Crocus

Crocus (Crocus) is a bulbous plant from the Iris family. These flowers are also known as saffron. In natural conditions, such plants can be found almost throughout Europe, in the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries, as well as in some Asian states. In this case, the habitats of crocuses are usually steppes, meadows or woodlands.

The word "crocus" itself in Greek means "thread". Its middle name, "saffron" is Arabic, and translates as "yellow", referring to the color of the flower stigma. Crocus is a fairly ancient flower. Mentions about him are found in the papyrus manuscripts of philosophers and healers of Ancient Egypt.

The genus unites about 80 species; on their basis, breeders have obtained several hundred different varieties of crocus. In horticulture, crocus is valued as an elegant primrose, but at the same time, a considerable number of crocus species bloom not in spring, but in autumn. Usually they are used in group plantings: these flowers grow rapidly, forming a continuous field. They will look no less impressive in the company of other primroses or ground cover plants. Sometimes rockeries or alpine slides are decorated with crocuses.

Crocuses are appreciated not only by flower growers. For many hundreds of years, chefs from all over the world have used these plants in their culinary recipes. After all, saffron is a valuable spice of bright orange color - nothing more than the stigma of crocus flowers.

Crocus description

Crocus is a miniature plant: its height rarely exceeds 10 cm. Its bulbs have a slightly flattened shape, but they can also be rounded. The maximum width of each is about 3 cm. From above, the corms are covered with a layer of scales. Fibrous roots grow from each bulb in a bunch.

Plants do not form shoots. Together with the appearance of flowers or a little later, they grow narrow basal foliage, collected in a bunch and pressed against scales.

The flowers are goblet in shape and up to 5 cm in diameter. Their color can be quite varied: cream, yellow or orange, white. There are also lilac, lilac, purple and blue flowers. Each of them is located on a small bare peduncle covered with thin scales. There are varietal forms with multi-colored petals. The flowering period usually lasts about 2-3 weeks.

Numerous species and varieties of crocuses are classified into 15 groups.

Planting crocuses in open ground

The best time to plant

The exact timing of planting crocus bulbs depends on the period of their flowering. So plants that bloom in the spring must be planted in the beds in the fall. Autumn-flowering crocus varieties can be planted during the summer. But the requirements for places for placement do not differ from them.A sunny corner is suitable for crocus, although these plants do well even in sufficient shade. The soil for planting should be light and nutritious, and not too acidic. Dry and loose soils are suitable, in which water does not stagnate. To provide a drainage layer, sand is applied to the bed, but fine gravel is also suitable. When preparing the beds, you can add to the soil and organic matter. For this, compost, rotted (not fresh) manure or lime are mixed with peat. Clay soil can be supplemented with wood ash.

Some crocus species are only able to thrive well in dry ground. Wet beds will not work for them: it is best to use raised beds. Drainage for such high flower beds is made of crushed stone or gravel.

Before planting, all crocus bulbs must be carefully examined, taking away the affected or dented ones.

Planting in autumn

For crocuses to bloom next spring, they must be planted in September. Dig up the future bed properly. The depth of the planting hole is calculated based on the size of the bulbs: it should exceed it by about 2 times. If the soil in the garden bed is too dense and heavy, one size deepening will suffice. Moreover, the deeper the bulb is planted, the larger it will become, but the smaller the foliage will be. Typically, deep planting is practiced to obtain large, suitable for forcing bulbs. For quick reproduction, the bulbs should not be buried so deeply.

The distance between the holes should be about 8-10 cm. Planting that is too close may require an earlier planting. Usually, saffron grows in one place for about 4-5 years. During this time, each bulb forms a row of children, occupying the surrounding space. After the crocus plot turns into a dense carpet, the flowers are planted. The planted corms are properly watered.

Forcing crocuses in winter

In the cold season, garden flowers are often grown at home. Bulbous plants are considered one of the most suitable for this, including crocuses. The forcing process allows you to enjoy the sight of their flowers at the chosen time, without waiting for spring. For her, it is recommended to choose large-flowered varieties of crocuses.

Of all the bulbs, about 10 pieces of a similar size are selected. They are planted in a large, wide, but not deep container. As a substrate, you can use any sufficiently loose soil of a neutral reaction, in which water does not stagnate. In it, the onions can sprout and form a real mini-bouquet.

After flowering, the corms are not thrown away. The plantings continue to be watered and lightly fed. When the foliage begins to turn yellow, watering begins to decrease until it stops altogether. After complete drying of the aboveground part, the onions are pulled out of the ground and cleaned of soil residues. Then they are wrapped in napkins and put in a cardboard box, which will be stored in a dry and unlit place until the autumn planting in the garden.

Crocus care in the garden

Crocuses do not require complex outdoor care. They are watered only after a winter with little snow or a complete absence of rain in spring. The height of the flowers depends on the amount of moisture in the soil. But at the same time, crocuses are drought-resistant plants. In the summer, when crocuses begin to dormant, they are not watered at all. The flower bed should be periodically loosened to improve air flow to the roots, and also to clear the area of ​​weeds.

Top dressing

Crocuses should be fertilized during growth, but fresh organic compounds are not recommended to be introduced into the soil. Mineral mixtures containing more potassium and phosphorus are preferred. On the other hand, nitrogen fertilization should be reduced. An excess of this element, combined with the rainy season, can lead to the development of fungal infections.

The first feeding of crocuses is carried out at the very beginning of spring, even in the snow.For this, a complex mineral composition is suitable (up to 40 g per 1 square meter). The saffron is then fertilized at the time of blooming, using a product with a lower percentage of nitrogen.

When the foliage of crocuses that bloom in spring begins to turn yellow, you can stop caring for them until the beginning of autumn or until the bulb is removed. Autumn-flowering varieties begin to form buds only in September.

Transfer

You shouldn't dig up saffron bulbs before wintering every year, but you shouldn't completely forget about this procedure. Typically, the bulbs are harvested every 3-4 years. This is done in the summer, after the flowers have retired. During this period, each onion increases significantly in size and grows overgrown with smaller baby onions. Their number may depend on a specific variety and can be up to 10 pieces per year. Varietal flowers form more babies. As a result, the plantings become too crowded, and the size of the flowers that appear begin to shrink.

Crocus transplants are usually carried out every 4-5 years. If the bulbs are needed for reproduction or transplanting, you can dig them up more often. Usually, spring-flowering varieties are extracted from mid-summer to autumn. Autumn is taken out of the ground throughout the summer.

The dug out onions are dried, cleaned of damaged scales and dried roots. Sick specimens must be thrown away, and the resulting injuries and wounds must be treated with ash or crushed coal. Then the bulbs are put in bags or boxes and sent to be stored in a dry and cool enough place. There they will stay until the next disembarkation.

Crocus breeding methods

The most common breeding method for crocuses is the separation of daughter bulbs during transplantation. The resulting onions are planted according to the same principles as the mother ones. But such a crocus will not bloom immediately, but only after 3-4 years. Spring-flowering species can also propagate by seeds. Seeds of autumn species grown in mid-latitudes do not have time to fully mature before the onset of cold weather.

Seed material can be collected by yourself or purchased at a flower shop. But in this case, saffron will begin to form buds even later - in 4-5 years. Due to the long waiting times, the method has not gained much popularity. However, it is practiced to produce rare varieties of plants.

Fresh seeds are considered the most viable, but even they need processing. They should be dipped into a stimulant solution, and then into a pale solution of potassium permanganate. A 3-week stratification will help speed up germination during spring planting. For this, the seeds are sown in sand and the container is placed in the refrigerator. In other cases, the seeds can be simply soaked. With podzimny sowing, they stratify over the winter.

In the spring, you can sow such seeds for seedlings. After removing the seeds from the refrigerator, the container is covered with foil and rearranged to light and warm. The moisture content of the substrate must be monitored and not forgotten about airing. When the sprouts are strong, you can plant them in your own pots. They are planted on the beds after the establishment of warm weather. With direct sowing into the ground, seedlings will appear a little later. At first, the area with crops can be covered with spunbond.

You can sow seeds before winter. The garden bed for them is harvested in September, after the end of all procedures, the seeds are sown, bypassing stratification.

Seed propagation of spring species can often lead to self-seeding. In this case, crocuses can begin to appear far from their own garden and gradually turn into a garden weed. But the small size of plants and the decorativeness of their flowers most often do not make such self-seeding a big problem.

Pests and diseases

If the basic requirements for care are observed, crocuses practically do not get sick and show sufficient resistance to pests. But field mice feeding on bulbs can affect plantings. They are considered the main flower enemy.If there are such rodents on the site, do not leave the planting material outside. When the onions are left unattended, it is worth putting them in boxes or at least egg cuvettes. You can insure plantings against damage using special baskets.

Sometimes the onions can be affected by the wireworm. This pest is a beetle larva and often makes holes in bulbs, tubers or roots. If wireworms appear in large numbers, traps can be arranged for them. In early May, bunches of last year's grass, hay or straw are laid out on the beds. They are abundantly moistened, and boards are laid on top. After such preparations, the larvae can gather in the grass, after which it is pulled out and burned. Repeat the steps if necessary.

Another pest of crocuses is slugs. They are collected by hand.

Many garden pests can transmit viral diseases. These include aphids, thrips and even mice. Affected plants can be recognized by the external signs of the disease. The flowers of such crocuses are slightly flattened and not fully open, and there are gray specks on their petals. Affected crocuses will have to be dug up and burned, otherwise you can infect neighboring specimens. The land where they grew is spilled with a hot and dark solution of manganese.

Mistakes in crocus care can lead to the appearance of fungal diseases, rot and fusarium. Such diseases spread especially quickly in rainy and warm weather. The development of rot is also facilitated by stagnation of water in the area. Before planting the onions, it is necessary to check them thoroughly, as when digging up crocuses. Mechanical lesions must be treated with crushed coal, and then the bulbs are dried in the heat. Preventive treatment also gives good results. Before planting, all the onions are etched with a fungicidal solution.

Crocuses after flowering

Not all gardeners know exactly how to deal with plantings after flowering. When the crocuses have faded, their peduncles must be removed. The foliage is not touched at the same time. It nourishes the bulb, while it looks quite decorative and can last for several more months.

Over time, the foliage will begin to turn yellow and dry. After completely drying, the onions of the spring species can be removed from the soil if necessary. After drying, they are stored until autumn disembarkation. This procedure can be carried out only when the plantings are thickened. If the bulbs were planted a year or two ago and there are gaps between the saffron, the seating can wait. But for the winter, a plot with flowers can be insulated with mulch. To do this, a good layer of fallen leaves or peat is laid on top of the garden bed.

When to dig up the bulbs

Spring-flowering crocus varieties begin their development cycle at the very end of February. At this time, they begin to form foliage. The cycle ends around June - the plants begin to go to rest. By the fall, such saffron wakes up again. This time they have is intended for the accumulation of nutrients and the growth of the root system. In the same period, the points are finally formed, from which the aerial part of the flower will begin to develop in the next season. Usually the dormant period lasts from late June to late summer. It is during the rest that the onions can be dug up.

Autumn flower species begin to develop in August. Such crocuses first bloom, then form leaves and begin to form a corm. The resting period of such saffron begins a month earlier than that of spring saffron. If they need to be transplanted, this is done throughout the summer, trying to complete all procedures by mid-August.

Bulbs storage rules

The extracted crocus bulbs must be placed in the shade. There they are dried, and then cleaned of soil residues, dried scales and dry roots. Ready onions are folded in a box or box, freely placing them in 1 layer. Small baby bulbs can be stored in small candy boxes.It is necessary to store the corms at a temperature of 22 degrees, otherwise they will not be able to lay flower buds. Starting in August, the temperature in the room must be reduced, first to 20 degrees, and after a week - to 15 degrees.

In an ordinary house, it is quite difficult to comply with all the necessary conditions for storing crocus bulbs. This is only possible in growing centers. Most often, bulbs are simply stored in a dark, dry and well-ventilated place at average room temperature.

Types and varieties of crocuses with photos and names

A huge number of crocus varieties are conventionally divided into 15 main groups. The first of them includes only autumn-flowering varieties, and all the rest are represented by spring-flowering ones.

It is on the basis of spring crocus species that most of the modern hybrid and varietal forms have been bred. Most often, their authors are breeders from Holland. The most common and sought-after varieties for sale form their own line of Dutch hybrids. Another common collection of commercial crocuses is called Chrysanthus. Such plants are the result of crossing golden and two-flowered saffron, as well as their hybrids.

Spring blooming crocuses

Spring crocus (Crocus vernus)

The species has been used in culture since the 16th century; it is a fairly tall bush up to 17 cm high. It has flattened onions covered with a network of scales. The foliage is narrow, rich green, with an elegant light vertical stripe. The flowers are a bit like bells and have a long tube. Their color is milky or lilac. Each corm is capable of forming up to 2 flowers. The period of their appearance falls on the spring months and lasts almost 3 weeks.

Crocus biflorus

In its natural environment, this species is found from Iran to the Apennine Peninsula. It also lives in the Caucasus and Crimea. This crocus is notable for its multi-colored petals and is presented in several types of natural coloration. The first is bluish petals, decorated with dark spots on the outside. The second is completely white flowers. The third is white petals decorated with mauve stripes. The fourth is the petals, white on the inside and brownish-purple on the outside. In this case, the throat of the flowers has a white or yellow color.

Golden crocus (Crocus chrysanthus)

The species lives in Asia Minor or the Balkans, choosing mountain slopes for growth. Has a fairly large (about 20 cm) size. The corm of such a crocus is slightly flattened, spherical. The foliage is narrow and elongated. The flowers are golden yellow. The perianths are slightly bent, their outer side has a glossy sheen. Some forms of such a flower have brownish stripes or stains on the petals. The anther of the golden crocus is orange, and the posts are painted in a light red tone. This saffron blooms in April and lasts about 3 weeks.

The species has been represented in culture since the middle of the 19th century. Its main varieties:

• Blue Bonnet - flowers up to 3 cm in size, with a yellowish throat and pale blue petals.
• I. Gee. Bowels - especially large flowers. The outer side of their petals is grayish, while the inside is bright yellow.
• Nanette - the petals have a yellowish-cream shade, they have purple stripes on the outside.

Crocus tommasinianus

The species lives in some countries of Eastern Europe. Most often grows in hilly areas, as well as under deciduous trees. The perianths of such a crocus have a pale lilac hue and can be decorated with a light border around the edges. The blossoming flowers resemble a star in their shape and have a snow-white mouth. The tube is also white. Each corm forms no more than 3 flowers. Their height reaches 6 cm. The species blooms in April, after which flowering lasts up to 20 days.

Crocus Tomasini is considered one of the most common.It has been cultivated since the middle of the 19th century. Among the leading varieties:

• Lilac Beauty - with very wide-opening flowers, as they bloom, they become almost completely flat. Their diameter reaches 3 cm. The lobes are relatively narrow, slightly oval and elongated. Outside, they have a lilac color, and inside they are paler. The anthers are yellow.
• Whitewell Purple - The petals of this variety are also widely spread. Their color is purple, and the size reaches 4 cm.The tube is white, its size is about 3.5 cm.

The list of spring-flowering crocus species grown in horticulture also includes:

• Adam - funnel-shaped flowers of different tones of purple.
• Alataevsky is a Central Asian species. The petals are white on the inside and brownish or pale purple on the outside.
• Ankyra is a Turkish variety. The flowers are yellow-orange.
• Geufel is the largest spring saffron. Found in Transcarpathia. The perianth is purple.
• Dalmatian - has blue petals with a yellow heart and purple strokes on the outer surface.
• Yellow - Balkan crocus with spectacular orange petals.
• Siebera is a tiny Greek species. The color can be pinkish-lilac, white-striped or purple with a light yellow stripe.
• Imperate - found in southern Italy. The perianths are lilac or light-colored on the inside, and on the outside they are bronze, striped.
• Korolkova - with yellow-orange flowers.
• Corsican - lavender petals that have stripes of purple on the outside.
• Crimean - the petals are light lilac, less often purple on the inside, and on the outside they are decorated with stripes.
• Malia - forms white-pink flowers with specks outside at the base.
• The smallest - forms small blue flowers with purple specks.
• Reticulated - grows in Asia Minor, but can also be found in Europe. Perianths are pale purple on the inside and striped on the outside.
• Narrow-leaved - considered one of the oldest cultivated saffron. The color of the petals is yellow, with prominent strokes on the outside of the lobes.
• Fleishera is a Turkish variety, blooms white, sometimes has purple stripes.
• Etruscan is an unpretentious species with purple-bluish flowers.

Autumn blooming crocuses

Beautiful crocus (Crocus speciosus)

The species lives in the mountain forests of the Balkans and in the Crimea, it is also found in Asia Minor. It has been used in culture since the beginning of the 19th century. It has long foliage up to 30 cm. The flowers are purple-lilac in color. Their size is quite large - up to 7 cm. The surface of the petals is decorated with purple veins. Garden subspecies of this crocus have petals colored in white, deep blue, blue or lilac in varying degrees of intensity. The buds appear in September. Famous varieties include:

• Albus is a variety with white petals and a cream-colored tube.
• Artabir - with pale blue petals. Bracts have dark streaks.
• Oksinan is a variety with bluish purple flowers. The perianth is wide enough and dark in color. The foliage is pointed, slightly bent.

Cute crocus (Crocus pulchellus)

One of the most decorative types of saffron. It has light purple flowers with more intense stripes. Their size reaches 8 cm in diameter, and each flower can grow up to 10 cm in height. One bush forms up to 10 buds. Flowering falls in September or October. The species is considered frost-resistant and is able to successfully tolerate minor frosts.

Banat crocus (Crocus banaticus)

The species has been cultivated since the beginning of the 17th century. In natural conditions, it lives in the regions of the Carpathians, is found in the Balkans, as well as in Romania. It was named after one of the historical areas of this region. The bush forms narrow leaf blades up to 15 cm in length. They are grayish-silvery in color. The flowers are pale lilac, with yellow anthers painted in yellow. When flowering, the bush can grow up to 14 cm in height.On the outer side of the perianth, there are longer petals up to 4.5 cm in size, on the inside - more miniature and narrow.

Autumn flowering species also include:

• Holoflower is a Franco-Spanish species. The petals are colored purple.
• Gulimi is Greek saffron. The flowers are lavender-blue.
• Yellow-white - creamy petals with a rich yellow heart.
• Cartwright is another Greek variety that has lavender-tinged blue petals. There are also white-flowered variations.
• Kardukhor - has perianths of a purple hue, the inner side is lighter.
• Kochi - with lilac-lavender petals decorated with stripes.
• Pallasa - pinkish-lilac flowers.
• Late - with dark bluish lavender petals.
• Ethmoid - bluish perianths with purple stripes on the outside.
• Medium - forms small lilac flowers.
• Holmovy - the perianths are white and have thin purple stripes.
• Sharoyan - has a yellow-saffron color, rare for autumn species.

Large-flowered crocuses, or Dutch hybrids

These saffron varieties are very undemanding to care for, and are also quite fertile. The period of appearance of their flowers is in the spring, while they are much larger than the flowers of natural species. The first of these varieties were obtained at the very end of the 19th century. Today their number is about 50 varieties. Based on the color of the petals, all hybrids are divided into the following groups:

• The first one includes white-flowered varieties. This also includes varieties with predominantly white petals, at the base of which there are specks or specks.
• The second - this includes varieties that have petals of a purple palette, including lilac or lilac colors.
• The third - includes varieties with a multicolor color, specks, stripes or a net on the petals.

Hybrid crocuses bloom later than usual - in May. Flowering lasts no more than 17 days. The following varieties are recommended for growing in the middle lane:

• Albion - in shape, the buds are similar to a glass. Their sizes reach 4 cm in diameter. The petals are white. The lobes of the flower are rounded. There is a purple line on a tube up to 5 cm in size.
• Vanguard - forms flowers that open in the form of a bowl. Their color is lilac-blue, and their size reaches 4 cm. At the base there is a scattering of darker small specks. The tube is up to 4.5 cm long and has the same color as the petals themselves.
• Jubilee - has petals of a blue tint with a subtle purple sheen. At their base there is a fairly clear lilac speck, and their edge is shaded by a thin pale border. The tube reaches 5.5 cm and has a light lilac color.
• Kathleen Parlow - has white petals that form like a bowl. The size of the flowers is about 4 cm. Near the base, on the inner lobes, there are small streaks of lilac color. The tube is white, up to 5 cm long.
• Sniper Banner - forms goblet buds that are up to 4 cm in size. Oval-shaped lobes have a mesh color. Outside, their color is light, lilac-gray, and inside they are decorated with a rich lilac mesh. At the base there is a noticeable spot of a lilac shade. The tube has the same color and reaches 4 cm.

Chrysanthus

This selection of hybrids also blooms in spring. It was formed by crossing golden saffron with two-flowered and their hybrid forms. Compared to Dutch hybrids, Chrysanthus have smaller flowers. Moreover, among such plants, there are more varieties with pale blue or yellow petals. Among the common varieties of Chrysanthus:

• Gypsy Girl - forms wide-opening cupped flowers. They reach in size up to 3.5 cm. Outside, the petals have a yellow-cream color, and inside they are yellow, with a darker throat. On the outside, the lobes have medium-sized brown spots.A cream tube with small greyish-purple stripes up to 3 cm in length.
• Lady Killer - forms cupped flowers that take a flat shape. They are about 3 cm in diameter. The elongated lobes are painted white inside. The inner row of petals is white on the outside, and on the outer row this side is dark purple, complemented by a white border. There is a small bluish spot near their base. The buds have a pronounced purple color, and the tube is the same color with a purple sheen. It is up to 3 cm long.
• Marietta - flowers open very wide and reach 3.5 cm in diameter. The lobes are narrowish, rich cream, with a yellow throat. A brownish-green spot is located near the base of the lobes of the outer circle. Outside, they are covered with dark lilac stripes. The tube is pale, gray-green, up to 3 cm long.
• Saturnus - flowers open wide, reaching 3.5 cm in diameter.The upper parts of the lobes of the outer circle are slightly elongated. Their color is yellow-cream. The throat has a bright yellow tint. Outside, near the base, there is a brownish-green spot. The parts of the outer circle are complemented by numerous lilac strokes. The tube is gray-green, about 2.5 cm.

Among the new products on the market:

• Ai Catcher is a miniature variety, inside the petals are snow-white, and outside they have a lilac color and a white border. The throat is colored yellow.
• Miss Wayne - white petals and yellow stigma.
• Skyline - delicate lilac petals, decorated with brighter strokes and stripes on the outside.
• Zwanenburg Bronze - with bright yellow-brown petals.