Crocuses in the open field. The most famous varieties

Crocus, or saffron - perennial elegant flower plant. Depending on the variety, it blooms in spring and summer. Crocus different magnificent flowers predominantly yellow, white, light purple and lilac, which makes it very attractive for growing in pots on the windowsill, in flower beds, mixborders, flower beds, and even on the edge. In the article we will tell you how to grow crocuses in the garden or in pots, we will give recommendations for care.

Crocuses are combined with all early-flowering miniature plants. Flowers bloom only when available. sunlight, in cloudy weather close in buds.

Crocus - tuberous undersized plant, reaches a height of 10 to 20 cm. Spring varieties of crocus are grown in mid-September, autumn varieties- in April. Propagate crocuses vegetatively(tubers) and seeds.

In what cases and how are crocuses grown with seeds

Crocuses are propagated by seeds in autumn and in early spring. Despite the fact that crocus seedlings bloom for 4-5 years, this way landings are widely used:

for growing rare varieties;
for breeding botanical varieties, which reproduce poorly vegetatively;
for getting a large number tubers;

In early spring, seeds are sown in mid-March or early April. Seeds for sowing are used freshly harvested, such planting material has a high percentage of germination, and form stronger and healthier seedlings. Before sowing, the following procedures are carried out:

Seeds are soaked in a growth stimulant solution for 30-40 minutes.
Seeds are disinfected by immersing in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Seeds are stratified - placed in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.

Flower growers note that the bubbling procedure can be skipped if the shelf life of the seeds is not more than a year. It is not recommended to disinfect the seeds without a preliminary seed soaking procedure; dry crocus seeds are burned even in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Consider the stratification procedure:

Seeds are sown in a bowl in which there is wet sand.
Seeds are evenly distributed over the surface of the soil, without deepening.
The bowl is covered with a film and put in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.
After 2-3 weeks, the seedlings are dug in the garden along with a bowl, which will serve as protection against weeds.
Before the appearance of seedlings, the bowl is covered with spunbond. The first watering is carried out as soon as seedlings appear. Watered with a spray bottle.

Propagation of crocuses from seeds open field:

Seeds of spring-flowering varieties of crocus are sown in open ground. Sowing is done in mid-September. These seeds do not require stratification.
Before sowing, the seeds are soaked in a growth stimulant solution and disinfected in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Sow seeds in light and loose soil. To make the soil porous and not form into lumps, sand is added. Peat is added as a loosening component of the soil, which will make the soil porous, breathable and moisture-intensive - what is needed for easy seed germination. ".

Growing spring flowering crocuses from tubers

Spring-flowering crocuses are planted in open ground in the second half of September. Such crocuses will bloom in early April or mid-May. Before planting, it is required to select the highest quality bulbs. Corms suitable for planting:

whole tubers, dense, without damage;
with dry scales;
without roots and stems;
size not less than 5 cm.

Bulbs broken, soft, with spots and other inclusions are not suitable for planting. Such planting material begins to rot in the ground after 5-6 days. Corms before planting should be disinfected in a weak solution of fungicides, formalin or potassium permanganate. For disinfection, fungicides Fundazol and Skor are used.

Etching the bulbs in a solution of fungicidal preparations will prevent the development of the disease. Planting material is soaked for 30 minutes.

Soil preparation: disinfected crocus tubers are planted in loamy fertile soil, or in sandy loamy drained soil. If the soil differs in mechanical composition from the above, then such soil should be fertilized. What to fertilize and in what quantity we will consider in the table:

Place of planting and tillage: corms should be planted on the sunniest side of the site. In partial shade, crocus tubers do not develop, and the flowers will be small in the future. Moreover, crocus flowers do not open in partial shade. Loamy and sandy soils do not require fertilization, it is enough to dig the soil to a depth of at least 25 cm.

Tip #1 Manure, high-moor peat, lime are added to clay soil in equal amounts and dug to a depth of 25-30 cm.

The procedure for planting corms: flower growers recommend planting bulbs in special containers, lattice or mesh. Such containers will not allow the bulbs to "spread" in the open field.

The optimal distance between the bulbs is 3-5 cm, the depth of planting tubers should correspond to the height of 3 bulbs located one above the other. Small bulbs are planted at a depth of 6-7 cm, large ones - at 9-10 cm. The selected tubers should be the same in size as much as possible.

Tip #2 In winter, with the onset of stable negative temperatures, landing should be covered with fallen leaves. Bulbs are able to endure long severe frosts.

In the spring, when young sprouts of crocus appear, it is necessary to carry out the first top dressing. Top dressing should include phosphorus and potash fertilizers. Such fertilizers are necessary for the formation of large corms. After feeding, the sprouts are watered warm water spray gun. Subsequent waterings are carried out as the soil dries.

The second top dressing is the budding period, only phosphate fertilizers are applied. Potash and nitrogen fertilizers are not applied. The third top dressing is carried out after flowering ends. The composition of the fertilizer includes potassium and nitrogen impurities in equal amounts. Such fertilizers will contribute to the laying of future flowers during the summer dormancy.

For planting crocuses in open ground, you should choose varieties with large flowers. Should not be planted in one place different varieties crocuses, since the development of each variety is different, as a result, the flowers of low crocuses can be lost in the leaves high grades plants. ".

Mineral fertilizers for growing crocuses

Mineral fertilizers for crocuses, the same as for most garden flowers. Crocuses are fed three times a year - in early spring, during the budding period and after the crocuses have faded. Consider the most suitable fertilizers with phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen content:

"Nitroammophoska" - universal fertilizer, improves plant development, increases the number of buds and their flowering period. It is recommended to apply in early spring and during the budding period.
"Kaliyfos-N" is a mixed type of fertilizer, the optimal application period is the growing season. Improves plant development and increases resistance to fungal diseases.
"Azofoska" - a complex nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer for all types flower crops. Used on any soil. Increases stability flowering plants to diseases, improves decorative features plants.
"Superphosphate" is a highly concentrated phosphorus fertilizer. Used for all types of soils and crops. Improves plant development and increases resistance to fungal diseases. It is recommended to apply in early spring and during the budding period.
"Kemira" - a mixed type of fertilizer, stimulates plant growth, increases resistance to diseases.

Diseases affecting crocus corms

The main diseases of crocuses are associated with a viral and fungal infection. The source of viral infection are nematodes and rodents. Fungal diseases are observed more often than viral ones. The causative agents of fungal diseases include:

rot;
chlorosis,
rust;
mosaic.

Fungal diseases affect corms, leaves and flowers. Affected plants develop poorly, premature flowering and wilting are observed. What kind of damage fungal diseases Who and what is the source of infection, as well as what drugs can destroy the disease, we will consider in the table:

Diseases	Causes	It strikes	Carriers and pathogens	Fungicides
Chlorosis	Lack of phosphate fertilizers, iron and boron.	Leaves, buds. The leaves are curled, the color is light yellow. The shape of the buds is deformed, the petals fall off prematurely.	Weed plants.	Fitosporin, Gamair.
Rust	Improper watering, damp and wet soil. Excessive content of nitrogen fertilizers in the soil.	Corms and leaves. There are orange spots on the scales of the bulbs. The leaves have orange pads. The spores of the fungus can also infect the flesh of the tubers.	Spores are spread by aphids, wind, rain.	Bordeaux liquid, blue vitriol.
root rot	Heavy and dense soil, violation of soil aeration, excess water, dampness.	tubers. Brown ulcers form on the tubers.	The spores of the fungus enter the soil with infected corms.
Mosaic	Mechanical damage to tubers. Violation of soil aeration.	Flowers and leaves. A gray coating appears on the flowers, spots of a light yellow color appear on the leaves, the leaves and flowers are deformed.	Aphids, wind, rain.

To prevent the development of the above diseases, it is necessary to properly and timely cultivate the soil and apply fertilizers. To carry out weeding and loosening of the soil, to destroy weeds, and also avoid abundant watering.

Large-flowered varieties of spring crocus

Crocus spring (Crocus vernus) - perennial species, differs in large-flowered varieties of crocuses. Grow on light, neutral or slightly acidic soils. All varieties of this species are characterized as winter-hardy. Large corms form 4-5 flowers. Corms begin to bloom for 3-4 years. Seedlings bloom for 5 years.

There are several varieties:

"Joan of Arc";
"Grand Mater";
"Pickwick";
"Beauty Stripe".

Crocus sowing (Crocus Sativus) - a perennial species, prefers loamy and sandy soils. This type of crocus reproduces only by corms. Blooms in autumn, winter-hardy. Propagated to obtain seasonings and medicinal raw materials. Crocus sowing flowers are medium - 3-4 cm.

Crocus golden-flowered (Crocus Chrysantus) - a perennial species, grown on light, neutral or slightly acidic soils. Winter hardy. The flowers of the golden-flowered crocus are large, 4-5 cm in diameter. There are several varieties:

"Blue Pearl";
"Saturnus";
"Prince Claus"

Crocus Zibera (Crocus Sieberi) - cultivated as annual plant, loves light and neutral soils. Winter hardy. There are several varieties:

"Albus";
"Fire Fly";
"Purple Queen".

The table shows the flowering time and disadvantages of the above types of crocus:

Kind of crocus	Flowering time	disadvantages
Crocus spring	Mid April - early May. Blooms 25-30 days.
Crocus sativa	Late August - mid September. Blooms 15-20 days.	Does not form seeds, short flowering period.
Crocus aureus	In the beginning of April. Blooms 15-20 days.	Low resistance to fungal diseases. In the shade, the flowers open partially.
Crocus Zibera	In April, as soon as the snow melts. Blooms 12-15 days.	Short flowering period.

Forcing crocuses in pots during the cold season

Crocuses, due to early flowering and a variety of color palettes, are a favorite forcing. houseplant. For distillation, large-flowered varieties of crocus are used. Crocuses are grown in pots from August to December. At proper fit, crocuses can bloom all winter. To distill the plant, crocus tubers are planted in light and loose soil. landing capacity- bowl. The container is disinfected and filled ready ground. Tubers are planted in moist soil at a distance of 3-5 cm and at a depth of 8-10 cm.

After planting, they are watered with warm water, and cleaned in a cool place for rooting for 3-3.5 months. As soon as the sprouts stretch 4-5 cm, the bowl is moved to a more warm place. The temperature should be raised gradually. To begin with, the plant should be kept in a cool place, then transferred to a room with a temperature in the range of + 14 ° C - + 15 ° C. Buds appear after 2-3 weeks. Blooms begin in 2-3 days. ".

Tip #3 You can extend the flowering period of forcing crocus by 5-6 days if it is transferred to a cool room with a temperature below + 10° Cduring bud formation.

Growing crocuses in landscape design

Crocuses are successfully used to decorate mass compositions on garden plots, for this, crocuses are grown in flower beds, discounts or mixborders. Florists recommend planting crocuses in groups with daffodils and tulips. This combination looks impressive at the foot of stone compositions, and also fits perfectly into the composition with coniferous plants.

Common mistakes when growing crocuses

Experienced gardeners identify several common mistakes that are often made when growing crocuses:

Abundant watering leads to rotting of corms and the development of diseases.
Before planting, tubers and seeds are not disinfected, which leads to fungal diseases.
Vygonochnye crocuses contain at room temperature above + 16C, such crocuses fade within a day.

Crocuses perfectly set off rocky compositions and look even more expressive against the beige background of stones.

FAQ

Question number 1. Do I need drainage in the soil when planting crocuses in open ground?

Needed, for drainage it is best to use large expanded clay and sand.

Question number 2. How many days does the forcing crocus bloom?

Blooms from 8 to 10 days at temperatures below +14 C

Question number 3. Which varieties lend themselves well to forcing?

For distillation, spring-blooming crocuses are used - Blue Pearl, Prince Claus, Saturnus.

Question number 4. What temperature should be when stratifying seeds?

Crocuses are very ancient history, in which seasonings, dyes and countries from East to West intertwined with a wonderful pattern. You can delve into it when you complete the planting of these spring flowers in your area. Let's talk about this process! By the way, there are both spring-flowering and autumn varieties, respectively, and the time of their planting may be different.

Planting crocuses in the spring is actually not very possible, because spring varieties they manage to bloom long before the start of any work on the site, and autumn species are best planted in the summer. But it is not necessary to dig up the bulbs of these plants annually, it is enough to do this once every five years. Most varieties belong to, which also needs to be considered when planting.

love crocuses light earth, so if you have heavy clay soils in your area, you should add a fair amount of compost with ash. The choice of landing site is very milestone, because you need to take into account the peculiarity of crocuses to wake up with the first rays of the sun. Them bright flowers appear on thawed patches, which means that it is precisely the places where the snow melts first that you need to find. It makes sense to equip just in such areas, which will begin precisely with the flowering of saffron. Many mistakenly plant these flowers in places where snow accumulates, for example, near paths.

But it is from the paths that we try to scatter snow on the ground around them, and this snow stays until spring, holding back the growth of flowers.

In addition, in places where snow melts, water stagnation can form, which is very undesirable for these plants. Picking up or preparing the right soil, crocus corms should be planted in autumn after leaf fall to a depth equal to twice their height. Usually this distance is not less than 5 cm to the surface. If you are planting these flowers for the first time, it is enough to keep a distance of 10 cm, because over time the carpet of crocuses will grow and compact itself - in good conditions each corm is capable of producing annual growth. It is in tight groups that crocuses look best.

Dig up the bulbs of these plants should be no more than once every five years. Spring-flowering varieties are dug up after the leaves turn yellow, their bulbs are dried and kept in a cool shade until autumn. late autumn they should be planted back on the plots. It should be noted that saffron corms are very fond of different kind rodents, such as squirrels, easily find the places of their recent landing. If you live near a forest, planting the bulbs in mesh baskets is an urgent precaution.

Keep an eye on the buds during germination - if you notice spots on individual plants, they should be dug up and destroyed, as they are infected with insect-borne viruses. By destroying diseased plants, you will avoid further infection of neighboring corms. By the way, viruses are not able to penetrate the seeds, so if the entire variety is infected, you can restore it by planting seeds. However, it should be noted that new bulbs will bloom only after three years.

On fertile soils, fertilizing crocuses is practically not necessary. If you notice some growth retardation, on next year before growth, feed the plants with superphosphate and potassium sulfate. After flowering is completed, fertilizing with phosphorus and potash fertilizers will not interfere. Saffron practically does not need nitrogen, and its excess will cause excessive leaf growth, which in turn can lead to fungal diseases.

Too much deep landing slows down the development of crocus, but promotes the formation of large bulbs. Sometimes young plants form retracting roots and deepen themselves.

Planting depth regulates the growth of crocus nests: when the corm is deepened by 5 cm, up to 10 children can be obtained, with a deeper embedding, there will be fewer children, but the crocus bloom will last longer and the nest will need to be divided less often - once every 4-5 years.

In the photo: Yellow crocuses - a beautiful variety

How to plant crocuses in autumn

Make holes of the depth you need at a distance of 6-10 cm from each other, but if you want to create a thicker mat, the distance between the bulbs can be 3-5 cm. However, it should be noted that the corms quickly become overgrown with children even with such a dense arrangement of the bulbs in the ground you will soon have to plant crocuses. After planting, crocuses are watered, but only if you planted them in dry soil.

Crocus care after planting

Autumn crocus care outdoors

For the warm days remaining before winter, the corms should have time to acquire roots. Crocuses do not need fertilizers in autumn, they will need them only in the spring. Crocuses are watered when the soil in the area becomes dry, and after watering the soil is carefully loosened. If weeds appear, remove them, and if heavy rains begin against the backdrop of a cold snap, try to protect the planting of crocuses from excess moisture by covering it with foil.

Crocus care in winter

Many species and varieties of plants are cold-resistant, but some crocuses freeze in winter without shelter. To prevent this from happening, after the first frost, loosen the soil in the area and mulch it with a layer of peat, dry fallen leaves, or cover it with spruce branches.

In the photo: Blooming spring crocuses

Transplanting crocus in the fall to another place

In one place, crocuses can grow for 5-6 years, but it is better to plant them once every 3-4 years. Each faded bulb will give the next season 2, and sometimes 4 bulbs and 5-10 babies, and if they are not replanted at least once every 3-4 years, the site will soon overgrow, and the crocuses will turn into a weed. When transplanting, crocuses are propagated. When to transplant crocuses - in spring or autumn? Transplanting crocuses in the fall, like planting crocuses in the fall, is carried out at the same time - from September to November.

The corms are dug up in the middle of summer when the crocuses are at rest. The signal that it is time to remove them from the ground is the yellowing of the leaves of the plant. Corms are cleaned, sorted out, removing damaged or diseased ones, dried in the air in the shade for a week. Then you need to separate the nests: only those children who themselves easily move away are separated from the corms. All planting material is soaked for half an hour in a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate, then dried and placed in a cool dry place for storage.

When September comes, crocus corms are planted in pre-prepared soil in the order that was described in our article.

In the photo: Growing crocuses in the garden

How to store crocuses before planting in the fall

How and where to store crocus corms before planting in the ground? After all, from the moment they are extracted from the soil until autumn planting should be three months. Disinfected with potassium permanganate and dried corms are laid out in one layer in wooden box and stored in a room with a temperature not lower than 22 ºC until August. From the beginning of August, it is desirable to lower the temperature of the content to 20 ºC, and closer to September - to 15 ºC. It is under such conditions that Dutch professionals store crocus corms, but since it is difficult for amateur gardeners to organize such conditions, planting material is stored until autumn at room temperature.

Autumn-flowering corms are planted in the garden in August, and spring-blooming crocuses - from September.

Crocus (Crocus) or saffron is a herbaceous bulbous perennial of the Iris family (Iridaceae). The natural habitats of crocus are rare forests, steppes and meadows in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. This delicate, exquisite flower blooms in early spring, just after the snowdrops. But there are species that delight with their buds in September, October. Growing crocuses does not require special skills, does not cause trouble. We will tell you how to care for crocuses in the garden to enjoy the graceful flowers in spring and autumn.

An unpretentious bulbous primrose, which is widely used in garden design.

The name crocus is more common among flower growers, although in the scientific literature the plant is called saffron. Crocus is a low-growing plant, the average height of which is 10 cm. Its stems do not form, and narrow, linear-shaped leaves grow directly from the ground.

Flowers are goblet, 2 to 5 cm in diameter, arranged singly on short pedicels. The color of the flowers is different: yellow, orange, cream, and white, purple and lilac, blue and violet. There is also saffron with two-tone or spotted flowers. Crocuses bloom for about 2-3 weeks.

In total, about 80 species and 300 varieties belong to the genus crocus, which are divided into 15 groups. One of them includes varieties that bloom in autumn, the other 14 groups - 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.

Outdoor cultivation

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

Choice of landing site

It is better to plant crocuses in a sunny area that is well lit. Although the plant reacts normally to partial shade, the flowering of crocuses growing with a lack of light will not be so plentiful, and the size of the buds is small.

Crocuses do not tolerate excessive moisture, so the place where thawed and rainwater they don't fit at all.

Can saffron be planted next to other flowers? Undoubtedly. Crocus planted with tulips, daffodils and other bulbs will provide beautiful bloom flower beds from early spring to 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, it is also permissible to plant them together with peonies, daffodils and other flowers.

The soil

Saffron soil prefers light and dry, loose, 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 is improved by adding fine gravel or decomposed compost.

Landing

How to plant crocuses, know experienced growers. The planting depth should be equal to two bulbs if the flowers will grow on light soil. Planting crocuses in heavy soil is carried out 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 transplant crocuses for 3-4 years, you can plant flowers closer - at a distance of 3 cm. After planting, the soil is watered.

The time to plant crocuses depends on when the flowers appear. Spring crocuses should be planted in the fall. And plants that bloom in autumn should be planted in June.

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

Should I dig and when?

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

If a flower transplant is not planned, they are not dug up, but only dried buds and leaves are cut off. In the southern regions with a warm climate, the bulbs withstand the winter cold. In areas with severe weather conditions soil with 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 site, they are removed from the ground. When to dig up crocuses depends on the flowering time. For spring plants best time- July August September. Bulbs varieties, blooming in autumn, extracted from the ground from June to August.

bulb storage

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

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

Crocus care in the garden

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

Watering

For good growth and the development of plants, the soil must be constantly moistened. As the earth dries up, young sprouts need to be watered. But it is important to make sure upper layer let the soil dry out before each watering.

Fertilization

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

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

During the season, top dressing is applied to the soil three times:

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

At the first application of potassium fertilizers, they take half as much as phosphorus, with subsequent top dressing, equal ratios of fertilizers are applied.

Distillation landing

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

It is necessary to outline the estimated date of flowering, 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 pass moisture and air well, 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 lower shelf of the refrigerator, basement, cellar). Two weeks before the expected flowering date, the temperature is increased: the pot is moved to the coolest place in the house, then to a more warm room, and finally, put the flowers under the sun on the windowsill. They will bloom soon.

With a dense arrangement of bulbs in a 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 subject to disease and insect attack.

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

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

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

With the wrong content of crocuses at home, plants can get sick:

gray rot;
fusarium;
sclerocial or penicella rot.

To prevent diseases, 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 fungicidal solution.

reproduction

Flowers are most easily propagated by bulblets that form on the parent corm. They are separated and seated one by one.

You can also grow flowers from seeds. But it is more difficult to do this, 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 in flower shop or greenhouse.

Purchase Features

In order for the plant to grow strong and delight with its flowers, it is important to buy high-quality planting material, carefully inspect the bulbs before purchasing. They must be healthy, large, without damage. On sale dutch varieties from large bulbs on the packaging bag they are labeled + 10. They produce 5-6 large flowers. Smaller bulbs give 3-4, and very small ones - 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 Alpine rollercoaster, they can decorate flower beds, borders, lawns. The flowers are beautiful on their own, and go well with other bulbs. And in the conditions of an apartment, you can grow crocuses for the holiday, and admire the beautiful graceful flowers on New Year or March 8th.

Crocuses are early spring bulbous perennials. The color combinations of these spring flowers delight and delight tired eyes and hearts after a long winter. IN vivo growing these bulbs perennials carried out on sandy, stony and loose soils. Planting and care is carried out in sunny areas in the open field.

Crocuses: varieties and varieties

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

Crocuses are among the first to bloom after winter.

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

At the end of the 19th century in Holland, the reproduction of species contributed to the emergence of the crocus sowing variety, but interest in it, as in ornamental plant appeared much later. Along with this variety, varieties such as narrow-leaved crocus, yellow crocus and spring crocus have been introduced into the gardens of Europe. It is thanks to these varieties that Dutch hybrids appeared.

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

Planting a plant

planted spring crocuses 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 warming.

On the planting site, recesses of such dimensions are prepared so that the bulb fits freely. The soil when planting tubers should be well fertilized with compost. Drainage is placed at the landing site to avoid the accumulation of stagnant water and rotting of the bulbs. Expanded clay, screenings, coarse sand are used as drainage. Then falls asleep from above fertile layer mixed with compost.

Crocus Bulb

If the soil is fertile and well fertilized with compost, then in the first year after planting fertilizer is not added, the next year potash and phosphorus additives are added to the soil. After planting, the rhizomes are covered by mulching the soil.

Crocus care

Caring for a plant with proper planting is easy. Crocuses are sun-loving flowers, growing them outdoors in shady areas leads to crushed flowers or their absence. Quite resistant to drought: in the spring, during flowering, there is enough moisture for the flowers, but in the summer watering is still necessary.

Your main task is to plant crocuses on sunny area and they will actively bloom

Some hobby 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 decay.

Plant propagation

Crocuses breed mainly as babies. Large daughter bulbs are carefully separated and planted separately. This allows you to save the variety of perennials. To speed up the propagation process, the bulbs should be dug up annually, as they are replaced every season: the old ones dry out, and up to five new tubers grow nearby.

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

Reproduction of crocuses by daughter bulbs

Dig up faded plants in July, after the foliage has dried. Reproduction of saffron is also carried out by seeds, but then the flowers will have to wait only for the third year. With this method of reproduction, varietal characteristics are not always preserved.

Diseases and pests

Bred 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 the destruction of the affected bulbs, while the earth is shed with a special solution. After the discovery of diseased bulbs, the cultivation of flowers must be done elsewhere.

Crocuses suffer from invasions of moles and mice, but if planting flowers is done on alpine slides and rockeries, then protection against rodents is preliminarily installed there. Also, crocuses are susceptible to attacks by slugs and scoop butterflies; insecticides are regularly sprayed to get rid of insects.

Attention! With improper care, 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 currently widely used in mass compositions when creating beautiful landscapes gardens - in a mixborder, discount or in a flower bed.

Single planting of crocuses

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

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

Crocuses in landscape design

Crocuses can also be planted 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 leaves have died, otherwise every year there will be fewer flowers on the crocus. These plants are intended for outdoor cultivation, but they also bloom wonderfully on the windowsills of apartments.

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

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