How to grow crocuses at home

In early spring, crocuses bloom in many beds. They are so charming in their miniature that they are often presented right in the pots. But it’s not enough just to stuff a corm into the ground. I would like to present exactly the blooming flower. Yes, and to coincide with a certain date.

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

What bulbs to plant

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

If there is a smaller figure on the package, then accordingly there will be less colors. They themselves will be small.

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

But it is not enough to slip on a beautiful photograph 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 elastic. Lightly press on the raw material. It should be nice spring. Softness speaks about the beginning of damage.
2. Sniff whenever possible. If there is even the slightest scent of mildew, put it off, not sparing. Such material was stored in inappropriate conditions.
3. Carefully look at the onions. They should not be dark or wet spots, as well as visible damage.

Once you have made your choice and brought the purchase home, do not rush. Put the onions in quarantine. Dark cool place. Look at them in about 10-12 days. Everything is good? Signs of disease, mold, rot no? So you can safely plant.

Council Get corms in season. This time is from the end of July to the end of September.

Which pot to choose

Capacity material does not matter. Much more important is its size. For crocuses, shallow but wide containers are suitable. Very effectively looks a group of landings in the same bowl. And decorated with small gravel or pebbles is generally a masterpiece.

It will be quite enough to take a pot with a height of 12-14 cm. But it is necessary with wide drainage holes. And it is not installed in the pan, and on the coaster. This will allow excess fluid to drain. Crocus onions very nervously react to stagnant water. Immediately begin to rot and wither.

How to plant

Some sources recommend planting crocuses close to each other. This tip applies only to small bulbs. They give one flower each, so the splendor of the bunch is due to the tightness of the planting.

If you have chosen large mature corms, then try to keep a distance of at least 2.5 cm between them. This will allow the crocus glasses to unfold in all their glory.

The depth of landing should be such that only the tip remains on the surface. Let's analyze step by step how to plant crocuses:

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

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

When to plant crocuses

Calculate the landing time is very easy. It is necessary to deduct 14 days from the estimated date of flowering. And also reduce the time for a cool period. This is 12 weeks. Total: 14 weeks for everything.

For example, you need a blooming crocus by January 1st. We do all the necessary calculations. Plant bulbs need to September 24.

Care and maintenance during the cold period

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

The fridge is no good, it’s too dry. Under the bathroom is too warm. Heated loggia or balcony - a lot of light. Suitable barn, cellar, basement, underground. Just be careful, corms are very to the taste of many rodents.

If necessary, periodically water your blanks for pasture. Moisten the air around by spraying or watering. And watch the temperature. Too high make crocuses wake up ahead of time. Too low can cause decay and mold. And absolutely exclude the slightest coverage.

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

Next stage
As soon as there are 15 days left until the expected date, they pull out the tubers with the tubers for distillation. Just do not dramatically change the power of lighting and temperature. The approximate procedure is as follows:

1 day. They took it out of the cellar and put it on the floor at the front door. It is a bit cool and dark.

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

5 day. We pulled close to the window, but covered from the central heating battery.

7 day. Put on the windowsill. The battery is not open. We do not enclose insulation under the pot, because the roots should still feel cool.

14-15 days. Admire the bloom.

All these days we do not forget to water crocuses as the top layer dries. Periodically sprayed with a spray. Just do not flood them like a fire truck. Soil mixture should be slightly wet, but not wet. Otherwise, the crocuses will quickly lose their decorative appearance or will turn yellow and fade.

If you did everything right, then you can admire beautiful flowers for up to 11 days in a row.In this case, the usual care has not been canceled. And by all means cover the flowers from direct sunlight. It prolongs flowering well.

Content after flowering

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

For this, it is necessary not to change the content mode. Sparking flower outlets carefully removed. For example, scissors or pruners. This will not delay the nutrients in the uterine bulb.

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

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

After the entire above-ground part has dried, you need to carefully remove the corm from the soil. We shake, carefully inspect for the presence of mold, disease, signs of rotting. Everything is good? Is the bulb clean? Dry it in a dark cool place for about 9-11 days. Next, cut off the roots, dry leaves, stalks. Remove the falling husk. And we remove it back to a dark and cool place before planting it in the autumn.

About once every three weeks we inspect the planting material. Reject dried and corms of crocuses, if any.

Useful tips

1. After quarantine, but before planting, be sure to disinfect tubers, containers and soil. Any means at hand. Good results are obtained by soaking for 20 minutes in a strong solution of potassium permanganate and spraying with phytosporin.Do not neglect this procedure, avoid many problems.
2. Crocuses do not feed at home. They are quite enough nutrients from the onion. The excess will lead to deformation or the 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: the flowers of one variety are adjacent to the folded leaves of another. Or faded buds next to the unblown. Ugly and unprofessional. It is better to plant them in separate pots. So it will be easier to care. Moreover, one flower also looks in a pot gracefully and effectively, if it is well maintained and healthy.
4. Do not listen to those who advise you to use crocuses for culinary purposes. Eat innocent little flowers. In the food industry use only stigmas of flowers. And then, a certain variety, purple crocus crocuses. Dutch hybrids were clearly not bred for the purpose of producing fragrant spices. They are intended to give flowers and completely unsuitable for food. And then in each article they write such nonsense, not even bothering to find out the truth.And after all, many are carried on this nonsense, pluck poor plants. Shove in sauces or pastries. And they wonder: where is that divine fragrance and beautiful color?
5. Do not try to grow crocuses from seeds on your own at home. This is a whole science with strict requirements for conditions, temperatures and a period of stratification. You torture yourself to wait and dance around with a tambourine. Although, if you are a biologist, nerd, or just an experimenter by nature, then try. Suddenly succeed.

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

Video: how to plant crocuses in a pot