Growing crocuses in the garden

HomeCrocusGrowing crocuses in the garden

Crocuses are one of the most beautifully flowering bulbous primroses, they are unpretentious, easy to care for, reproduce well, so it is not surprising that this decorative flower is widely used in garden design. It is perfect for alpine slides, and planted in dense groups, it looks spectacular in flower beds and lawns. Since even an inexperienced lover can grow crocuses in the garden, they can often be found in personal plots, which means that finding planting material is also not difficult. The cultivation of crocuses in open ground is somewhat limited by too early flowering periods. These snowdrops appear during or immediately after the snow melts, when active work is not yet carried out in the garden, and if the site is used only for summer holidays, the owners cannot fully enjoy the beauty of the flower. But for those who live outside the city all year round, it is this culture that personifies the arrival of spring, and is a real decoration of the awakening flower garden. In addition, there are currently many hybrid varieties that bloom until the end of May, thanks to which the cultivation of crocuses in the garden is becoming increasingly popular in summer cottages.

Crocuses in the garden: care and cultivation

Crocuses in the garden develop best in well-lit, sun-warmed areas. Shady places under deciduous trees are also suitable for them, since in early spring, during the flowering period, the absence of foliage will provide them with a sufficient amount of light. In a deaf shade from coniferous plantings or from the wall of a house, a fence, the culture blooms poorly, the buds do not fully open. Under natural conditions, crocuses grow in meadows along with perennial herbs, so it is quite acceptable to place them next to medium-sized ornamental perennials, such as peonies , hostas, ivy, etc.

Like all bulbs , the culture does not tolerate waterlogging, so places where melt or rainwater stagnate are absolutely not suitable for it. The most suitable soil for growing crocuses is considered to be light loam, fertile and well-drained, however, flowers put up with nutrient-poor soils, some Dutch hybrids grow successfully on dense clay soil. It is only important that the soil reaction is necessarily neutral, and there is good drainage. If you plan to plant bulbs in heavy clay soil, it must be improved by adding well-decomposed compost, fine gravel or coarse sand, acidic soils are deoxidized with lime.

Agricultural technology of crocuses

Once crocuses are planted, growing and caring for them requires minimal effort. In the spring, when flowering shoots appear, they are loosened and weeded. The culture practically does not need watering, it needs a significant amount of water only during flowering, in early spring, when, after the snow melts, there is enough moisture in the soil. Only with a little snowy winter and dry spring, the plant is additionally watered, although even with a lack of moisture it will successfully vegetate, it will only reach a lower height. In summer, during the dormant period, crocuses do not need water, on the contrary, they prefer a dry environment.

Feeding has some features. Agrotechnics of crocuses does not allow the use of fresh organic matter, which causes various diseases, it is preferable to use mineral fertilizers or completely decomposed manure, peat. They are fed in the spring, during active growth, scattering complete mineral fertilizer over the snow. At the beginning of the growing season, urea can be added, later an excess of nitrogen causes excessive leaf growth, which in wet weather can trigger an outbreak of fungal diseases. 2-3 weeks after the start of flowering, plantings are fertilized with phosphate and potash fertilizers, superphosphate and potassium sulfate. Phosphorus contributes to better flowering, and potassium allows you to further form high-quality healthy bulbs.

Growing crocuses of autumn and spring species differs somewhat in terms of digging, planting, fertilizing, which is due to different periods of their flowering. Otherwise, the requirements for the planting site, soil, and irrigation are the same for different groups.

After flowering until the end of the season, crocuses do not require care.

Digging and storing crocus corms in the garden

The advantages of crocuses include the absence of the need to dig them up every year. Flowers grow in one place for several years, gradually the mother corm increases in size, a group of children forms around it. The rate of formation of the latter in different species and varieties is different, ranging from 1 to 10 pieces. per year, with varieties usually more productive than botanical species. The intensity of the formation of children increases with a shallow landing. When numerous corms begin to interfere with each other and grow smaller, this affects flowering, such nests need to be planted. This is usually done every 3-5 years, depending on the species. Annual digging is most often practiced to form a large amount of planting material; it allows the formation of large marketable corms. Autumn-flowering species are dug in June-August, spring-flowering – in July-September. The planting material is dried, freed from roots and defective scales, after which it is examined, diseased specimens are rejected, mechanical damage is disinfected, sprinkled with crushed coal or ash. Stored in dry, cool rooms for two to three months, then planted in the ground.

Problems of growing crocuses in open ground

With proper agricultural practices, crocuses are practically not affected by pests and diseases. The rotting of the bulbs most often provokes their waterlogging caused by stagnation of melt or rainwater. Sometimes in hot, dry weather, aphids can attack the shoots.

A certain problem is self-sowing of flowers or germination in unexpected places with incomplete digging of corms, which can be difficult due to the property of the latter to sink deep due to the pulling roots. In this case, the culture can turn into a weed, however, due to its small size and decorative early spring or late autumn flowering, it usually does not annoy the grower too much.

For greater clarity, below are illustrations of some stages of crocus cultivation, cultivation and care (see photo below).

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