Crocuses at home: planting and care, how to grow in a pot and on the balcony

Crocus or saffron is a perennial bulbous plant whose flowers resemble small tulips. There are many varieties of crocuses that differ in color and time when they bloom. Some bloom in early spring, others in winter, so this plant can decorate a house even for New Year's holidays. But planting crocuses at home and further care for them differ in their specifics. In addition, it is important to choose the right variety.

The best varieties of crocuses for home

It is best to choose Dutch varieties for planting at home. Among them, pay attention to the following:

1. Prince Claus - a white flower with purple "strokes", a feature - a strong and pleasant aroma. Flowering time - March-early April, under good conditions it can bloom even in February.
2. Blue pearl - fully justifies its name, which means "blue pearl". The flowers are azure, yellow at the base, grow up to 8 centimeters. Blooms in early April.
3. Joan of Arc - the petals of this variety are large, white, which turns into lilac at the bottom. Blooms by mid-April.
4. Flower Record - the stem of this variety is small, but the flowers are large in size, the color is deep purple, it becomes darker towards the bottom. Flowering time - end of April.
5. Beauty cream - large golden flowers, stamens - yellowish-orange. Blooms from the beginning of May.

It doesn't have to be limited to one variety. A combination of several will look more beautiful, then you will be pleased with a whole kaleidoscope of crocuses on the windowsill.

What conditions do plants need

Crocuses cannot be called whimsical plants, the main thing is that the following conditions are met:

1. Low temperature - up to 20 degrees, in winter even up to 10.
2. Sufficient lighting.
3. You need to water a little, but regularly.
4. Soil drainage.

After forcing, the plants should be left until the leaves are completely dry, but watering should not be stopped. The bulbs are then stored.

Soil composition and pot volume and drainage

To choose the right pot, first determine how many bulbs you want to plant. Usually it is 5-10 pieces. The main thing is that the bulbs should not be allowed to touch each other or the walls, so choose a low and wide pot.You can buy pots designed for forcing bulbs at a flower shop.

The following requirements are imposed on the soil for crocuses - neutrality, lightness and drainage. You can take a flower substrate or prepare a mixture yourself from the following components, taken in equal parts:

• coarse sand;
• turf mix;
• leaf mix.

Another option is a thick layer of sand on the bottom, then soil, but this is only used if you plan to use crocus for propagation later. Gravel, pieces of bricks, and tiles are sometimes also used for drainage. The pot itself must be placed on a tray where water will flow.

Choose a place

On the one hand, these plants love the light, so the south side of the house is best suited for them. But the temperature regime is also important. The ideal place is on the balcony.There, during the spring months, the necessary coolness is maintained, and by the time of flowering - in March-April, the air warms up to 16-20 degrees.

Lighting

Lighting depends on what stage of growth the plant is in. If you just planted crocuses, then you need to hold them in a dark place until the sprout grows to 5 centimeters and becomes strong. Then you need to rearrange the plants in a well-lit place where they will be under the sun for at least 4 hours a day. Move them back into the shade during flowering to keep the flowers open longer.

Temperature conditions

Crocuses that are about to bloom or have already bloomed should be kept in the coolest place in the house. The ideal temperature is + 14-16 degrees. At +20 and above, plants bloom for a very short time, and after a few hours they can shed their petals. At night, even frosts down to -3 are acceptable.

Humidity

Crocuses are resistant to drought, so they do not need abundant watering. But drainage is very important, otherwise the bulbs will rot. In no case should water stagnate in the ground. Spraying of plants is acceptable, but also infrequently and little by little.

Resting state

Crocus goes dormant after all the leaves have dried. This period falls during the summer months. It is important to properly store the bulbs, for this they are placed in a cool, dark and dry place. Water is not required at this time to prevent the bulbs from rotting.

Features of planting bulbous crops

In order for a crocus to bloom, you need to know how to plant it correctly. Planting takes place in several stages, the first of which is the selection of bulbs.

Selecting planting material

When choosing bulbs, both their condition and size are important. The he alth of plants and the splendor of their flowering depend on them. Consider each carefully:

1. Refrain from buying planting material if rot, spots, any damage is visible.
2. If after purchase you still notice that there are defects, carefully cut out this part of the bulb, and disinfect the damaged areas with ash or coal.
3. The bulbs must be dried well before planting (crocuses from the store are usually already subjected to this treatment).
4. Prepared crocuses should be free of scales, earth and root residues.
5. The number of flowers that the bulb will give, and the time of their flowering directly depend on its size. Small bulbs often produce only one flower, which quickly falls off.

Botanical varieties of crocuses are not suitable, that is, taken from flower beds - their buds are small and fade quickly.

Cooling

After purchasing, the bulbs are cooled. The decrease in temperature occurs in two stages:

1. Within 7-10 days the temperature should be around +20 degrees, then - 17.
2. Another 20-30 days should be kept wrapped in thick paper in a refrigerator or frost-free cellar. Temperature - from +3 to +9.

After this, the plants are ready for planting in a pot.

Rooting

After cooling, the potting mix needs to be prepared and the prepared bulbs can be planted. They are placed at a distance of 10 centimeters from each other and from the walls of the pot. You can bury it completely, to a depth of 5-10 centimeters, or leave a "tail" on top. After that, the pot is placed in a dark and cool place and kept there for 2 months, during which the crocuses will germinate.

Planting is also allowed, in which the bulbs are simply laid out on the ground, especially if you decide to plant a lot of saffron at once. Crocuses also root successfully, but the stems are not as straight.

Crocus care

After the planted sprouts have sprouted, they can be taken out into the light. Proper care of the flowers will make them strong and will not let them fade quickly. But if you're not careful, the flowers fall off very quickly.

Water and fertilize

Once you've planted saffron, it doesn't need fertilizer yet. Later, as a good top dressing, choose phosphorus and potassium compounds. Thanks to them, the sprouts will be strong, and the buds will form faster.

You need to enter them as follows:

1. For the first time - when the first sprouts appear. Take phosphorus and potassium in a ratio of 1 to 2.
2. The second time - during the formation of buds, the third - after the petals fall. Each time at a ratio of 1 to 1.

Crocuses are harmed by frequent and abundant watering, because of which the bulbs begin to rot.Best of all - 2-3 times a week, if you see that the ground from above has become dryish. During the flowering period, pour water not into the pot itself, but into the pan under it - this way you will definitely protect the plant from excessive moisture. After half an hour, remove the remaining moisture.

Flower Stimulation

Crocuses are a plant whose flowering is easy to stimulate, for example, if you decide to please yourself and your loved ones for a holiday. It is enough to calculate how long it will take for the period when the saffron is in the cold and takes root. This will take about 3 months.

If you want to decorate your house for the New Year, get bulbs towards the end of August or even in September. Then immediately begin to cool them down. Plants react to the cold because for them it means the onset of winter. If the desired date is March 8, refrigerate it longer.

How to care after the end of flowering

After the crocuses have completely faded, you need to wait for the leaves to dry completely and fall off.Even if they seem dry, don't cut them yourself. Remove each bulb from the ground, clean, and then store in a cool, dark place until the next flowering period. Before that, wrap it in thick, clean paper. You can also plant them outdoors.

Diseases, their treatment

If crocuses are kept warm and damp, then they are affected by penicillium, sclerocial, gray rot, as well as fusarium. Gray spots on flattened, unopened flowers indicate a viral infection. The plant can no longer be cured - you will have to destroy it, and treat the earth with potassium permanganate.

Possible damage to the bulbs by fungi, to prevent this, dry the bulbs before planting and check for damage. It is important to never plant new plants next to old ones to prevent the spread of disease.

Forcing features

When forcing, follow these rules:

1. Do not plant different varieties in the same container, as they have different stem heights and forcing times.
2. Plant identical bulbs side by side. Small ones bloom later.
3. At night, remove the plant in a cold place (up to +3). Then it will bloom longer.

The flowering time, subject to all these requirements, is up to 3 weeks.

Possible growing problems

One of the common mistakes flower growers make is picking the wrong plant variety. For distillation, it is preferable to choose spring varieties. Start working with them in September.

It will be difficult to achieve beautiful flowering from natural varieties, even if you carefully care for them. Abundant watering also greatly harms crocuses, because of this, the leaves may turn yellow. In general, crocuses are well suited for growing at home, if all conditions are met.

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