hybrids appeared.

Crocuses in open ground begin to bloom in late April - early May. These are cold-resistant plants; they tolerate frosts down to minus 5 - 7 degrees. Bright flowers each variety pleases the eye for 10-15 days. To extend the flowering period, it is recommended to use different varieties - early, middle, late. For example, in landscape design the most popular spring species are now:

Planting a plant

Spring crocuses are planted in early autumn (late August - early September) at a distance of 7 to 10 cm from each other. Crocuses planted in September are not winter-hardy enough, so they are covered for the winter to avoid freezing of the bulbs, which is quite dangerous on clay soils and loams. Dry leaves, peat and humus are useful for insulation.

At the planting site, prepare recesses of such a size that the bulb can fit freely. When planting tubers, the soil should be well fertilized with compost. Drainage is placed at the planting site to avoid the accumulation of stagnant water and rotting of the bulbs. Expanded clay, screenings, and coarse sand are used as drainage. Then a fertile layer mixed with compost is poured on top.

Crocus bulb

If the soil is fertile and well fertilized with compost, then in the first year after planting, no fertilizer is added; the next year, potassium and phosphorus additives are added to the soil. After planting, the rhizomes are covered by mulching the soil.

Crocus care

Care for the plant correct landing not difficult. Crocuses are sun-loving flowers; growing them in open ground in shaded areas leads to crushed flowers or to their absence. Quite resistant to drought: in the spring, during flowering, the flowers have enough moisture, but in the summer they still need watering.

Your main task is to plant crocuses in a sunny area, and they will bloom actively

Some amateur gardeners dig up crocus bulbs every year, dry them and store them in a cool place. This allows you to select the largest perennial plants; such care saves the bulbs from rodents and rotting.

Plant propagation

Crocuses reproduce mainly by children. Large daughter bulbs are carefully separated and planted separately. This allows you to maintain the quality of the perennial. To speed up the propagation process, the bulbs should be dug up annually, since they are replaced every season: the old ones dry out, and up to five new tubers grow nearby.

For planting, larger bulbs are selected, old dried and rotten lobes are cut off. In general, crocuses are unpretentious, you don’t have to dig them up every year, but you don’t need to keep the flowers in one place for more than five years, the plantings grow and bloom poorly.

Propagation of crocuses by daughter bulbs

Dig up faded plants in July, after the foliage has dried. Saffrons can also be propagated by seeds, but then you will have to wait for flowers only in the third year. With this method of propagation, varietal characteristics are not always preserved.

Diseases and pests

The developed varieties and hybrids of crocuses are resistant to diseases, but in moist soils they are exposed to various viruses and fungal diseases. Diseases can only be fought, unfortunately, by destroying the affected bulbs, while the soil is spilled with a special solution. After discovering diseased bulbs, flowers must be grown in another place.

Crocuses suffer from invasions of moles and mice, but if flowers are planted on alpine hills and rockeries, then protection from rodents is first installed there. Crocuses are also susceptible to attacks by slugs and moths; insecticides are regularly sprayed to get rid of insects.

Attention! If not properly cared for, crocus flowers become smaller, lose color intensity, or do not bloom at all.

The use of saffron in landscape design

Crocuses, planting and caring for which do not present great difficulties, are now widely used in mass compositions when creating beautiful landscapes gardens - in a mixborder, ridge or flowerbed.

Mono planting of crocuses

Crocuses in groups with tulips, hyacinths and daffodils are simply irreplaceable for decorating a spring landscape. In the landscape design of local areas, varieties of crocuses are very expressively set off by stone compositions in rock gardens and rock gardens, where they are bright flowers stand out against the beige background of stones.

In rockeries and ridges, crocuses fit perfectly into compositions with low-growing shrubs. A bright spring accent will be planting these perennials with coniferous and winter green plants, for example, in English-style rockeries.

Crocuses in landscape design

You can plant crocuses on lawns, the combination of their delicate glasses with emerald grass looks good on the lawn, however, such a lawn can only be mowed after the saffron foliage has died off, otherwise every year there will be fewer and fewer flowers on the crocus. These plants are intended for growing in open ground, but they also bloom wonderfully on apartment windowsills.

Advice! If crocus flowers appear on the windowsill in the spring, then it is quite possible to extend their life by planting them on the site and perfectly use them in the landscape design of the garden, but start planting them in open ground no earlier than late May - early June.

Numerous photos of crocuses in group compositions with shrubby plants or other perennial bulbous representatives can be seen in a variety of literature on garden landscape design.

Growing crocuses: video

Varieties of crocuses: photos

Crocus (Crocus) or saffron is a herbaceous corm perennial of the Iris family (Iridaceae). The natural habitats of crocus are rare forests, steppes and meadows of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. This gentle one exquisite flower blooms in early spring, immediately after snowdrops. But there are species that delight with their buds in September and October. Growing crocuses does not require any special skills and is not a hassle. We'll show you how to care for crocuses in your garden so you can enjoy the graceful flowers in spring and fall.

An unpretentious corm primrose that is widely used in garden design.

The name crocus is more common among gardeners, although in the scientific literature the plant is called saffron. Crocus – low growing plant, whose average height is 10 cm. It does not form stems, but narrow linear leaves grow directly from the ground.

The flowers are goblet-shaped, from 2 to 5 cm in diameter, arranged singly on short stalks. The colors of the flowers are different: yellow, orange, cream, and white, purple and lilac, blue and violet. Saffron also comes with bicolor or spotted flowers. Crocuses bloom for about 2-3 weeks.

In total, the genus Crocus includes about 80 species and 300 varieties, which are divided into 15 groups. One of them includes varieties that bloom in autumn, the other 14 groups include varieties that bloom in spring. The spring crocus species (Crocus vernus) has given rise to various hybrids, the most popular of which are the Dutch large-flowered varieties.

Growing in open ground

Growing and caring for crocuses is not difficult. As with any other flowers, you need to choose the right site for growing saffron, prepare the soil for planting, provide access to light, moisture and nutritional compounds.

Choosing a landing site

It is better to plant crocuses on sunny plot which is well lit. Although the plant reacts normally to partial shade, the flowering of crocuses growing in a lack of light will not be as abundant, and the size of the buds will be small.

Can't stand crocuses excess humidity, therefore, the place where melted water stagnates and rainwater, does not suit them at all.

Is it possible to plant saffron next to other flowers? Undoubtedly. Crocus planted with tulips, daffodils and other bulbous plants will ensure beautiful flowering of the flower bed from early spring until summer. Newly blooming buds will replace flowers that have already faded.

In nature, crocuses grow in meadows with other perennial herbs, and when grown in the garden, they can also be planted together with peonies, daffodils and other flowers.

The soil

Saffron prefers soil that is light and dry, loose, and fertile. Drainage is provided with fine gravel or coarse sand. Krokus does not react well to acidic soil, so peat mixed with lime and compost can be added to the soil for digging. Clay soil improve by adding fine gravel or decomposed compost.

Landing

Experienced gardeners know how to plant crocuses. The planting depth should be equal to two bulbs if the flowers will grow on light soil. Crocuses are planted in heavy soil to a depth equal to one bulb. An interval of 7–10 cm is usually left between the bulbs. And for those who do not plan to replant crocuses for 3–4 years, you can plant the flowers closer - at a distance of 3 cm. After planting, the soil is watered.

When to plant crocuses depends on when the flowers appear. Spring crocuses should be planted in the fall. Plants that bloom in the fall should be planted in June.

Crocuses can grow in one area for 3 to 5 years. During this period, many children appear on their bulbs, and when the crocuses bloom, the area becomes a continuous carpet of flowers. But if the plants become crowded, the number and size of flower buds decreases. Therefore, crocuses need to be planted after 4–5 years.

Do I need to dig it up and when?

The faded bud can be cut off, and after a while the green leaves will turn yellow and dry out. Whether it is necessary to dig up crocuses after flowering is up to each gardener to decide for himself. After all, saffron is a perennial that can grow in one area for more than one year.

If replanting flowers is not planned, they are not dug up, but only the dried buds and leaves are cut off. In southern regions with a warm climate, the bulbs can withstand winter cold. In areas with harsh weather conditions the soil with the bulbs should be covered with small twigs or fallen leaves.

One of the main advantages of plants is that their bulbs do not have to be dug up every year.

If the flowers need to be transplanted to a new area, they are removed from the soil. When to dig up crocuses depends on the time of flowering. For spring plants The best time is July, August, September. Bulbs of varieties that bloom in autumn are removed from the soil from June to August.

Bulb storage

The planting material is dried in the shade, sorted, removing bad scales and dead roots from the bulbs. Damaged bulbs are sprinkled with ash, and diseased and small ones are discarded. The material selected for planting is placed in one layer in a box or box.

According to the rules, the bulbs are stored at temperatures above 22 ° C until August, otherwise flower buds will not form. At the beginning of the last summer month, the temperature is reduced to 20 ° C, and after another 7 days - to 15 ° C. But a botanical garden or flower farm can provide such conditions. At home, store the bulbs in a dry, dark and well-ventilated place at room temperature.

Caring for crocuses in the garden

Caring for crocuses at home is quite simple. The soil must be regularly moistened and loosened, weeds must be pulled out in a timely manner, and fertilizers must be applied if necessary.

Watering

For good growth During plant development, the soil must be constantly moist. As the soil dries out, young shoots need to be watered. But it is important to ensure that upper layer the soil dried out before each watering.

Fertilizer application

Planting crocuses in fertile soil will provide the plants with normal nutrition. But if the soil is poor, or flowers have been growing in one place for more than one year, they need to be fertilized with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. mineral supplements. Phosphorus ensures abundant formation of buds and increases the flowering period. And potassium is needed to maintain the health of the bulbs. As for nitrogen fertilizers, their excess causes fungal diseases.

Fresh organic fertilizers cause various diseases; crocuses cannot be fed with them.

During the season, fertilizing is applied to the soil three times:

when sprouts appear;
during the formation of flower buds;
after flowering is complete.

When first fertilizing, potassium is taken in half as much as phosphorus; during subsequent fertilizing, equal ratios of fertilizers are applied.

Planting for forcing

Some gardeners grow crocuses at home in winter using the forcing method. Wherein indoor flower requires other conditions of detention. Most often, large-flowered Dutch hybrids are grown by forcing.

It is necessary to outline the expected flowering date, and 3.5–4 months before the scheduled date, plant the bulbs in wide, shallow containers of 5–10 pieces. The soil for planting crocuses in pots should have good moisture and air permeability, be loose and have a neutral environment.

Flowers in a pot are kept in a place with a temperature of 5 to 10 ° C (this can be the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, basement, cellar). Two weeks before the expected flowering date, the temperature is raised: the pot is moved to the coolest place in the house, then to a warmer room, and finally, the flowers are placed in the sun on the windowsill. They will bloom soon.

If the bulbs are placed tightly in the pot, you can get beautiful bouquet crocuses

Problems of growing crocuses in open ground

If planting and care at home are carried out correctly, plants are practically not susceptible to disease and insect attack.

A danger to plants is the larva of the click beetle (wireworm), which feeds on the bulbs. Flower growers have figured out what to do with this pest. They advise at the end of April or beginning of May to spread wet hay or straw over the area with crocuses and cover them with boards. The larvae will definitely move into the traps, which then need to be burned. Plants can also be attacked by slugs (they will have to be collected by hand), and mice and other rodents also like to feed on the bulbs.

If the flower has a flattened shape, does not bloom completely, and its petals are covered with gray spots, the plant is most likely affected viral disease. Its carriers can be mice, aphids, and thrips. Affected flowers should be immediately dug up and burned. Disinfect the soil with a hot concentrated solution of potassium permanganate.

Self-seeding of crocuses can also be a problem: flowers sprout in the most unexpected places and turn into weeds.

If crocuses are not kept properly at home, the plants may become sick:

gray rot;
fusarium;
sclerotial or penicella rot.

To prevent disease, it is important to plant healthy bulbs and transplant carefully. If there is still damage on the bulb, you need to sprinkle this area with ash, and before planting, soak the bulbs for 20 minutes in a solution of a fungicidal agent.

Reproduction

Flowers are easiest to propagate from bulbs that form on the mother corm. They are separated and seated one at a time.

You can also grow flowers from seeds. But this is more difficult to do, since most often the plants lose their varietal characteristics and begin to bloom only after 4–5 years. Therefore, this method of reproduction is not popular. The best option– buy plant bulbs at a flower shop or greenhouse.

Purchase Features

In order for the plant to grow strong and delight you with its flowers, it is important to buy high-quality planting material and carefully inspect the bulbs before purchasing. They must be healthy, large, and without damage. Available for sale Dutch varieties With large onions are marked + 10 on the packaging bag. They produce 5–6 large flowers. Smaller bulbs produce 3–4 flowers, and very small ones produce 2–3 flowers. The size of the flowers also depends on the size of the bulbs (in selected large specimens it reaches 5–7 cm) and the height of the plants.

Planting and caring for crocus flowers is not difficult. Plants look great on alpine roller coaster, they can decorate flower beds, borders, and lawns. The flowers are beautiful on their own and go well with other bulbous flowers. And in an apartment you can grow crocuses for the holiday and admire the beautiful graceful flowers on New Year or March 8.