Features of growing crocuses in a pot

Whoever has grown crocuses at least once will no longer exchange it for another option, so much they attract with their tenderness and unusual appearance. Let's take a closer look at the features of growing crocuses in a pot.

Crocuses belong to the genus Saffron of the Iris family. From the Greek language, the name of the plant is translated as a thread, they really have excessively thin leaves, and some varieties have threadlike stigmas, from which the famous spice saffron is made. Crocus flowers look like tulips, wine glasses or an old goblet. They are considered a symbol of youth and love. A low-growing perennial grows no more than 20-25 centimeters. It reproduces in small scaly bulbs of a rounded and slightly flattened shape.

The flower consists of six petals, which, depending on the variety, differ in shape: narrow, linear, tucked up on the sides. The buds can be monochromatic or two-colored, spotted or with a streak-like pattern. A loose flower is no more than 5 centimeters in diameter. There are about 300 varieties of crocuses in the world, some of them are specially grown to obtain confectionery seasoning - saffron.

Dutch varieties are recommended as pot plants. These include the following:

• Prins Claus emits a pleasant and persistent aroma; if the appropriate conditions are created, it can bloom in winter;
• Jeanne D'Arc resembles snowdrops, only with larger flowers, the core of the buds is golden;
• Flower record with a small stem, but voluminous inflorescences of a rich purple color;
• Blue pearl in translation means a pearl of blue color; variety with azure buds, yellow at the base.

As a rule, flower growers do not stop at just one option, they create whole kaleidoscopes from different crocuses on their windowsills. The only condition is not to plant different varieties together in one container, otherwise you can get sprouts of different sizes and non-simultaneous flowering. The following varieties are also suitable as indoor flowers:

• Cream Beauty (soft creamy shade);
• Golden Yellow (hybrid);
• Remembrance (deep purple color);
• Crocus Oxonian (with deep blue buds and golden orange heart).

Before you start growing a crocus, you need to determine the most favorable place for the growth of a potted flower. Crocuses are lovers of light, so they will feel comfortable on the windowsill on the south side of the house. But we must take into account the temperature regime. A balcony can be an ideal place to grow these plants. Moderate coolness in this area of ​​the apartment in the spring will create favorable conditions for development and flowering. By the time the buts appear, the temperature will already be within + 18– + 20 degrees.

Saffron is not considered a whimsical culture. If you follow a number of rules, the plant will grow without much attention. It is only necessary to provide the following conditions:

• adequate lighting;
• temperature regime (not higher than +20 degrees);
• regularly moisten the soil and drain.

Crocus needs more or less lighting at different stages of development. For example, freshly planted bulbs are kept in a dark, cool place. When the sprouts have reached the level of 5 centimeters, have gained strength, they need good lighting, so the pots are placed closer to the sun's rays. They are again rearranged into the shady zone during flowering so that the buds remain open longer.

A flowering plant needs coolness, the air temperature should not be more than 16 degrees Celsius. A higher temperature is already destructive for flowers; after a few hours, petals will begin to fall off.

The number of bulbs planted in it will depend on the size of the pot. Since each head is up to 3 cm in diameter, usually 5-10 bulbs are placed in a container. It is important that they develop freely, without interfering with each other, without touching the inside of the vessel. For this, the pot must be low and wide. In retail outlets, a choice of special containers for bulbs is presented.

The soil should be light (loose). You can use a ready-made flower substrate, but you can easily make the desired composition yourself: mix in equal proportions sod and leaf mixtures together with sand, preferably coarse. It is necessary to fill the bottom with a thick layer of sand, and add soil on top. This option is suitable if the crocus needs to be propagated later. When creating a drainage layer, bricks, tiles, gravel are used.

It depends on the planting material which plant you get in the end. If you pick it up correctly, then there is a guarantee that the crocus will bloom gorgeous. To grow crocuses in pots at home, you will need special Dutch varieties for indoor use. They have large inflorescences that look spectacular in pots, which cannot be said about natural crocuses, low-decorative and small-flowering. Hybrids are also not suitable for potting, since such varieties require special care, without which there is a high probability that they will not bloom, their buds will simply fall off without blooming.

At each stage of development, crocus care is carried out in different ways. In order for it to bloom, you need to pick up the bulbs, save them and plant them correctly, and then strictly observe agrotechnical measures in the care of this species.

Saffron is not a lover of moisture, so it is watered no more than 1-2 times a week, as a dry crust forms on top. In rare cases, watering is acceptable after 2 days. The pallet is promptly freed from excess water, which is glass after moistening the soil in the pot

During the growing season and flowering, the irrigation technology changes: water is poured not from above, but from below into the pan, which is located under the pot. For half an hour, the plants are "drunk" enough, and after the remaining liquid is also removed. Frequent and heavy watering can cause the bulbs to rot.

If you moisten the soil before planting, this will be enough; you should not pour more on the bulb. In the future, irrigation should be carried out in small portions of water and try not to touch the petals during the procedure.

.Immediately after getting into the ground, saffron does not require feeding, and later phosphates and potassium composition are used for fertilization.Such dressings promote strong growth, create the basis for the harmonious formation of buds. They are introduced sequentially in the following cases:

• how the first shoots appeared (potassium and phosphorus in a 2: 1 ratio);
• at the moment of bud formation (potassium and phosphorus ratio 1: 1);
• after the withering of flowers (uniform composition 1: 1).

Crocus feeding is useful only when the plant is in the active phase of its development. During this period, it is necessary to feed the plants with minerals three times. It is worth noting that phosphorus lengthens the flowering time, and potassium "feeds" the bulbs, which helps them overwinter.

Crocus bloom is easy to plan if this process is stimulated. For rooting, saffron is allowed to "sit out" in a cool environment for 3 months, so by a simple calculation you can get fresh buds, for example, for New Year's days. In this case, it is necessary to deal with bulbs from the end of summer or from the beginning of autumn. In order to have fresh flowers in spring, respectively, they are kept longer. Forcing will succeed if you follow the following set of rules:

• plant only one variety in one pot, otherwise the plants will differ in height, and everyone has their own forcing period;
• it is necessary to plant the same bulbs, since large ones bloom earlier;
• in order to preserve flowering, the crocus is moved to a cool place for the night, where the air temperature is no more than 3 degrees Celsius.

Let us consider in more detail the following possible difficulties when growing crocuses in a pot:

• a common mistake of florists when growing crocus is the wrong variety; you need to know that for distillation it is preferable to take spring varieties, work with them begins in the first month of autumn;
• if you water the plant too much, the leaves will begin to turn yellow from this, the bulbs can become infected with foulbrood.
• when buying planting material (bulbs), you need to find out the period of their flowering; spring types of saffron are planted in September, and autumn ones - in summer;
• if crocuses are not properly cared for and protected from adverse factors, their leaves will begin to turn yellow, which can lead to chlorosis.

Often the question arises of how to protect the crocus so that it does not freeze on the balcony. Consider options with an open and closed balcony.

• In open, unprotected conditions, crocus pots create a special shelter. For this, boxes or boxes are used, in which containers with plants are placed, having previously covered the bottom of the prepared container with foam or planks. The free space inside is filled with sawdust, paper or other dry filler. For this case, shavings are well suited. Burlap or bubble wrap is pulled over such a shelter, you can take any non-woven material available.
• If the plants are in a glazed room, you need to make sure that the soil in the pots does not dry out. Flowers need regular watering. In this case, they will not need such specific protection as in the first option, but it will not hurt to "wrap up" the crocuses either.In winter, the pots are not left on the floor, they are placed on special benches or stands, you can wrap them with old knitted things, burlap or other improvised means.

How to plant crocuses, see below.