Handsome crocuses (saffron) adorn the stony Central Asian steppes, subalpine meadows of Europe and suburban areas of central Russia in early spring. These bright cheerful flowers - representatives of the Iris family - amaze with a variety of colors and shapes and are so gentle and unpretentious that breeders of many countries do not stop working on breeding new varieties, taking into account the wishes of gardeners and their feedback. Crocus is a recognized primrose and blooms along with snowdrops. But if you learn the art of growing them at home, then you can admire the flowers dear to your heart in winter, because, like all bulbous ones, they obey the laws of forcing.
Culture Description
The shape of the flower of the plant resembles a miniature tulip. One bulb produces one stem with leaves and flower. The basal part protects the delicate stem from possible damage with thin scales. Crocus has a same-sex flower, decorated from the inside with a bright stigma with stamens in yellow-orange colors and requiring the help of insects for pollination. Crocuses, photos of which convey the exquisite tenderness of primroses, are known for their edible bulbs, which can be baked or boiled. But the main value is the presence of stigmas and stamens, famous for their healing properties. In addition, saffron is a wonderful and widely known spice, eaten for more than one millennium.
Growing crocuses at home: choose a variety
The distillation method finds many supporters who leave excellent reviews. Crocus blooming in the New Year! What could be more sophisticated? Successful distillation of crocus predetermines several stages: the choice of bulbs, soil preparation, planting and subsequent maintenance under certain conditions. We will deal with the intricacies of growing crocus in pots. Having set a goal to grow homemade crocus in the winter, we will think about the most successful selection of seed. With all the variety of crocus varieties, not all species can bloom indoors. Do not dwell on natural varieties, their decorative qualities do not always meet expectations. The best option would be a Dutch selection with large flowers. The choice of a particular variety depends on the expected flowering time. When planning for distillation for the New Year, early species are chosen, for the May holidays - late ones.
The main requirements for the quality of the bulbs
Particular attention should be paid to the quality of the bulbs: they should be about the same size, clean, without mechanical damage and rot. Observing the aesthetics of planting, when sowing crocuses, it is necessary to achieve good germination, small deviations in height and simultaneous flowering.
The size of the bulb is also important: it should not be less than 5 cm in diameter. Crocuses, the price of which is very affordable, in stores are usually measured around the circumference. To grow them at home, you need seed with a size of 7/8. An onion of such a circle will make it possible to get one flower during forcing, with a size of 8/9 cm - two or three flowers, and with a size of 10 cm or more, 5-6 pieces can be grown. There is a pattern: the larger the planting material, the sooner it will bloom. It is better to buy crocus bulbs in specialized stores in August-September. At this time, the highest quality seed was on sale.
Preparation for forcing
Fans of growing onion flowers at home leave unanimous reviews: crocus blooms ahead of schedule after interfering with the natural development of the culture, the plant needs to provide conditions close to natural. In other words, to ensure guaranteed flowering of the bulbs of crocuses, it is necessary to go through the cooling and rooting stage, which lasts at least three months.
Bulbs must be taken care of in the summer. If you want to get blooming crocuses in February-March next year, you need to dig out the bulbs for planting in June, after the aerial parts have wilted. Seeds are carefully sorted, choosing the strongest specimens, dried and stored in a well-ventilated enclosed area. In the middle of July, the bulbs are kept for 5-7 days at a temperature of +32 ... + 35 ° , then the storage temperature of the bulbs is reduced to +18 ° , and after another two weeks - up to +15 ... + 17 ° . From the 2nd decade of August, the cooling stage begins, which is carried out in a dark, dry room at a temperature of +4 ... + 8 ° . In an apartment, the best option for storing bulbs is a refrigerator, it is quite simple to provide the necessary temperature conditions in it. You can keep crocuses in the refrigerator for up to a month. They should be wrapped in several layers of thick paper, plastic bags cannot be used for storage. Bulbs purchased at the store are well dried, but also need cooling. They are kept at room temperature for several days and then placed in the refrigerator.
Dates of planting corms in pots
The cooling period is followed by a rooting period that mimics winter for the culture. Its beginning is the moment of planting the bulbs in the container. Late flowering periods determine the duration of cooling and the later planting of bulbs in the ground. For example, when planning distillation for the New Year holidays, they are planted in the first decade of September, by February-March - at the end of October or in November.
Soil preparation
To plant crocuses, you should prepare high-quality soil. Usually it consists of garden land mixed with coarse river sand in a proportion of 3/2. These are the best proportions, which is confirmed by fans of this plant, leaving reviews. Crocus prefers neutral soils, so it will not be superfluous to eliminate the acidity of the soil by adding a small amount of bone meal. The substrate must be air and moisture permeable. Before planting the bulbs in the pot, the soil is shed with a solution of peat-humic fertilizer, which contributes to better rooting of the bulbs and disinfection of the earth. Actually, the presence of nutrients in the soil does not affect the quality of flowering; distillation can be done in sand, fine expanded clay or even in a vessel with water. However, when planning further use of the culture as a houseplant, it is better to plant crocus in a substrate with the above composition. This will provide nutrients to form future flower buds.
The method of planting - "in the sand shirt"
A feature of this planting method is the provision of conditions for the protection of the bulb from putrefactive processes, if there is such a danger. In this method, the bottom of the container is covered with a layer of nutrient soil, it is covered with sand, into which the bottom of the bulb is buried and sand is added to the top. Crocus roots receive all the necessary nutrition, but the bulb itself is protected from the occurrence of diseases.
Crocuses: photo, landing and forcing
Bulbs should be planted in a shallow wide container with a side. They are buried next to each other, sprinkled on top with a thin layer of substrate. A prerequisite is the presence of good drainage. The bulbs should not touch each other and with the walls of the pot. In a separate pot, it is better to place seedlings of the same grade and size. In this case, uniform seedlings and simultaneous flowering are achieved.
After planting, the soil is crushed, watered. The containers are placed in a dark, cold place with an air temperature not exceeding +5 ... + 9 ° . The duration of the rooting stage is 2-2.5 months. At this time, planting does not require care. Sometimes they need to be watered after the topsoil has dried. When seedlings appear, containers with seedlings are transferred to a bright room with a temperature of +12 ... + 15 ° . To give the flowers decorative qualities and weaken the reaction to changing conditions, you can cover them with paper caps. As soon as they pull up to a height of 5 cm - it is time to move them to the illuminated windowsill. At this time, it is necessary to provide seedlings with enhanced nutrition of fertilizers for bulb plants, which are introduced with every second watering. Top dressing is done before the buds appear, they stop during flowering and resume again after it ends until the stems wither with a frequency of once a week.
Crocus: care. Photo of primroses
Crocuses moved to a light, cool windowsill bloom in 12-15 days. At this time, care for the crop consists in moderate watering with a frequency of 2-3 times a week. Crocus home gets along well with the dry air of apartments and does not need additional spraying. You should know that at +20 ° C the plants bloom very quickly, losing their decorative effect. To prolong the magnificent spectacle of blooming crocuses, moderate lighting and a low temperature are needed - up to +14 ... + 16 ° , at night you can lower it to 0 ° . In such conditions, you can enjoy blooming crocuses for up to two weeks.
So, growing primroses at home is a fascinating, albeit very lengthy, but uncomplicated, affair, giving the miracle of a winter holiday! Crocuses, photos of which are presented in the article, are gentle and magnificent. They amaze with their refined form and bring joy.