In early spring, crocuses bloom in many flower beds. They are so charming in their diminutiveness that they are often given directly in pots. But it’s not enough just to shove the corm into the ground. I would like to present a blossoming flower. Yes, and time it to a certain date.

How to grow crocuses at home? Actually very easy. The secret of forcing is to mimic natural processes. This can be done by the most novice florist. And if you properly prepare the planting material and take a quality one, then success is guaranteed.

What bulbs to plant

The first thing to do is to choose a good planting material. Unlike other bulbous crocuses, the size of crocuses is measured not by diameter, but by the circumference at the widest point. We need a package that has the number 10 plus on it. From such raw materials, the largest flowers on plump stems are obtained. And at the same time up to 6 pieces.

If the package has a smaller number, then there will be fewer flowers, respectively. They themselves will be small.

Choose for yourself varieties of selection from Holland. These are mostly hybrids. They do very well at home. Local or natural plants give small flowers or do not bloom at all. Why then all the work? And do not confuse with plants that bloom in autumn. During your forcing, they just have a period of deep rest after flowering.

But a little flattered by beautiful photo on a cardboard. You need to have some more idea about the correct choice of corms. They must meet the following requirements:

1. Firm and resilient. Lightly press the raw material. It should bounce nicely. Softness speaks of incipient spoilage.
2. Smell if possible. If even the slightest smell of mold is present, put it off without regret. Such material was stored in inappropriate conditions.
3. Examine the bulbs carefully. They should not have dark or wet spots, as well as visible damage.

Once you've made your choice and brought your purchase home, take your time. Place bulbs in quarantine. Dark cool place. Look at them in about 10-12 days. Everything is fine? Are there any signs of disease, mold, rot? So, you can safely plant.

Advice. Purchase corms in season. This time is from the end of July to the end of September.

Which pot to choose

The material of the container does not matter. Much more important is its size. Shallow but wide containers are suitable for crocuses. A group of landings in one bowl looks very impressive. And decorated with small gravel or pebbles - in general a masterpiece.

It will be enough to take a pot 12-14 cm high. But always with wide drainage holes. And it is installed not in a pallet, but on a stand. This will allow excess liquid to drain. Crocus bulbs react very nervously to stagnant water. Immediately begin to rot and wither.

How to plant

If you chose large mature corms, then try to leave at least 2.5 cm between them. This will allow glasses of crocuses to unfold in all their glory.

The planting depth should be such that only the very tip remains on the surface. Let's take a look at how to properly plant crocuses step by step:

1. A thick layer of drainage is laid at the bottom of the pot. These are broken shards, bricks, fine gravel, marble chips. Pebbles and expanded clay will also fit.
2. Then pour some soil. Its composition is simple. It's in equal parts garden soil, sand and peat. Everything should be loose and permeable.
3. Set the bulb upside down.
4. Holding it with one hand, the second is covered to the top with a mixture of sand and peat.
5. Watered. As soon as the water drains, they are removed for rooting.

The difference in the composition of soil mixtures allows the roots to firmly hold the plant in the container, and the bulb to contact water as little as possible.

For example, you need a blooming crocus by January 1st. We do everything necessary calculations. You need to plant the bulb on September 24th.

Care and maintenance during the cold period

Here we come to the moment when we take on the role of the creator. That is, we artificially create conditions of detention as close to natural as possible. To do this, for 12 weeks you need to place containers with bulbs in a dark, cool place with high humidity air. Temperature from +4 to +8°С. Humidity is not lower than 70%.

Refrigerator is not good, it's too dry. It's too warm under the bath. Insulated loggia or balcony - a lot of light. Suitable barn, cellar, cellar, cellar. Just be careful, corms are very to the taste of many rodents.

Water your pasture blanks periodically as needed. Humidify the air around by spraying or watering. And watch the temperature. Too high will cause the crocuses to wake up early. Too low can cause rot and mold. And absolutely exclude the slightest lighting.

There is no way to often go down to the cellar or basement to water containers with corms? Then cover them with a thick film. Just be sure to make a few small holes. This is necessary for ventilation and evaporation of condensate.

Next stage
As soon as 15 days remain before the expected date, the bowls with corms are pulled out for distillation. Just do not dramatically change the strength of lighting and temperature regime. An example procedure is as follows:

1 day. They took it out of the cellar and placed it at front door on the floor. It's a little cold and dark in there.

Day 3 They put the pot on a stand, a table, a bedside table in the back of the coolest room.

Day 5 Moved close to the window, but covered from the central heating battery.

Day 7 They put it on the windowsill. We do not open the battery. We do not put insulation under the pot, because the roots should still feel cool.

14-15 day. We love flowering.

All these days, do not forget to water the crocuses as the top layer dries up. Periodically spray with a spray bottle. Just don't fill them up like a fire truck. The soil mixture should be slightly damp, but not soggy. Otherwise, the crocuses will quickly lose decorative look or even turn yellow and wither.

If you did everything right, then you can admire the beautiful flowers for up to 11 days in a row. At the same time, no one canceled the usual care. And be sure to cover the flowers from direct sun rays. This is good for prolonging flowering.

Do not rush to get rid of corms after they delight you with their beautiful flowering. They can still be planted in a flower bed or garden. After all, in one place they can grow up to 5 years. And during this time they will bring you a large offspring. Small onions can be grown and planted everywhere. Or you can use it while growing at home.

To do this, you must not change the content mode. The flower stalks that have served their purpose are carefully removed. For example, scissors or secateurs. This will allow not to delay the nutrients from the uterine bulb.

Around the beginning of June, all the leaves will turn yellow and dry. This is the most natural time for crocuses to retire. Up to this point, it will be necessary to feed the plant twice with a complete complex mineral fertilizer. Preference is given to the composition, where the most phosphorus and potassium, but the minimum of nitrogen. The solution for dressing is prepared in accordance with the instructions on the package. Each manufacturer has its own.

Crocuses do not treat with organics. This can cause root rot and other diseases. Indeed, in natural conditions, they are accustomed to living in mountainous areas with poor soil, which has a neutral reaction. And organic matter is nitrogen and acidification of the soil.

After the entire aerial part has dried, you need to carefully remove the corm from the soil. Shake off, carefully inspect for the presence of mold, disease, signs of decay. Everything is fine? Is the bulb clean? We dry it in a dark cool place for about 9-11 days. Next, cut off the roots, dry leaves, stems. We remove the falling husk. And we put it back in a dark and cool place until autumn planting into the ground.

Approximately once every three weeks we inspect the planting material. We reject dried and diseased corms of crocuses, if any.

1. After quarantine, but before planting, be sure to decontaminate corms, containers and soil. By any means available. Good results are obtained by 20-minute soaking in a strong solution of potassium permanganate and spraying with phytosporin. Do not neglect this procedure, avoid many problems.
2. Crocuses are not fed at home. They have enough nutrients from the bulbs. An overabundance will lead to deformation or a complete absence of colors.
3. Plant one variety and corms of the same size in one container. Otherwise, you will have to observe such a picture: flowers of one variety are adjacent to wilted leaves of another. Or faded buds next to unopened ones. Ugly and unprofessional. It is better to plant them in separate pots. This will make it easier to take care of. Moreover, one flower also looks elegant and spectacular in a pot if it is well-groomed and healthy.
4. Do not listen to those who advise you to use crocuses in culinary purposes. Eat innocent flowers. V Food Industry only the stigmas of the flowers are used. And even then, a certain variety, purple seed crocuses. Dutch hybrids were clearly not bred for the purpose of obtaining a fragrant spice. They are intended to give flowers and are completely unsuitable for food. And then in every article they write such nonsense, without even bothering to find out the truth. And after all, many are led to this stupidity, plucking poor plants. Shove into sauces or pastries. And they wonder: where is that divine aroma and beautiful color?
5. Do not try to grow crocuses from seeds at home. This is a whole science with strict requirements for conditions, temperatures and the period of stratification. You are tormented to wait and dance around with a tambourine. Although, if you are a biologist, botanist or just an experimenter by nature, then try it. Suddenly it works.

How to grow crocuses at home? It turns out it's quite simple. Following the recommendations, you can enjoy flowering on the windowsill yourself. Or adjust the process to the birthday. Agree, an original gift.

Video: how to plant crocuses in a pot

Crocuses: cultivation and care. This flower plant belongs to corms and belongs to the Iris family. WITH Greek translates as "thread". Perhaps because of the thin thread-like leaves of the plant. Perhaps because of the stigmas of the flowers of certain varieties, from which the world-famous spice saffron is obtained. If you decide to breed crocuses, growing and caring for them does not take much time and effort. But already in early spring the garden will be filled with colorful islands of delicate, amazing, beautiful flowers.

This plant is found wild in European forests, Mediterranean meadows, steppes of the Middle East and Asia. There are eighty types of crocuses, which are classified into fifteen groups. Among them there are both spring-blooming and autumn-blooming. As for varieties, more than three hundred of them have been bred today.

The plant is stunted and does not grow more than twenty centimeters. The bulbs that propagate crocus have a rounded classic or slightly flattened shape and never reach more than three centimeters in diameter. The upper covering of the bulb is scaly. On the bottom - a bunch of fibrous roots.

By the way. Crocus does not form shoots. During the flowering period or immediately after it ends, it releases narrow ruled leaf plates connected in a bundle. The bases of the plates are shrouded in membranous scales.

Crocus flowers look like small bells or goblets. They are solitary, up to five centimeters in diameter when open. They open on a tubular peduncle without leaves.

Coloring can be as diverse as possible, with the inclusion of all tones of yellow, purple, purple, blue, orange, cream and white. There is a solid color, and there is a two-color, dashed, spotted.

Planting crocuses: step by step instructions

This unpretentious flower plant is grown by planting bulbs immediately in open ground.

By the way. There is another option for winter potted distillation at home, which will be discussed later.

When to plant? This question is the most important. The answer to it depends on the type of crocus grown. Species that bloom in spring are planted in autumn. Those that bloom in autumn are planted in summer.

Step one - site selection

Usually the sunniest site is selected for this plant. Why is this happening, despite the fact that crocuses may well grow in partial shade (in wild nature do they grow in the forest like snowdrops)? It's just that these flowers, not on the spring soil that has barely thawed from the snow, bloom first in the garden. They appear even before grass, and fully perform the decorative function of primroses.

If you plant them in a place warmed by the sun, they will bloom even earlier. And since crocuses tolerate the sun normally, and direct rays do not shorten the flowering period, the most illuminated area is selected, which will get the lion's share of the spring sun.

By the way. This applies not only to spring-flowering varieties. Autumn flowers also need warmth and light. When the sun heats already weaker and does not shine as brightly as in summer, it is better to choose an area for flowers with a maximum solar period.

Step two - soil structure

It is very important that the soil for crocuses is not heavy. Looseness, lightness, but at the same time, saturation with nutrients - these are the parameters of the soil that suits these flowers best.

Advice. Crocuses need drainage. In order not to build drainage system v open ground under a flower bed with crocuses, it is enough to add fine gravel or coarse sand to this area of ​​\u200b\u200bsoil when digging.

It is best to saturate the soil with organic matter:

1. Manure or compost that has rotted since autumn will feed the early flowers.
2. Peat will bring to the ideal structure.
3. Wood ash will fix clay soil.
4. Lime will make the soil less acidic, because crocus bulbs do not develop well in the soil of excess acidity.

Step three - preparatory work with bulbs

Before planting, the bulbs are removed from storage and carefully inspected. During the inspection, injured specimens are removed, shrunken or, on the contrary, rotten, with flaws, spoiled by insects or rodents.

Next, the seed must go through two treatments. Disinfection - for this it is enough to soak them for an hour and a half in a medium-intensity potassium permanganate solution or a fungicide solution. Awakening the growth point - for this, the bulbs, after disinfection, are immersed in a biostimulant solution for an hour.

Then they must be dried, and can be planted in prepared soil in a permanent place.

Step four - landing

The most crucial period - landing seed. If planted during September, flowering will occur in early spring (spring species). If you plant in June, the plants will bloom "at the end" of the season - in September (autumn species).

Prepared bulbs are planted in loose soil at two depths. In the middle in terms of lightness and friability - one and a half depths. In heavy downed soil - to one depth equal to the vertical height of the bulb.

Advice. The distance between plants should be kept at least ten centimeters. Crocuses reproduce by self-sowing. Each bulb gives from seven to ten children. If you plant them densely, in a few years the crocuses will be too crowded in the flower bed.

After planting, abundant watering is immediately carried out. This is especially true in autumn time after a dry summer.

Home growing crocuses

This method is popular among flower growers, because it is unusual and gives an original result. It is called distillation, and is carried out only with the use of bulbous plants.

Crocuses are most suitable for forcing. With its help, they can be made to bloom at almost any time. right time. But it is more interesting to achieve flowering in winter.

By the way. If you start the forcing procedure in September, it will turn out to coincide with flowering by the New Year. If forcing is done towards the end of autumn, the flowers will bloom by March 8th.

This process is exciting and like a miracle. Like snowdrops from a fairy tale that, contrary to the laws of nature, bloomed in December, crocuses bloom on the windowsill of a snow-swept window.

For distillation, adult ripened bulbs are selected, healthy and without visible damage. The process is divided into several stages.

Stage one - stratification

Cold stratification is the first condition for the successful forcing of cold-resistant flowers - spring crocuses. Bulbs before forcing are sent to the lower shelf of the refrigerator, with a temperature in storage not higher than + 5 ° C, twilight is desirable. There, the bulbs are stratified for at least two months (you can extend the stratification up to four months if you need to postpone flowering).

By the way. Some flower growers plant bulbs immediately in a pot and then, together with a container, are sent for stratification. This method is bad only because there is not always so much space in the refrigerator. And to take them out on an open balcony in winter means to endanger freezing.

Video - home care crocuses

Stage two - landing

After stratification, the bulbs are planted in pots (if the process was already in pots, they are simply taken out of the refrigerator, and the conditions for their maintenance change). Potted soil should contain leaf humus and river sand in large quantities. Long-acting fertilizer granules are added to the soil in advance, or fertilizer in sticks is placed on the bottom of the container.

Important! Bulbs of crocuses tightly "sit down" in a pot of several pieces. An indispensable condition is that they should “sit” quite closely, but they should not come into contact with each other and with the walls of the pot.

Landings are covered with a layer fertile soil so that their "heads" do not peek out of the ground. From above, the soil in the pot is mulched with moss or fine gravel, two centimeters short of the edge of the pot. Then the plantings are watered.

Video - planting crocuses

Stage three - growth

Landings are transferred to a place with a coolness of + 10 ... 12 ° C and twilight. There they stay until the roots come out of the bottom of the pot, and sprouts appear in the soil. This means that the bulbs have taken root and started growing. You can take them to a sunny place and raise the temperature to + 20 ° C (gradually). In the future, they are watered and waiting for flowering.

By the way. If it is necessary to adjust the timing of flowering, this can be done by moving the containers with the bulbs. Coolness and lack of light slow down the forcing process, and sunlight and heat - speed up.

Stage four - completion of the cycle

After flowering or cutting flowers, crocuses should be allowed to complete their growing cycle on their own. When the leaves turn completely yellow and wither, you can plant the plants in the open soil of the garden (in the spring). There, those on which flowers were left will “rest” for two years before blooming again. Those from which the flowers were cut will bloom the next year.

Care of crocuses in the open field

Growing crocuses in the garden is very easy. They require minimal maintenance. The most laborious, perhaps, is digging and new landing bulbs. But you don't have to do it every year.

Irrigation

Important! Although the height of flower stalks directly depends on the amount of moisture received by the bulbs, crocus is a drought-resistant plant and does not tolerate soil soaking.

loosening

Starting from the period of germination of the bulbs and until the end of flowering, the soil under the flowers must be periodically loosened. The bulbs need an influx of air, which, in the absence of loosening, will be blocked by the soil crust formed on the surface.

Careful removal of weeds is also necessary. They take food from the bulbs. And, in the absence of leaves, which in many varieties appear only after the flowers, they will significantly reduce the decorativeness of plantings.

Feeding

Growing crocuses need to be fed well and a lot. They love organic matter, which must be applied twice during the growing season. It can only be rotted material, not fresh manure.

Not less flowers also need minerals. They especially need a phosphorus and potassium component. Therefore, the combined mineral complex can also be applied at least twice per season.

Advice. It is worth using nitrogen fertilizers with caution. If the humidity is high (rainy season), excess nitrogen will cause fungal diseases.

The first dressing of spring flowers is carried out "in the snow" with a complex of minerals. Autumn begin to fertilize first with organic matter two weeks after planting.

When the plants fade, the leaves turn yellow, care for them stops until the moment of digging, if it is time to transplant them

Digging and storage rules

Crocus bulbs do not need to be replanted every year. This is done a maximum of once every 4-5 years. Spring flowers are dug up at the end of summer - during the dormant period, which occurs in August. Autumn - four weeks earlier.

Copies of the spring species are dug up when flowering is over, the leaves begin to wither and turn yellow.

Advice. During flowering, even if you do not cut flowers to put in a vase, it is advisable to remove the flower head from crocuses 3-4 days after the flower opens. Only the seed pod is cut off, the stem and leaves remain on the plant. When cutting a bouquet, part of the stem must also be left.

Bulbs do not need to be watered for several days before digging up, as well as digging up crocuses after rain. The procedure is carried out in dry weather.

Immediately after digging, it is enough to sort them into varieties (if necessary), put them in boxes and send them to a ventilated place without direct sunlight.

After a few days, when the planting material dries out, you can clean and parse. The bulbs are cleaned of roots, soil, dried lagging scales, stacked in a box in one layer.

They are stored at a temperature of +23°C and a humidity of 70-80%. The first three weeks of storage, it is important to maintain the temperature and humidity at the specified level. At this time, the rudiments of roots, leaves and flower shoots are formed. Further, until the landing itself, storage takes place at a temperature of + 15 ° and a humidity of 60-70%.

Getting rid of pests and diseases

An important part of care is measures that rid flowers of diseases and pests. In crocuses, pests can spoil not only the aerial part, but also the bulbs. Vole mice, slugs and wireworms are especially fond of them.

To prevent pests from starting on the site, it is necessary to observe sanitation and the rules of agricultural technology for plants. For rodents put poison. Slugs are collected and destroyed. The wireworm is set up traps under heaps of rotten grass, where they gather.

Of the diseases, the bulbs can be affected by Fusarium. In this case, it is necessary to remove infected specimens and treat the site, and transplant the flowers to another place.

Popular varieties of crocuses

From more than three hundred varieties, it is not easy to choose a favorite. But there are several dozen of the most popular, which are grown most often.

Table 1. Spring varieties of crocuses and their description.

Variety name	Description
	The height of the leaves is up to 17 cm. The leaf is green with a vertical white stripe in the center. flowers are large, different shades purple or white.
	In length, a narrow monochromatic green leaf grows by 20 centimeters. The flowers are elongated, intense yellow. From the back they are covered with brownish strokes or longitudinal veins.
	The height of the bush is 15 cm. The flowers are star-shaped when open. The inside is white, the border and petals on the outside are lilac-lilac pale. Most early variety, blooms first.
	The elongated petals of an elegant shape are placed on peduncles protruding above the leaves. The leaves are short - longer than 12 cm. The color is lilac-blue. Outside, some petals have dark purple longitudinal stripes.

Crocuses are very beautiful spring flowers. They bloom in early spring and bloom from 7 to 10 days. After the flowers wither, the leaves are still fresh, but in the middle of the first summer month they also fade - these plants have a dormant period.

With the onset of dormancy, corms can be dug up, but this is not necessary, as crocuses can grow in one place for up to five years. But many flower growers still prefer to dig up corms to sort them out and discard diseased and damaged ones. Sorted corms can later be planted in a new location.

The soil in which it is planned to plant the plants should be fertile and light enough. It should be remembered that crocuses do not tolerate waterlogging. Therefore, if the soil in the flower bed is clay, you need to add sand and fertilizers to it - compost and manure.

Crocuses are photophilous plants, so they need to be planted in open, well-lit areas. Subject to this condition, the flowers will be large and beautiful. Plants can develop normally even with a little shading, but in this case the flowers will be smaller.

If you want the flower bed to be decorated flowering plants as long as possible, plant other spring flowers next to crocuses -,. Plants will bloom in turn, allowing you to admire the bright colors all spring.

It is necessary to ensure that the soil in which crocuses grow is normally moistened. Sprouts emerging from corms need to be watered. And then water as needed. The soil between waterings should dry out a little.

The soil on which crocuses grow must be fertile enough. If you have planted corms in well-prepared soil, then during flowering they can not be fed with fertilizers. If the plants have been growing in the same flower bed for more than a year, it is necessary to fertilize the soil.

Choose fertilizers that are high in potassium and phosphorus. Phosphorus is needed for bud formation and flowering to last longer, while potassium helps keep corms large and healthy. Fertilizers need to be applied three times.

The first time, when sprouts appear, the second - when the buds begin to tie, and the third - after the end of flowering and the complete wilting of the flowers. During the first feeding of potassium, twice as much as phosphorus should be applied, and during the second and third, potassium and phosphorus should be taken in equal amounts.

Rules for planting crocuses

Now there are many varieties of crocuses, and some bloom not in spring, but in autumn. Corms of crocuses that bloom in autumn are planted starting in mid-July. Crocuses that bloom in spring are planted in autumn - from September to October.

Large corms are planted at a depth of 10 to 12 cm, and small ones - from 4 to 5 cm. It is also important to ensure that the distance between the corms is at least 5 cm, but if you do not plan to transplant crocuses in the next few years, then you can planted at a distance of 3 cm.

Rules for the care of corms

In the middle of summer, when the crocuses have already completely faded and the leaves wither, it's time to take care of the corms. If you do not want to transplant crocuses to another place, then you can not dig them up. It is enough to carefully remove wilted flowers and leaves. Usually crocus corms tolerate winter frosts normally, but in those regions where winter months quite severe, the flower beds are covered with branches or leaves.

If you would like to next year crocuses grew in some other place, then in July they need to be dug up and sorted out - leave the large and healthy ones, and discard the sick and damaged ones. Store corms at a temperature of 18 to 22 ˚С in rooms that are well ventilated. Crocuses can also be grown in apartments on windowsills. But in such conditions, the rules for caring for these plants are completely different.

It is interesting

Crocuses are appreciated not only by flower growers. For hundreds of years, chefs from all over the world have used these plants in their recipes. After all, saffron - a valuable spice of bright orange color - is nothing more than stigmas from crocus flowers.

There is something mysterious and touching in the picture, which can be observed with the arrival of spring, when primroses stretch their fragile stems with delicate buds straight from under the snow towards the sun. She causes delight, wonder and storm positive emotions, which is why crocuses are so loved by gardeners: planting and caring for them do not take much effort and do not require special costs and the results are inspiring. Popular and cultivation of these bulbous flowers at home.

Soil and site requirements

For planting crocuses in the garden, it is advisable to choose open area, which warms up well and is illuminated by the sun. But their cultivation in open ground will be successful in the shade of deciduous trees. In early spring, when the time comes for crocuses to bloom, their branches are not yet covered with dense foliage and do not obscure the light they need from the plants. In heavily shaded areas: under coniferous trees, near the walls of different buildings - the development of perennials slows down. They form fewer buds, which also do not fully bloom. The natural environment for crocuses are meadows, where perennial grasses are found in abundance in their neighborhood. This makes it possible to plant them in the area next to ornamental plants medium height: peonies, ivy.

Primrose bulbs are demanding on the level of soil moisture. So that growing crocuses does not end with their rapid decay and death, it is important to choose a dry, well-drained site for them. You can determine a suitable place for flowers by meeting 2 requirements:

• moisture does not stagnate on it after melting snow or rain;
• groundwater is located far from the surface of the earth.

Loose soils are ideal for crocuses, providing their bulbs with free access to air and moisture and rich nutrients. Light loams are well suited for them. It is impossible to call a culture demanding in terms of soil quality. Its cultivation is also possible on depleted soil. Some hybrid varieties of crocuses are successfully bred in areas with dense clay soil.

Mandatory conditions for the full development of flowers are a neutral soil reaction and good drainage. If you have to plant plants in acidic soil, lime is first added to it, dolomite flour, ash, chalk. They will help optimize the content of hydrogen ions in the earth and create favorable conditions for the development of crocuses.

Dense clay soil before placing the bulbs in it must be made more porous by adding coarse-grained river sand, well-rotted compost or fine gravel.

You can enrich the soil for flowers by digging it with organic fertilizers. Suitable for this compost, rotted manure, peat.

Landing features

Planting crocuses in open ground, depending on their variety, can be carried out in summer or autumn. If the flowering period of a plant falls in the spring, its corms are placed in the soil in September. The depth of the hole depends on the structure of the earth on the site. When planting in loose soil, it is equal to 2 bulb diameters. In a situation where the soil in the garden is dense and heavy, the depth of the hole is made equal to 1 diameter. A drainage layer of gravel, coarse river sand, broken brick, crushed stone or pebbles is laid on its bottom. If the selected crocus variety is afraid of moisture, the beds for it should be made high.

Bulbs should be planted at a distance of at least 7-10 cm from each other. They are carefully inspected beforehand, rejecting damaged and diseased ones. Growing crocuses will require regular transplants, which are carried out every 3-5 years. During this time, many children appear on the bulbs, and the flower bed begins to resemble a lawn completely covered with flowers. Therefore, initially it is better to plant plants at a significant interval. After placing the bulbs in the ground, the beds are watered abundantly.

If a variety of crocuses is chosen for breeding, the flowering period of which falls in autumn, they are planted until mid-summer. Then their tender buds will bloom in September or October. The cultivation of such varieties has its own specifics. It is not recommended to plant them in open ground with collected or already opened buds. Otherwise, the chances of successful survival of the plant are negligible.

If the crocus with buds wilted after being placed in the ground, it is necessary to cut off the withered foliage and flowering stem from it. He will release new ones next year. However, the plant will fully bloom only after 2 years, when its bulb has accumulated enough strength.

Crocus Forcing Secrets

You can also admire the graceful buds of crocuses in winter. They feel comfortable at home, while taking care of them in a pot is not at all difficult. Ideal for forcing Dutch plant varieties with large flowers. Their bulbs are subjected to a thorough inspection, selecting approximately the same size.

For breeding crocuses at home, it is better to use shallow, but wide containers. 5-10 bulbs are planted in them, depending on the size of the pot. The soil is poured into it neutral, light, porous, well-permeable to air and water. Drainage is laid at the bottom of the pot. This element when planting crocuses is required both in the garden and at home.

When the bulbs fade, they do not stop caring for them. They need to be watered and fertilized. For top dressing, complex mineral compositions are usually used, intended for indoor plants, dissolving them in water in a smaller proportion than indicated by the manufacturer. They begin to gradually reduce watering at home when yellowness begins to appear on the leaves of the crocus. After they have completely dried out, the bulbs are removed from the pot and the remains of the soil are carefully removed from them. Then, wrapping them in a clean napkin, place them in cardboard box, which is placed in a dark and dry place. Bulbs are stored there until the beginning of autumn, and with its arrival, the time comes for their planting in the garden.

Agricultural rules

Caring for crocuses in the open field will not take much time. They practically do not need watering. It will be necessary to moisten the soil in the beds only if there was no snow in winter, and rain in spring. The amount of water received by the bulb only affects the height of the plants; in general, they tolerate drought well. V summer period watering crocuses is even harmful; in the dormant phase, dry soil is preferable for them.

The essential elements of flower care include:

• top dressing;
• regular loosening of the soil;
• weed removal.

During the period of active growth, plants need to be fed. Fresh organic fertilizers they are contraindicated, their introduction can provoke various diseases. Feed them only with mineral compounds. Of these, it is better to choose those that contain a lot of phosphorus and potassium and little nitrogen. Its excess in the soil stimulates the active growth of extra leaves on flowers, which can cause them to be affected by fungal diseases. It is especially dangerous in wet weather. It is permissible to use peat or manure to enrich the soil, but only completely rotted.

Two feedings are recommended. The first is carried out in early spring, while the snow has not yet melted, scattering over it complex fertilizer. The second time crocuses are fed when 14-21 days have passed since the beginning of their flowering, using preparations with a minimum nitrogen content. During this period, plants especially need potassium. It helps their bulbs turn into high-quality and healthy planting material. After the foliage on crocuses turns yellow, they are left alone until the end of the season.


Crocuses are wonderful plants that are one of the first, after long dull months filled with snow and cold, to fill the garden with bright colors and give a charge of positive emotions. The very personification of spring, they look spectacular on Alpine rollercoaster giving them a unique charm. It will be impossible to take your eyes off the magnificent living carpet if you plant them in a dense canvas on a flower bed or lawn. And their cultivation in pots at home will allow you to admire the magnificent flowering in winter.

In addition to their high decorative qualities, crocuses are surprisingly unpretentious; even an amateur with no experience in gardening can handle their planting and reproduction. They need minimal care in the form of fertilizing, loosening the soil and weeding. Plant crocuses in your garden and you won't regret your decision for a minute!

In winter, even more than at any other time of the year, many people want to get positive emotions. This can be achieved different ways- for example, grow crocuses. If you are already familiar with this plant and have been dreaming about it for a long time, then you first need to learn about the features of their planting and care in the open field. You can grow flowers quite successfully both in the open field and on the windowsill. If you follow the recommendations, then this plant will be able to please you with its flowers by the New Year.

About the plant

Crocus is one of the brightest representatives of the Iris family, today it can be found in various places on our planet. This can be explained by the fact that the bulb easily tolerates winter in the open field, and in the spring one of the first gives life beautiful flowers. Unfortunately, flowering does not last long. After the plant has faded, it begins to wither, although the leaves can hold out on it until mid-June. From this moment, crocuses begin a dormant period. It is this time that gardeners should use for planting new bulbs, as well as culling existing ones.

Crocuses are valued not only because of their attractive appearance, they actively used in cooking. Not everyone knows that the stigmas of this plant can be used as a spice. Many people know it as saffron.

Crocuses: cultivation and care

If you want crocuses to delight you every season with lush and beautiful flowers, you need to thoroughly prepare and learn about the features of care, reproduction and planting of these flowers. In order to have fewer problems during outdoor cultivation, you need to remember the following rules:

Caring for crocuses after flowering is not difficult. If you are not going to transplant them to a new place this year, then all you need to do is remove the dead ground part after flowering. If your site is in harsh climatic conditions, then you will need to protect the crocuses from the winter cold. To do this, they can be covered with a pillow of leaves or dry grass.

When to dig up crocuses after flowering?

Crocuses are best dug up for transplanting in the middle of summer. Further, the most healthy specimens are selected from them and transferred to storage in a well-ventilated place, where the temperature should be maintained at least 18-20 degrees. Here they are left until the moment of disembarkation to a new place.

Crocus is a fairly unpretentious crop and is able to grow with other bulbs. They are often dug up and planted in the same flower bed with tulips, daffodils and other bulbs.. This approach to growing them will allow your front garden to remain in bloom throughout the season, because these plants bloom in different time. All you need to do for this is to plan a place for crocuses on the site and transplant them in the fall.

bulb selection

The decorative properties of flowers largely depend on the quality of the bulbs chosen for planting. It is advisable to take specially bred varieties for these purposes, which can be found in flower shops. Most good option among the varieties of crocuses on the market today are dutch hybrids which better than others withstand the harsh climatic conditions of our country. These plants are less susceptible to sharp temperature fluctuations and even in unfavorable years they can please with excellent flowering.

To select the most quality material for landing, observe next rule: if you take large bulbs for planting, then, most likely, large flowers will grow from them, and there will be quite a lot of them. If you look at bags of Dutch hybrids, you can see the marking 10 + on them, which means that these bulbs have a circumference of more than 10 cm.

After planting in summer or autumn, you will grow a powerful bush, on which 5-6 large buds will tie. If you choose bulbs with an indicator of 8-9 cm, then you can only count on two or three flowers. From this select planting material you will grow flowers up to 7 cm in diameter and a stem up to 20 cm long.

How to care for potted crocuses?

Many flower growers are engaged in growing crocuses at home, because with proper care, these plants can bloom for a certain holiday. For example, crocuses can please you with bright and juicy flowers under New Year, for Valentine's Day or March 8th. In order for the plants to live up to expectations, flower growers resort to special way distillation of plants.

First of all, you need to find wide and not very deep capacity for crocuses. At the bottom you need to make small drainage holes. through which excess moisture will be removed from the pot. Drainage can be a broken brick or the remains of a tile, which must be filled in the bottom of the pot. Be sure to put a tray under the pot, in which excess moisture will collect. In order for the crocus to grow well at home, it needs sandy substrate. It is not necessary to fertilize immediately. If you want to get a thick bouquet, then you need to plant the bulbs as closely as possible.

The main secret that is successfully used experienced growers when they need to get blooming crocuses by a certain date - right choice the moment when landing is to be carried out. This must be done no later than 16 weeks before the holiday.

The bulb planted in a pot must be transferred to a cool dark place and left there for 3-5 days. When growing indoors, keep the temperature within 5-9 degrees. The cellar is best suited for this, where there is always a constant temperature and humidity. Constantly monitor the sprouts - they usually appear 9 weeks after planting. If they got out before this period, then flowering will begin earlier than the appointed date. To prevent this from happening, you will have to lower the temperature in the room.

When 2 weeks have passed since planting, the container with the flower must be transferred to the house. However, in no case do not immediately put it in warm place. The plant must first get used to high temperature. To do this, you need to hold it for some time in a cold room, then transfer it to a more warm room, and already at the very end you can put the pot on the windowsill itself warm room. If everything is done correctly, then pretty soon you will see flowers, but after ten days they will wither.

Types of crocuses

As mentioned above, these flowers have many varieties. All their diversity can be represented in the form of the following groups:

• Botanical or flowering in early spring;
• Large-flowered or blooming in spring;
• Blooming in autumn.

botanical

The first group should include plants in which flowering occurs immediately after the last snow melts. This usually happens between February and April.

The most striking varieties representing this group include the following:

large-flowered

In these plants, flowering occurs 10 days after the first group. The main distinguishing feature of large-flowered crocuses are big buds. Among the varieties belonging to this group, the following should be noted:

blooming in autumn

These crocuses bloom in late September or early October. Old specimens shed their leaves in the summer, but in the fall they appear buds.

The most famous among the crocuses of this group are the following:

• Long-flowered. Variety that begins to bloom in early November.
• Holoflowered. Plant with beautiful purple inflorescences.
• Pale buff. During the flowering period, cream-colored flowers grow on the stem.

Conclusion

Crocuses are plants whose beauty can be enjoyed even in the harsh conditions of our country. This is possible due to the fact that their bulb perfectly adapts to various conditions. However, even despite this, you still need to know in advance about the secrets of growing crocuses. Care for crocuses in the same way as for all other plants. The main requirement, without which it is impossible to achieve magnificent and abundant flowering crocuses - availability good lighting. In addition, plants need regular top dressing, which must be carried out at least 3 times per season. They also need watering, which should be carried out only with signs of drying out of the earthy coma.