Crocus large-flowered Jeanne d'Arc. Crocuses in a pot and open ground - a complete instruction for growing and caring. Crocuses after flowering

Crocuses or saffron - undersized plant, the flowers of which are expelled on a short peduncle, without leaves. The plant flowers for about 2-3 weeks a year, usually in spring. There are more than 15 groups of crocus varieties that vary in flower size and color.

Outwardly, crocuses are somewhat similar to tulips, only more miniature. The bulbs are edible, and the stamens are used to make spices such as saffron.

Kinds

Spring crocuses:

*Crocus vernus*	Description: the leaves are narrow, the flower of a shade typical for the plant is lilac or white. Tall, over 17 cm.
*Crocus biflorus*	Description: translated from Latin - two-flowered, white - lilac glasses, with a yellow or white spot in the throat.
*Crocus chrysanthus* Subspecies: Blue Bonnet; Nannet; I. G. Bowels.	Description: The leaves are narrow, the flowers are a cheerful golden color, accentuated by orange anthers.
Crocus tommasinianus Subspecies: Lylek Beauty; Whitewell Purple.	Description: leaves are pinkish, with a white border, flowers in the form of a star, white-lilac. The length of the flowers is only 6 cm, but more than three flowers are expelled from one bulb.

In climatic conditions middle lane feel the best spring dutch hybrids , such as:

Albion(white flowers with purple strokes);
vanguard(bluish flowers, alternation of light and dark petals, in group plantings creating the effect of stripes);
Jubilee(blue flowers, with a slight purple tinge);
Blue Pearl(very light, translucent iridescent with thickening blue shadows);
Kathleen Parlow(distinct white fragile flowers with barely noticeable lilac strokes).

Crocus Vanguard

Sort Blue Pearl

You should also pay attention to hybrids of the species Chrysanthus . Especially popular are such spring hybrids as

Gypsy Girl(yellowish-cream flowers);
Marietta(dark lilac with creamy stripes);
Lady Killer(white - purple flowers);
Saturnus(yellow flowers).

autumn crocuses :

Crocus speciosus

Subspecies:

Albus;
Artabir;
Oksinan.

Description: pale green leaves, pale purple flowers, with numerous stripes of a darker color, orange anther.

Crocus pulchellus

Description: light green leaves, purple flowers with dark stripes. The flowers are low, but 5-10 flowers are expelled from each bulb.

Crocus banaticus

Description: silvery leaves, light - lilac flowers, yellow anthers. The flower is tall - 15 cm.

Buying bulbs

It is better to buy crocus bulbs either in special nurseries or in online stores where they are cheaper. About how much this or that varietal bulb costs, it is better to find out in advance. The average price is about 110-130 rubles. for five bows. Start of sales - autumn.

Currently, you can order varieties such as

Kim Beauty (white flowers with a delicate, yellowish center);
Flower Record (classic purple crocus);
Crocus Jeanne d'Arc (white crocus with a yellow core);
Crocus Pickwick (gentle - lilac crocus, with white veins);
Prince Claus (very beautiful white - purple crocus);
Yellow Mammos (yellow crocus).

In online stores you can buy not only bulbs, but also crocus seeds. True, growing from seeds is much more difficult (flowering - only in the 4th year).

Part 1. Crocuses in the open field

Crocuses, which should open and bloom in spring, are usually planted in autumn (in September-October; they will sprout in late April - early May, and bloom in late May under favorable climatic conditions) in open ground, and those that should bloom in autumn are planted summer (late June - early July).

The earth must be light. You can mix sand into the soil, which will perform the function of drainage. Peat, standing manure, must also be mixed into the soil. remember, that acidic soils don't like flowers. Ash can be added to clay soil.

For different types it is necessary to form different beds. For those who do not like moisture, the beds should be high, it is better to use gravel as the first layer.

The question of where to plant crocus is easy to answer. It is better to choose a sunny site for planting, although many flower growers say that flowers feel good in partial shade.

Check carefully before boarding planting material. The bulbs should be elastic, the scales are not damaged, the root lobe is well developed.

Bulb Planting Depth should be double its size. But it makes sense to focus on your feelings. If the soil is heavy and dense, then it can be planted at a depth exceeding the bulb by one size.

Distance between bulbs should not exceed 7-10 centimeters. This will be quite enough for the flower to feel comfortable and develop normally (remember that the crocus bulb quickly overgrows with “children”, gradually the whole garden will be one continuous flowering carpet). After planting, the bed must be thoroughly shed.

Crocuses usually grow in one place for about 5 years, then they need to be transplanted.

Caring for flowers is quite simple, they are not whimsical and do not need any special events. Watering is necessary if the winter was not snowy, and the spring and summer were dry. Periodically, the bed must be loosened, cleaned of weeds. From mineral fertilizers, preference should be given to potassium or phosphorus, crocus does not like nitrogenous combinations. They can provoke fungal diseases. The first dressing must be carried out immediately after the appearance of the first leaves, the second - during flowering.

Crocuses are quite resistant to various diseases, especially when proper care. But rodents love to feast on bulbs. Therefore, it is necessary to protect the garden from these pests.

Often starts in bulbs wireworm. For these insects, it is best to prepare traps, which are damp boards laid on hay or straw (traps are best done at a time when the leaves have not yet appeared or they have already fallen off).

Sometimes, during the flowering period, slugs appear on crocuses. They will have to be collected by hand.

If you find unopened rotten plants, then they must be removed from the garden. This is a sign of a viral disease. Such plants can infect the entire garden and the bulbs will be destroyed. The soil on which such flowers grew is best treated with a strong infusion of potassium permanganate, preferably hot.

In order to avoid infection of plants with various fungal diseases, it is necessary to keep the bulbs in a fungicide solution for some time.

Crocuses are planted once every three to five years.(if the crocuses are too early, just treat the bed immediately after the leaves turn yellow and cover it for the winter, for example, with sawdust). It all depends on the particular variety. Bulbs are dug up immediately after the leaves begin to turn yellow and die. The “daughters” are separated from the main bulbs, the rotten bulbs are rejected, the damaged ones are treated with ash, dried in the open air and sent for storage. Consider a ventilation system in the storage area so that the bulbs do not rot and dry out.

spring crocuses dig in early July.

autumn crocuses dig in early August.

Digging, of course, is associated with the reproduction of crocuses. It is better to propagate these flowers vegetatively, that is, with the help of bulbs - "daughters". They will not bloom immediately, but in the third year. You can, of course, use the seed method. But plants grown from seeds bloom in the fifth year. In addition, the seed method is only suitable for spring-flowering plants; in our conditions, autumn-flowering plants do not have time to ripen from seeds.

Crocuses are often used for decoration. Crocuses are planted in lawns among trees and shrubs, they are planted in the form of a “live” green border during decoration. They also look great among, which emphasize the tenderness of the flower.

Crocuses look great on, they can also be planted next to

tulips;
daffodils;
hyacinths;
lilies of the valley.

Part 2. Growing in an apartment

Some flower growers grow crocuses in the apartment. For forcing a good plant, you must use large-flowered dutch varieties . It is best to take shallow, but wide pots, use special soil that is already enriched with all the necessary minerals. From 5 to 7 bulbs are planted in one pot, quite densely.

After flowering, the bulbs are not removed from the ground, they continue to be watered (about once a week) and fed. When the leaves fall off, the bulbs must be removed from the ground, cleaned from the ground, wrapped in clean paper napkins, put in a box and stored in a dark, dark place.

Crocuses for forcing

For forcing at home, large-flowered varieties are best suited (they feel best at home):

Joan of Arc,
Striped Beauty,
Grand Leela,
Pickwick.

Variety Jeanne d'Arc.

Several large bulbs are planted in one container (you can buy a mix of bulbs and end up with a small but very bright clearing), which are pre-prepared: kept in a cool place for about three months. Landing is better at the end of October.

The soil for distillation is prepared as follows:

the bottom of the pot is lined with expanded clay;
then put the substrate ( tree land, leaf land);

The bulb is placed so that it does not come into contact with either its walls or other bulbs. Then it is completely covered with a substrate, watered abundantly and kept in a cool room, again, about three months.

The distillation process starts if:

height of sprouts more than 5 cm;
shoots to the touch do not seem empty;
the roots came out drainage holes landing capacity.

If all these signs are present, move the crocus relatively warm room, into the light(it is best to keep the crocus on the windowsill). To make indoor crocuses bloom longer, take them back to a cool room at night. Usually, after forcing, they bloom for about three weeks.

How to water flowering crocuses

Water them once or twice a week a little bit, as the flower is quite susceptible to excessive moisture.

Breeding crocuses at home is not difficult if you follow all the rules.

If you presented a blooming crocus in a pot, you must perform the following 7 simple steps:

wait until the crocus blooms;
water until the leaves wither and die;
keep the bulb in a pot for about 8 weeks;
take out the bulb, clean it from the ground;
if there are "daughters", carefully separate them from the main bulb;
treat wounds or sores with ash;
wrap in a napkin;
send to a dark, cool place.

In October, you should start forcing crocus. Act according to the instructions that are presented in the article above and then the question of how to save the crocus will disappear by itself.

Crocuses after flowering

What to do with purchased crocus after flowering? You can throw it away, or you can save it and not spend money on buying planting material in the future. More details in the material of the video blog "About plants".

Early spring. Around the black earth. But after hibernation, the first sprouts appear.
Crocuses are one of the primroses that delight the eye after the snow melts.
On the eve of March 8 in pot markets you can see bright flowers. Want one for your windowsill? Take care of forcing.

The forcing process is not complicated.

You'll need:
- bulbs;
- bowl;
- Earth.

For my experience, I chose snow-white crocuses. The variety is called Joan of Arc in honor of the French national heroine.
I bought Dutch bulbs in Castorama for 88 rubles.
1 pack contains 10 bulbs.

The bulbs are packed in a ventilated (with holes) frosted bag with a cardboard information plate.

It is impossible to consider the quality of the bulbs in the store.

From the table you can find out: size, number of bulbs, tips for planting in open ground.

distillation.
Preparation in distillation begins at the end of September to October. Some plants can be planted for distillation in November.
First you need to inspect the bulb. We look at the subject of irregularities, diseases.
Heads got caught good quality. They have no damage. The color of the heads is even, dark brown. The bulbs are dense, without sprouted roots.

First you need to harden the bulbs. Bulbs are placed in a cool place with a temperature of about 3-9 degrees. This temperature is easy to maintain in a refrigerator or basement. Hardening lasts about a month.
The hardening period turned out to be short - about 3 weeks. Then I took the bulbs out of a cool place and planted them in a wide bowl.
The bulbs should be about half sunk into the ground. After planting in bowls, the flowers must be removed in a cool place. This is done to artificially create "normal" natural conditions; develop root system plants.
I planted bulbs at the end of October. For some time I had to support the pots in the refrigerator until cool weather set in.

You need to get the bulbs 2 weeks before the scheduled date.

Do you want flowers by February 14th? Bring flowers at the end of January.
Would you like a bouquet of crocuses by March 8? Submit in mid-February.

In October-November, due to too warm weather, the flowers were in the refrigerator. In December, crocuses "wintered" on the loggia.
In January, frosts began. The temperature on the loggia dropped. In early January, she brought in a cache-pot so as not to freeze the heads unprotected by snow.

For long flowering, ideally, you need to maintain a temperature of 10 degrees. This is easy to do on a heated loggia.
I could not achieve the desired temperature in the apartment, so the plants grew quickly. I tried to keep it in the coolest place: on the window. The first greenery appeared after a week in a warm room.

The first buds formed after a month.

The pioneer crocus bloomed purple.

Then the second, third - all purple. A pair of flowers had light purple veins.
February blizzards are raging outside the window. Snow lies. And I have a bright purple meadow of flowers at home!
The purple lawn stood for about 2.5 weeks.

My crocuses are more like the Flower Record variety.
Did the manufacturer mess up? Or deliberately planted a different variety? Mystery.
This is not the end of flower care. After the end of flowering. I need to keep watering. Wait for the leaves to dry out. After that, watering is stopped.
When all the greens dry up, the bulbs are dug out of the ground. Cleaned, examined for diseases. Then they are sent for storage in a refrigerator or cellar.

bulbs. In a similar way, I managed to increase the number of bulbs. New ones have grown. Harvest is collected.

small flowerbed with purple flowers gave me many happy moments. Among the cold and snowstorm is a small island of spring. If it were not for the confusion with the colors, I would not have been pleased.

The second name of crocus - saffron - comes from the Arabic "sepheran" - yellow. Its pollen is used as a natural dye for liqueurs, cheeses, butter and some drinks. Real saffron is the most expensive spice in the world, which is understandable, since only flower stigmas are used as seasoning. Imagine how many flowers you need to collect to get at least one gram!

Since ancient times, saffron has been used both as a means of giving love power and as an incense that conquers bad smells. It was considered prestigious to wear clothes and shoes dyed with saffron.

For amateur flower growers, the main value of crocus is very early flowering. Yellow, purple, white flowers appear from under the half-melted snow and herald the beginning of spring. And even if there are still frosts and it may snow, it's still spring!

It is better to plant crocuses in special nets for bulbous plants so that they do not become prey to hungry mice. In the place where one bulb was planted, up to four new ones are formed and, therefore, flowering in the next season can be up to four times more intense.

The British believe that admiring crocuses is especially useful for representatives of the strong half of humanity. After all, it sets you in a romantic mood, instills a craving for wandering and noble deeds.

10-15 cm

IV-V sun partial shade

The price is for 15 crocus bulbs.
Mail distribution of this product is carried out in the AUTUMN.

Terms. Photophilous. Landing in a sunny place, they bloom worse in the shade. After flowering, the light is undemanding and can be in partial shade. Unpretentious to soils, but grow better on loose, fertile, well-drained with a slightly acidic or neutral reaction. Poorly tolerated excess moisture soil. Chlorosis may develop on calcareous soils. They winter well under the snow. In cold snowless winters, mulching with peat, sawdust or foliage is necessary.

Landing. The optimal time for planting is mid-late August. Dense clay soils loosened with sand before planting. Add to sour and peat phosphorus-potassium fertilizers and notify. Structure and composition of the poor sandy soil improve with clay and organic fertilizers. The distance between plants is 6-12 cm, the planting depth depends on the size of the bulb, the larger it is, the deeper it is, and is 4-8 cm. Crocus can be planted directly on the lawn. To do this, make an incision similar to the letter H and open two doors. Humus, ash are sprinkled on the soil, mineral fertilizers and mix gently. Then the required number of bulbs is gently pressed to a depth, the flaps are closed and pressed down with your hands. In dry weather, the landing site must be watered.

Care. Watering is recommended in dry weather, when the plants begin to actively grow and prepare for flowering, and then during the flowering period and rapid growth leaves. Irrigation rate 10 l/m². It is very important to keep crocus plantings free of weeds. To do this, regularly carry out weeding and finely loosen the soil.

Top dressing is done in March, still in the snow, but when active melting has already begun and during the day the temperature is above zero. Nitrophoska is scattered over the planted area at the rate of 50-60g / m². You can use compost or humus for top dressing. It is not recommended to feed crocuses with manure.

Curtains should be planted every 4-5 years. For transplanting, the bulbs are dug up in early summer. The signal for digging is yellowed, dried and fallen leaves. The dug bulbs are thoroughly dried in a ventilated area, but not in the sun. Already dried up, they are cleaned of plant residues and earth, sorted out, sorting out the sick and damaged, and stored until planting in a dry room.

For the winter, it is useful to mulch with peat or foliage.

Most often, root onion mites and various nematodes harm crocuses. They help from pickling the bulbs after digging with insecticides and treating them with a weak hot (about 45 ° C) solution of potassium permanganate before planting. Bulbs and young sprouts are eaten by mice with pleasure. In order to protect the plants, they are planted in special baskets for bulbs, or they dig in obstacles impassable for mice in the form of pieces of tin, slate, cord around the perimeter. Around the plants, you can dig shallow barrier grooves in which to hide the poison, and cover the plantings themselves with spruce branches.

In warm and damp weather, crocuses suffer from fungal diseases and corm rot. Spraying will help to cope with them copper-containing preparations during the growing season. Sometimes plants are visited by rust. The most effective way to combat it is dressing the planting material before planting with one of the fungicides. If diseased or heavily populated plants or corms are found, they are immediately removed so as not to infect the rest.

Application. Borders, ridges, flower beds of any style, flower beds, rocky hills, trunk circles near large trees and bushes, or just on the lawn. They look best when planted in groups. Can be used for pot forcing for the New Year or spring holidays.

Crocus or saffron is very popular among many flower growers. This flower impresses with a variety of shades of its petals., they can be painted in purple, pink, yellow or lilac.

Crocus is a corm perennial belonging to the genus Iris. In nature, this flower grows in meadows, steppes and rare forests of central and southern Europe . Also, saffron can be found on the Black Sea coast, in Asia and the Middle East.

Some species of crocus are considered endangered and are listed in the Red Book.

On average, the height of the plant is 10-15 centimeters.. The leaves growing directly from the ground are linear, narrow in shape, with the edges of the plate slightly twisted. They are painted in rich green color with whitish veins in the middle. Leaves appear towards the end of flowering and continue to grow after the buds wither.

Crocus is also characterized by the presence lower leaves, forming right in the ground and enveloping the young shoot.

The corm of this plant is formed in the lower internode blooming shoot and only lives for one year. That is, during the growing season and flowering are actively consumed nutrients and in spring period the old corm is replaced by a new one.

In different types of crocus, corms differ from each other. Usually, they are spherical or slightly flattened and covered with brownish or burgundy scales. The diameter of the corm is 2-3 centimeters, in the lower part there are dense urinal roots.

The stem of saffron is completely absent; instead, a long peduncle is pulled out of the ground, resembling a long tube. The flower itself consists of 6 petals, which, when fully opened, form a funnel-shaped bud with a diameter of 7-8 centimeters. From afar, the saffron flower resembles a bell.

In wild species of crocus, the petals are simpler, monochromatic, most often colored in yellow, orange, blue, purple or White color. hybrid varieties they can boast of two-tone coloring or the presence of spots and other bizarre patterns.

Crocuses bloom only in clear, sunny weather.

As a fruit, a box is formed in such a plant, consisting of 3 lobes. Initially, it develops underground, and comes to the surface with the help of a perianth tube only after full maturation.

The most popular varieties of Crocus

Flower growers count great amount species and varieties of crocus, so everyone can choose the perfect option for themselves. Usually, given plant It is customary to divide into two groups, these are autumn or spring flowers. In the first case, the buds bloom in early autumn, and in the second in April-May.

Among flower growers, spring varieties are the most popular, because they are neither more attractive and decorative:

Kathleen Pirlow ( Kathleen Parlow)

Such a plant blooms in a record short time and pleases with its beautiful appearance within 2 weeks. Petals are painted in snow-white color, on average, the diameter of the flower is 6 centimeters;

Joan of Arc

This variety is distinguished by its resistance to adverse weather conditions and various diseases. White flowers adorned with pale purple strokes on the inside of the petals appear early enough. Fully opened buds reach a diameter of 6 centimeters;

Susian ( Crocus susianus)

small flowers, with a diameter of only 3 - 4 centimeters appear very abundantly and boast good resistance to a variety of climatic conditions. Petals dyed golden, while on their outer side there are dark purple strokes;

King of Striped ( King of the Striped)

Flowers with a diameter of up to 5 centimeters are painted white with the addition of light purple spots.. There are dark purple stripes on both sides of the petals;

Little Dorrit ( Little Dorrit)

The petals of a crocus of this variety are painted in a delicate blue color, while they have dark purple touches. On average, flowering lasts 12-14 days., the diameter of the bud is 5-6 centimeters;

Remembrance ( Remembrance)

Large flower, with a diameter of 6-7 centimeters usually painted in purple. It should be noted that at the base of the perianth is located dark spot, and the outer petals have a more saturated hue than the inner ones;

Yellow Mammutch ( Yellow Mammoth)

characteristic feature varieties is the duration of flowering, which is 18-20 days. The petals of the plant are painted in rich yellow color., the diameter of the flower is 5-6 centimeters.

Terms for planting a flower in open ground

The timing of planting crocuses in open ground depends on the type of plant chosen.:

varieties, blooming in spring , it is customary to plant in late August-early September;
Plants that bloom in autumn, transferred to open ground in early to mid-summer.

Compliance with planting dates is a very important component in the cultivation of crocuses. This is due to the fact that the flowers must have time to take root and gain strength before flowering, which usually occurs almost immediately after the snow melts.

planting rules

When planting crocus in open ground, it should be borne in mind that this plant prefers sunny areas, but it can also grow in more shaded places.

Before planting a plant, it is necessary to prepare the soil, it should be light, loose and nutritious.:

Crocuses do not tolerate excessive moisture, therefore, in the place where they will grow, it is recommended to build drainage from fine gravel or coarse river sand;
To improve soil quality it is dug up with the addition of compost or rotted manure;
To lower the level of soil acidity during digging to organic fertilizers add peat with lime or ash.

Before planting, be sure to check the planting material, it should not have any signs of damage.

When planting a plant in loose soil, the bulb is deepened by 6-8 centimeters, and if the soil is heavy, then it is planted so that top part was level with the ground. On average, the distance between two flowers should be 7-10 centimeters. Water the soil thoroughly immediately after planting.

Care after landing

Caring for crocuses is very simple and understandable even for a novice gardener.

Watering the plant is necessary only if the winter was snowless and the spring without rain.. This is due to the fact that saffron tolerates drought well and does not tolerate strong waterlogging of the soil.

Immediately after the snow melts, the soil on the site is loosened and cleaned of weeds and other debris. Such work is repeated every 1-2 months.

During active growth and flowering crocuses need to get as many nutrients as possible:

early spring straight complex mineral fertilizers are scattered on melting snow with the calculation of 35-40 grams of substance per 1 square meter soil;
the second top dressing is carried out during flowering while using phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.

Crocuses do not tolerate fresh organic matter, so it should never be used to feed plants.

Care after flowering

An interesting feature of crocuses will be the ability to form many daughter bulbs, due to which the flowers grow strongly and a neat planting turns into a chaotic carpet. Besides, small onions begin to interfere with each other, due to which the quality of the grown plants suffers greatly, they become smaller, and the color of the petals fades.

It is necessary to dig bulbs out of the ground every 3-5 years. P such work is carried out in the middle of summer, during the dormant period of the plant:

For spring varieties from mid-July to early September;
For autumn varieties from mid June to early August.

After the bulbs are removed from the soil, they are thoroughly dried, cleaned of damaged scales and diseased roots are removed. Then planting material is processed using crushed coal or ash.

Store bulbs in a dry, well-ventilated area with room temperature. Any boxes can be used as containers, but planting material should be laid out in only one layer.

Preparing for winter

Immediately after planting and for the next 3-5 years, the plant will overwinter in open field, so it must be prepared for the onset of cold weather. For this, after the crocus leaves turn yellow, the area with flowers must be mulched thick layer of peat or dry foliage.

By growing crocuses in your area, you can slightly bring the onset of spring. In addition, given the variety of varieties of this plant, with its help, beautiful and dissimilar garden compositions are created.