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Growing Crocus


Gold Post Medal for All Time! 858 Posts
March 16, 2006
Purple and white crocus blooms.

Botanical Name:

Crocus

Life Cycle:

Perennial bulb

Planting Time:

Spring or fall, for blooms in 4-6 months.

Height:

3 to 6 inches

Exposure:

Full sun
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Soil:

Poor to average, well-drained soil

Hardiness:

Zones 3 to 9

Bloom Time:

Early spring or early fall

Flower:

Yellow, purple, lavender and white blooms

Foliage:

Green

Propagation:

Corms

Suggested Use:

Beds, borders and containers

Growing Hints:

Buy spring flowering crocus corms to plant in the fall (or vice versa). Plant in groups of a dozen or more for the best show. Plant them at a depth of 3 to 4 inches spaced about 3 inches apart.

Interesting Facts:

The small red parts in the center of each crocus sativa bloom are the source of saffron; the spice used to add delicate flavor to dishes or used to color food yellow. To save your own saffron: after your crocus blooms, remove and dry the red stigma from the flower and store in an airtight container.

Note: There are many varieties of crocus. Make sure you have the correct variety, Crocus Sativa, before you try using the stigmas for cooking. Some varieties of crocus are poisonous.

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11 Questions

Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.

March 16, 2006
Q: I just received a gift of potted Crocus. Of course, I hope to be able to plant these outside, and I am curious as to the best way to do this. The ground is frozen right now obviously. Do I plant them in spring right from the pot or is there some special care I should take?

Hardiness Zone: 5a

Thanks for all help. :)
Leslie from Barrie, Ontario

A: Leslie,

You can plant your crocus bulbs in the spring or wait until fall and plant them as though they were new bulbs. The longer you keep the plants green this spring, the stronger the bulbs will be going into next year.

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After they bloom, cut the flower stems back. When the leaves turn yellow and start to die back, reduce watering. Once the leaves die back altogether, discontinue watering and let the soil dry out. Remove the bulbs from the pot and trim off the dead foliage.

Store the bulbs in a cool, dry place until fall. Mesh or paper bags work best to prevent bulbs from getting moldy. In the fall, plant the bulbs 3-4 inches deep in full sun. They may be a bit undersized or flower poorly the first year, but they should come back fine the second year.

Answers

By Kim (Guest Post)
February 24, 20060 found this helpful

Years ago on a radio plant show, I heard the advice that if it blooms in the spring, plant it in the fall. If it blooms in the fall, plant it in the spring. Either way, your crocus will bloom.

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The first year in the ground might just be greens but next year the blooms will come. I'm also a zone 5 person and have luck with crocus, except when the squirrels get at the bulbs.

 
By Kim (Guest Post)
February 24, 20060 found this helpful

Leslie, I didn't answer all questions you asked. Yes, you can take them out of the pot and plant them right in the ground. No special needs. Even if you plant the bulbs upside down, they'll still grow towards the top. If I couldn't tell which way was the top, I planted them sideways. They still grew!

 
By Carol (Guest Post)
March 17, 20060 found this helpful

I always plant my forced spring bulbs or East flowers in the spring rather than waiting until fall. It doesnt seem to hurt them... and I dont risk forgetting about them or having to store them.. It just seems easier for me...

 
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April 16, 2006

My crocus bulbs are only shooting up leaves. Does this mean the bulb is old and needs to be replanted with new bulbs?

Hardiness Zone: 5a

Patti from Ontario Canada

Answers


Silver Post Medal for All Time! 255 Posts
December 4, 20170 found this helpful

Sometimes they do that if planted too deep.

 

Gold Post Medal for All Time! 677 Posts
December 5, 20170 found this helpful

You may have to divide the bulbs if there are too many.

 
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Photos

Check out these photos.


Gold Post Medal for All Time! 523 Posts
March 13, 2017

I mentioned earlier I had gotten several bags of crocus corms for about a fourth the original price. Not a bad deal, especially considering each bulb is already making three or four more clones of itself.

Crocus the Herald Of Spring - yellow flower

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March 16, 2011

The first crocus are blooming! I'm so excited to see these delicate beauties popping up in the yard. My husband picked one, and I got to use my little window vase.

Crocus in hanging bottle.

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April 3, 2007

This is my Valentine collection of red tulips and white crocus. We just had a rain and then the sun came out. I love taking pictures with raindrops on the plants!

Valentine Collection of Tulips and Crocus

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March 23, 2009

Spring Has Sprung!

Gardening: Spring Crocus Blooms

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Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 107 Posts
March 6, 2012

No matter what type of winter we have, I always feel hopeful that spring is near when I see the beautiful crocus burst forth into bloom.

Crocus (North Carolina)

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March 13, 2008

I drove by this house in my neighborhood this week and I just had to stop and take a picture. It looked like a sea of purple crocus. I guess Spring is finally here!

Sea of Crocus

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April 17, 2012

I love seeing the early Spring flowers pop up as winter fades away. Here are some crocus and hyacinth photos I took recently that I thought you might like. Enjoy!

Hyacinth in Spring

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March 16, 2011

The first crocus are blooming! I'm so excited to see these delicate beauties popping up in the yard. My husband picked one, and I got to use my little window vase.

Light purple crocus bloom.

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