Forcing crocuses at home for the New Year and March 8: terms and rules

Corcuses are early flowering plants that begin to bloom literally after the snow melts. But you can grow them at home. Forcing crocus bulbs at home will allow you to enjoy these beautiful flowers at any time of the year.

Autumn crocuses

Crocuses bloom not only in spring, but also in autumn. Autumn varieties are suitable for winter forcing, for example, for the New Year.

Albus

The shade of the petals is white, near the pistil there is a creamy border. The height of the plant is from 10 to 15 cm. The variety is quite winter-hardy.

Artabir

The petals of the inflorescence are sky-blue, in the center the petals are covered with dark blue veins. A tall variety, the stem grows up to 20 cm in height. Flowering begins in the second decade of October.

Solux

Inflorescences of a blue hue with a purple tint. The inflorescences have a pleasant rich aroma. The flowering period begins in early September.

Sowing

Plant height is 10-13 cm. The shade of the inflorescences is from lavender to deep purple, about 7 cm in diameter. Begins to bloom in mid-September.

Crocus Sharoyana

Tall variety, up to 20 cm high. Petals of a rich yellow hue. This color of the petals is rarely found in autumn-flowering varieties. The flowering period falls on September-October.

Spring crocuses

Spring varieties of crocuses begin to bloom as soon as the snow melts. At home, plants are used for forcing by the beginning of spring.

Alexander

The shade of blossoming petals is white-silver. The reverse side of the petal is white. Blooms early in spring.

Crocus tomasini

The height of the stems of this variety reaches 20 cm. The shade of the petals is from deep purple to lavender. A flower blooms in April.

Marietta

The petals of the inflorescences are light yellow, sometimes lemon-colored. The petals have brown stripes on the outside.

Pickwick

White inflorescences with a gray tint. The petals have dark purple stripes.

Prince Claus

This variety has an unusual shade of petals. Inflorescences of a snow-white shade, and near the pistil - a purple border. Stem height up to 10 cm.

When and how to start forcing

You can start forcing crocuses at any time, depending on when you need the plants to bloom. When choosing a start date for forcing, keep in mind that this process is not the fastest and therefore it is better to choose a date with a margin. The forcing process takes approximately 3-4 months.

Before proceeding with the procedure, you should study all the nuances. Although forcing crocuses is not very difficult, there are some nuances and pitfalls that you should be aware of in advance. First of all, you need to know that different varieties react differently to distillation. It will be difficult to get late varieties to bloom by the New Year, and early ones by the beginning of spring.

Benefits of forcing a plant by a specific date

The main advantage of forcing a flower is that the plant will bloom by the date that was planned. Although, of course, there can be no exact guarantees, but if all the conditions for the procedure are followed, the flower will bloom on time and without any problems.

How to prepare and create conditions for forcing crocuses for the New Year

At home indoor conditions, you can make crocuses bloom for the most magical holiday - the New Year. This night I want a little fairy tale, and what could be more magical than spring flowers blooming in winter. Like in a fairy tale 12 months.

Preparing corms

The first stage is the preparation of the bulbs. Forcing planting material means creating conditions in the apartment that are as close to natural as possible. If bulbs are used from the site, they are dug up in June-July. After digging, the bulbs need to be sorted and dried.

In the first week after digging, the bulbs are kept at a temperature of +30 degrees. Then the temperature in the room is constantly lowered until it becomes +17 degrees by mid-August. After that, the bulbs are placed in a room with a temperature of +3 … +8 degrees.A fridge will do.

If purchased bulbs are used, then they have already been dried, so it remains only to harden them and start planting.

Choose a pot

The capacity for planting bulbs can be any, the main thing is that it be spacious. It is advisable to choose pots with holes in the bottom so that oxygen circulates in the soil. Ordinary plastic flower pots are most suitable for forcing crocuses.

Terms and rules of boarding

On average, forcing bulbs takes 90-100 days. If you calculate, then in order for crocuses to bloom by the New Year, they need to be planted around September-October. But again, it’s not a fact that crocuses will bloom by New Year’s Eve. Date is indicative.

Light, fertile soil with neutral acidity is suitable for planting crocuses. To keep the bulbs he althy, drainage is poured into the bottom of the pot, then a layer of soil and a thin layer of sand on top. Bulbs are planted in it. Then fill the bulbs with sand to the top.

Required conditions: lighting, humidity, temperature

For successful forcing, you need to create favorable conditions for growth, choose the right lighting and temperature at which crocuses will quickly enter the growth phase.

Temperature:

Bulbs the first week after digging should be at a temperature of +30 degrees.
Next 2 weeks - at +20 degrees.
Until August - at +17 degrees.
Before landing - at +8 degrees.
After planting the bulbs, the pots are moved to a dark room with a temperature of +3 degrees for 15-16 weeks.
After the emergence of sprouts, the temperature should be +10 degrees.
Then it is raised to +17 degrees.

The rooting period corresponds to winter. The later the flowering of crocuses is planned, the more the bulbs should be in the cold and dark.

Sprouted crocuses put on the sunny side and wait for them to bloom. It is not recommended to abruptly bring the pots into heat, you need to increase the temperature gradually.

Water and fertilize

During the drying and cooling of the bulbs, neither watering nor fertilizing is required. Watering crocuses begins after the bulbs are planted in the ground. It is undesirable to flood the bulbs strongly, it is enough just to moisten the soil. It is best to water the bulbs through the pan. You need to feed the plants if the bulbs are planted in the sand.

Forcing culture by March 8

By spring, crocuses are driven out in the same way as in winter. The only difference is the timing of landing. They are shifting by a few weeks.

How to select planting material

For forcing crocuses, it is best to use he althy, large bulbs with no signs of damage. Baby bulbs are not suitable for this purpose, nothing will grow out of them, because the bulb is still too small. It is best left for planting in open ground. In the first year, even on the street, it is unlikely to bloom.

Planting crocuses for distillation

By March 8, forcing dates are October-November. For disembarkation, such a substrate is used, as in the case of winter distillation. Basically, the process is not much different.

During planting, some prefer not to deepen the bulb and leave it on the surface to about half. Only with such a landing of planting material can crocuses grow crooked. Bulbs are planted in a common container. Planting material can be planted close to each other.

Putting crocuses

Planting is the process when, after planting, the bulbs are placed in a warm room and the temperature is gradually increased so that the bulbs start growing.There is a suspension at a temperature of +15 … +17 degrees. The temperature is increased for 2-3 days after the pots are placed in the sun.

The soil is constantly kept moist during the setting phase. It is not necessary to feed crocuses, unless after flowering they are planned to be transplanted into open ground. In this case, mineral fertilizers for bulbous plants are applied to the soil after transferring the pot to heat and after flowering.

What to do with crocus bulbs after forcing

After the plants have faded, the inflorescences are cut off so that the bulb does not waste nutrients on the formation of seeds. Also reduce the amount of watering. When the greens wither, it is cut off, and the bulbs are dug up. After that, store in exactly the same way as before distillation. Then they are planted either in the open ground, or again used for re-forcing.