Autumn crocuses planting and care. Autumn planting of crocuses is the key to spring flowering. Rules for growing crocuses in a flower bed

Crocuses are perennial nodule plants. They are also called saffron. They are distinguished by very delicate and sophisticated flowering. This is a small flower, the height of which reaches 10 cm. Crocuses come in various shades - white, lilac, yellow, pink. There are also variegated varieties, for example, lilac with white patches. The inflorescence itself has a bell-shaped funnel shape. From one tuber grows from one to three flowers.

Crocuses are considered early flowers, but there are varieties that begin to bloom in autumn. Varieties that are autumn-flowering need special care. Many flower growers are interested in the question of how to plant crocuses in the fall? When are crocuses planted?

What varieties are suitable for autumn planting?

In addition to the question of when to plant crocuses, another important issue is the choice of variety. Not every species is suitable for autumn planting. It is best to buy bulbs from trusted growers and flower shops, rather than in the market.

Spring. The inflorescence is lilac, sometimes purple streaks are found on the back of the petals;
Two-flowered. The shade of the inflorescences is from white to bluish with a purple tint, sometimes there are purple streaks on the petals;
Crimean. The inflorescence is white with a lilac tint, the "throat" is bright yellow;
Crocus Adama. The shade of the petals can be from light lavender to intense purple;
Golden. The shade of the petals is golden yellow, most often found on the rocky slopes of Asia Minor and the Balkans;
Yellow. The flowers are bright orange, the leaves are very thin, dark green. This variety has one distinctive feature from other species - the corm is wrapped in a membranous sheath that protrudes from the ground, giving the flower the appearance of a small bouquet.

Landing in open ground

Planting crocuses in the fall begins with the choice of location and soil. Before planting a plant, the ground must be prepared. To begin with, it is fertilized with compost and manure, and then carefully loosened.

Crocuses do not tolerate excess moisture and stagnant water, therefore, if they are planted on loamy soil in the fall, then you need to add sand in it.

The most suitable soil for planting crocuses in the fall in the ground is sandy loamy loose soil. In addition, the soil must be well-drained, because stagnant water can lead to rotting of the rhizome. 10-15 days before planting crocuses, it is recommended to dig up the ground. The introduction of mineral and organic fertilizers during autumn planting is not required.

If you plant flowers on a site in partial shade, then the inflorescences will be very small, so it is better to choose well-lit areas.

Planting crocuses in the fall should be carried out without flowers. If flowering specimens were planted, then they will be able to gain strength only a year after planting.

Another important issue to study is when to plant crocuses. So that they bloom in spring, they need to be planted in October-November.

How to plant crocuses:

First you need to prepare the soil.
Then the bulb is lowered to a depth of 10 cm into the soil.
The distance between each bulb should be at least 4 cm.
After that, they need to be sprinkled with earth.
If the selected variety is not resistant to frost, then the soil must be mulched.
If you plant the bulbs at different depths, then, in this way, you can extend the flowering period.
After the bulbs have been planted, they must be watered and covered with spruce or pine litter.

There is another way to grow crocus - this is planting seeds. Seeds in this case are called daughter corms. They are formed from the buds of the mother plant, which sit in the sinus of the scales. After the mother plant dies, the daughter plants form a "nest" and begin to grow on their own.

You can plant saffron in this way once every three years to separate the young bulbs from the rotten mother bulb. If there are more than ten of them, then they begin to interfere with each other's growth, and the flowers become smaller. In this case, landing is carried out extremely carefully. It is important not to damage the tender bulbs.

Crocus transplants can be done once every five years, but it is best to repot them every year after flowering to get rid of diseased and rotten bulbs.

forcing crocuses

Thanks to distillation, it is possible to ensure that saffron begins to bloom very early. To do this, you need to choose only the healthiest bulbs. Around mid-September, they are planted in containers. The soil where they will be planted should be slightly moist. Then the containers must be covered with a film, making several holes in it for air to enter.

Containers with saffron should be placed in a cool and dark room. In January, the first shoots begin to appear. After they have appeared, the container must be placed in a room where the air temperature will be about +15 degrees. The container must be covered with newspapers or a paper bag and do not forget to water the sprouts. The container is brought into a warm room only after the first buds appear. In spring, such crocuses can be planted in open ground.

Saffron in the country does not need careful care. It includes:

Watering;
Application of fertilizers;
Protection from pests and diseases;
Soil loosening.

1. Watering.

Crocuses in the country do not need regular watering, and do not tolerate when moisture stagnates in the soil. If an excess of moisture appears in autumn or spring, then it needs to be loosened. Abundant watering is necessary only during the flowering period - in spring and autumn. In the event that little snow fell in winter, and there was little rain in autumn, then saffron needs additional watering.

If in the latitude where saffron is grown, winters are snowless, then with the appearance of the first sprouts, it must be watered. In this case, weed the soil immediately before watering. During watering, it is recommended to ensure that water does not fall on the leaves, otherwise they will begin to turn yellow. The lack of moisture saffron is also able to endure, but, in this case, the stems and inflorescences will be smaller. In the summer it can not be watered. Or do it only in hot weather.

2. Fertilization.

The application of mineral and organic fertilizers is the main thing in caring for a flower. Saffron nutrition has a number of distinctive features. First, the introduction of fresh organic fertilizers is not allowed. This can lead to various diseases.

It is best to give preference to peat, completely decomposed manure or a variety of mineral supplements.

With the onset of spring, when the active growth of the flower begins, it is necessary to scatter fertilizers over the snow. When the growing season begins, you can start to make urea. A large amount of nitrogen in the soil will provoke active leaf growth, which can cause the appearance of fungal diseases in wet weather. Therefore, it is necessary to make urea in a limited amount. After half a month, you need to apply fertilizers that are rich in phosphorus and potassium, which will help cause abundant flowering, and also provoke the formation of healthy and strong bulbs.

3. Pest and disease control.

Sometimes you can see that there are small holes in the bulbs. They appear due to the larvae of the click beetle. The larva is covered with a hard yellow shell.

To get rid of the click beetle at the end of April, you can scatter last year's rotted grass, hay or straw around the site. Moisten it and cover with planks. After the bugs gather there, the trap must be collected and burned. Slugs can also be found on plants. They need to be collected by hand.

If in a flower bed where saffron grows, there is a specimen that has a flattened flower with gray spots, then this is the first sign of a viral disease, the carriers of which are mice, aphids and thrips. The only treatment in this case is the immediate destruction of diseased flowers before the disease spreads further.

Saffron is one of the most beautiful plants to plant in the garden. Very often it is treated exclusively as a spring flower, but it can delight with its flowering in the autumn period of time. He gained his popularity thanks to the graceful flowers. They can be of a wide variety of colors: white, bright yellow, blue, various shades of purple. The plant has a fairly simple way of planting. Periodic transplantation is necessary, since many daughter bulbs can be located on one mother bulb. A large number of them prevents the growth of the flower, and the inflorescence becomes much smaller.

Crocuses: planting and caring for them in the open field require specific knowledge so that this fragile and delicate flower takes root in the soil and pleases the eyes of the owners with its colorful petals. Another name for the plant is saffron, and most gardeners believe that it blooms exclusively in spring. However, breeders have long developed special varieties of crocuses that can bloom in autumn.

Selection of planting material and landing site

Saffrons are distributed throughout almost the entire territory of Eurasia and feel good in temperate climates. But, before moving on to the issue of planting and caring for outdoor crocuses, you need to choose healthy plant bulbs and allocate the right place for planting flowers in your garden.

How to choose viable saffron bulbs:

Even healthy parts of future flowers require pre-treatment before planting. It is necessary to peel off the old skin from the bulbs and disinfect them by sprinkling with ash or soaking in a solution of manganese.

Planting and caring for crocuses in the open field should take place in spacious flower beds (flowers can occupy the entire area in a short time). They should be located in an open area where there is a lot of sunlight. Therefore, it is not recommended to plant saffron under trees with a dense crown.

The soil for crocuses of all subspecies should not be excessively wet. The soil structure should be loose, nutritious, light and not acidic. Do not be afraid if the soil in the garden does not meet these requirements, it can be made suitable for saffron using simple methods. Large river sand, gravel or crushed stone, which is used as a drainage layer, will help get rid of excessive dampness. The acidity of the soil neutralizes the mixture and lime, ash or rotted manure.

Planting time for crocuses in the garden

When to plant crocuses outdoors? It all depends on the type of plant that the gardener has chosen, but they are all divided into flowers that bloom in spring or autumn.

Spring flowering plants include:

Since the flowering of these subspecies of ornamental flora occurs in the spring, crocuses are planted in open ground in the fall. They should be planted from late September to early October.

If spring-flowering varieties are planted earlier than the second half of September, then saffron may bloom by the frost period and eventually die. And if you plant a flower later than the first half of October, then the soil for the bulbs will be too cold, they will not be able to take root in it and simply freeze.

Autumn flowering subspecies of saffron include:

Flowers bloom in the garden in autumn, and therefore crocuses are planted in the ground in spring (late May) or early summer (first half of July).

How to care for saffron?

Saffron is not a flower that needs abundant watering. If autumn or spring (depending on what kind of flower is planted) were rich in precipitation, then they should be watered only when the soil becomes dry not only on the surface, but also in depth. Otherwise, the plants can simply rot.

Outdoor crocus care is fairly easy. Periodically, it will be necessary to weed the flower rows, getting rid of weeds. The soil (especially after rain) must be loosened so that the root system of plants has access to air.

Like any decorative flowers, crocuses need to be fed. However, fertilizing saffron with organic mixtures is not recommended. It is better to purchase granular, enriched with potassium and phosphorus. Nitrogen-containing fertilizers should be applied with caution, in small doses, as they can provoke the growth of fungus on the plant bulbs.

Top dressing should be applied in at least 2 stages: first fertilize the soil before planting crocuses, and then during their period of enhanced growth.

Too deep planting slows down the development of crocus, but contributes to the formation of large bulbs. Sometimes young plants form retracting roots and deepen themselves.

Planting depth regulates the growth of crocus nests: when the corm is deepened by 5 cm, up to 10 children can be obtained, with deeper embedding, there will be fewer children, but the crocus bloom will last longer and the nest will need to be divided less often - once every 4-5 years.

In the photo: Yellow crocuses - a beautiful variety

How to plant crocuses in autumn

Make holes of the depth you need at a distance of 6-10 cm from each other, but if you want to create a thicker mat, the distance between the bulbs can be 3-5 cm. However, it should be noted that the corms quickly become overgrown with children even with such a dense arrangement of the bulbs in the ground you will soon have to plant crocuses. After planting, crocuses are watered, but only if you planted them in dry soil.

Crocus care after planting

Autumn crocus care outdoors

For the warm days remaining before winter, the corms should have time to acquire roots. Crocuses do not need fertilizers in autumn, they will need them only in the spring. Crocuses are watered when the soil in the area becomes dry, and after watering the soil is carefully loosened. If weeds appear, remove them, and if heavy rains begin amid a cold snap, try to protect the planting of crocuses from excessive moisture by covering it with a film.

Crocus care in winter

Many species and varieties of plants are cold-resistant, but some crocuses freeze in winter without shelter. To prevent this from happening, after the first frost, loosen the soil in the area and mulch it with a layer of peat, dry fallen leaves, or cover it with spruce branches.

In the photo: Blooming spring crocuses

Transplanting crocus in the fall to another place

In one place, crocuses can grow for 5-6 years, but it is better to plant them once every 3-4 years. Each faded bulb will give the next season 2, and sometimes 4 bulbs and 5-10 babies, and if they are not replanted at least once every 3-4 years, the site will soon overgrow, and the crocuses will turn into a weed. When transplanting, crocuses are propagated. When to transplant crocuses - in spring or autumn? Transplanting crocuses in the fall, like planting crocuses in the fall, is carried out at the same time - from September to November.

The corms are dug up in the middle of summer when the crocuses are at rest. The signal that it is time to remove them from the ground is the yellowing of the leaves of the plant. Corms are cleaned, sorted out, removing damaged or diseased ones, dried in the air in the shade for a week. Then you need to separate the nests: only those children who themselves easily move away are separated from the corms. All planting material is soaked for half an hour in a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate, then dried and placed in a cool dry place for storage.

When September comes, crocus corms are planted in pre-prepared soil in the order that was described in our article.

In the photo: Growing crocuses in the garden

How to store crocuses before planting in the fall

How and where to store crocus corms before planting in the ground? After all, three months should pass from the moment they are removed from the soil until the autumn planting. Disinfected with potassium permanganate and dried corms are laid out in a single layer in a wooden box and stored in a room with a temperature of at least 22 ºC until August. From the beginning of August, it is desirable to lower the temperature of the content to 20 ºC, and closer to September - to 15 ºC.

It is under such conditions that Dutch professionals store crocus corms, but since it is difficult for amateur gardeners to organize such conditions, planting material is stored until autumn at room temperature.

Autumn-flowering corms are planted in the garden in August, and spring-blooming crocuses - from September.

There is something mysterious and touching in the picture that can be observed with the arrival of spring, when primroses stretch their fragile stems with delicate buds straight from under the snow towards the sun. It causes delight, surprise and a storm of positive emotions, which is why crocuses are so loved by gardeners: planting and caring for them does not take much effort and does not require special costs, and the result is inspiring. Popular and cultivation of these bulbous flowers at home.

Soil and site requirements

For planting crocuses in the garden, it is advisable to choose an open area that warms up well and is illuminated by the sun. But their cultivation in open ground will be successful in the shade of deciduous trees. In early spring, when the time comes for crocuses to bloom, their branches are not yet covered with dense foliage and do not obscure the light they need from the plants. In heavily shaded places: under coniferous trees, near the walls of various buildings, the development of perennials slows down. They form fewer buds, which also do not fully bloom. The natural environment for crocuses are meadows, where perennial grasses are found in abundance in their neighborhood. This makes it possible to plant them on the site next to ornamental plants of medium height: peonies, ivy.

Primrose bulbs are demanding on the level of soil moisture. So that growing crocuses does not end with their rapid decay and death, it is important to choose a dry, well-drained site for them. You can determine a suitable place for flowers by meeting 2 requirements:

moisture does not stagnate on it after melting snow or rain;
groundwater is located far from the surface of the earth.

Loose soils are ideal for crocuses, providing their bulbs with free access to air and moisture and rich in nutrients. Light loams are well suited for them. It is impossible to call a culture demanding in terms of soil quality. Its cultivation is also possible on depleted soil. Some hybrid varieties of crocuses are successfully bred in areas with dense clay soil.

Mandatory conditions for the full development of flowers are a neutral soil reaction and good drainage. If you have to plant plants in acidic soil, lime, dolomite flour, ash, and chalk are first added to it. They will help optimize the content of hydrogen ions in the earth and create favorable conditions for the development of crocuses.

Dense clay soil before placing the bulbs in it must be made more porous by adding coarse-grained river sand, well-rotted compost or fine gravel.

You can enrich the soil for flowers by digging it with organic fertilizers. Suitable for this compost, rotted manure, peat.

Landing features

Planting crocuses in open ground, depending on their variety, can be carried out in summer or autumn. If the flowering period of a plant falls in the spring, its corms are placed in the soil in September. The depth of the hole depends on the structure of the earth on the site. When planting in loose soil, it is equal to 2 bulb diameters. In a situation where the soil in the garden is dense and heavy, the depth of the hole is made equal to 1 diameter. A drainage layer of gravel, coarse river sand, broken brick, crushed stone or pebbles is laid on its bottom. If the selected crocus variety is afraid of moisture, the beds for it should be made high.

Bulbs should be planted at a distance of at least 7-10 cm from each other. They are carefully inspected beforehand, rejecting damaged and diseased ones. Growing crocuses will require regular transplants, which are carried out every 3-5 years. During this time, many children appear on the bulbs, and the flower bed begins to resemble a lawn completely covered with flowers. Therefore, initially it is better to plant plants at a significant interval. After placing the bulbs in the ground, the beds are watered abundantly.

If a variety of crocuses is chosen for breeding, the flowering period of which falls in autumn, they are planted until mid-summer. Then their tender buds will bloom in September or October. The cultivation of such varieties has its own specifics. It is not recommended to plant them in open ground with collected or already opened buds. Otherwise, the chances of successful survival of the plant are negligible.

If the crocus with buds wilted after being placed in the ground, it is necessary to cut off the withered foliage and flowering stem from it. He will release new ones next year. However, the plant will fully bloom only after 2 years, when its bulb has accumulated enough strength.

Crocus Forcing Secrets

You can also admire the graceful buds of crocuses in winter. They feel comfortable at home, while taking care of them in a pot is not at all difficult. Ideal for forcing Dutch plant varieties with large flowers. Their bulbs are subjected to a thorough inspection, selecting approximately the same size.

For breeding crocuses at home, it is better to use shallow, but wide containers. 5-10 bulbs are planted in them, depending on the size of the pot. The soil is poured into it neutral, light, porous, well-permeable to air and water. Drainage is laid at the bottom of the pot. This element when planting crocuses is required both in the garden and at home.

When the bulbs fade, they do not stop caring for them. They need to be watered and fertilized. For top dressing, complex mineral compositions intended for indoor plants are usually used, dissolving them in water in a smaller proportion than indicated by the manufacturer. They begin to gradually reduce watering at home when yellowness begins to appear on the leaves of the crocus. After they have completely dried out, the bulbs are removed from the pot and the remains of the soil are carefully removed from them. Then, wrapped in a clean napkin, they are placed in a cardboard box, which is placed in a dark and dry place. Bulbs are stored there until the beginning of autumn, and with its arrival, the time comes for their planting in the garden.

Agricultural rules

Caring for crocuses in the open field will not take much time. They practically do not need watering. It will be necessary to moisten the soil in the beds only if there was no snow in winter, and rain in spring. The amount of water received by the bulb only affects the height of the plants; in general, they tolerate drought well. In summer, watering crocuses is even harmful; in the dormant phase, dry soil is preferable for them.

The essential elements of flower care include:

top dressing;
regular loosening of the soil;
weed removal.

During the period of active growth, plants need to be fed. Fresh organic fertilizers are contraindicated for them, their application can provoke various diseases. Feed them only with mineral compounds. Of these, it is better to choose those that contain a lot of phosphorus and potassium and little nitrogen. Its excess in the soil stimulates the active growth of extra leaves on flowers, which can cause them to be affected by fungal diseases. It is especially dangerous in wet weather. It is permissible to use peat or manure to enrich the soil, but only completely rotted.

Two feedings are recommended. The first is carried out in early spring, while the snow has not yet melted, scattering complex fertilizer over it. The second time crocuses are fed when 14-21 days have passed since the beginning of their flowering, using preparations with a minimum nitrogen content. During this period, plants especially need potassium. It helps their bulbs turn into high-quality and healthy planting material. After the foliage on crocuses turns yellow, they are left alone until the end of the season.

Crocuses are wonderful plants that are one of the first, after long dull months filled with snow and cold, to fill the garden with bright colors and give a charge of positive emotions. The very personification of spring, they look spectacular on the alpine hills, giving them a unique charm. It will be impossible to take your eyes off the magnificent living carpet if you plant them in a dense canvas on a flower bed or lawn. And their cultivation in pots at home will allow you to admire the magnificent flowering in winter.

In addition to their high decorative qualities, crocuses are surprisingly unpretentious; even an amateur with no experience in gardening can handle their planting and reproduction. They need minimal care in the form of fertilizing, loosening the soil and weeding. Plant crocuses in your garden and you won't regret your decision for a minute!

Planting crocuses in the ground in autumn is the most common way to cultivate these wonderful flowers in the backyard. In nature, representatives of the Iris family appear on the edges of forests, open glades and hills the very first.

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Primroses crocuses

In early spring, when the snow is just beginning to melt from the bright sun, you can see the magnificent heads of delicate pink or lilac buds. These are crocuses, which can be planted at home.

The plant, which is often called saffron, does not require special care. It is very unpretentious and hardy. Therefore, everyone can grow crocuses in the country. They are settling in well in their new place. Primroses are most often used in the design of alpine slides. But they look great in a separate flower bed or as part of a complex flower arrangement. It all depends on when the crocuses are planted.

Garden decoration is not the only purpose of plants. Extracts and powder prepared from the dried parts of the culture are seasoning. Saffron is widely used in cooking as a spice. It is also known as a quality food coloring.

Primroses have long been a raw material for the pharmaceutical industry. Their healing properties help create a range of herbal medicines. The flower has found wide application in alternative medicine.

You can plant the plant in a pot or in open ground. Ornamental culture blooms in any conditions, if you take soil preparation seriously and choose the right time. When to plant crocuses depends on the plant variety. About a hundred varieties are found in nature, the landing of each of them has its own nuances.

The most common are those specimens that bloom in early spring. They are planted in autumn. Plants that are able to delight the eye with their buds until the onset of winter must be transferred to open ground in early August.

Primroses can grow in one place for 5 years. Then you need a transplant of crocuses. It allows you to rejuvenate and improve the bulbs for lush flowering and further development in another area. Each planted specimen grows very quickly and produces many daughter tubers that can serve as material for the cultivation of this plant.

What varieties are suitable for autumn planting?

When planning to grow primroses on your site, the gardener must take a responsible approach to the choice of planting material. Crocuses are perennial corm plants. It is recommended to buy heads only from trusted sellers in order to ensure that the selected variety must be planted in the fall for early flowering.

These types include:

1 Spring crocus, which grows naturally in the Alps and Pyrenees. The medium-sized buds are lilac in color with purple streaks.
2 Two-flowered crocus is usually white. On the petals you can see the characteristic lilac or brownish vertical stripes.
3 Crimean Crocus has petals that are unremarkable from the outside, pale blue or white with longitudinal gray stripes. The inner side of the bud is painted in a pale lilac shade, turning into bright yellow at the base.
4 Crocus Adam can be found on the rocky slopes of Transcaucasia, in the foothills of Dagestan, as well as Iran. The flowers of this variety change their color from lilac to deep purple.
5 Crocus golden, found in Asia Minor and the Balkans, has narrow leaves and yellow flowers. Sometimes brown blotches are visible on the buds.
6 Crocus yellow has bright orange buds. This species has a characteristic feature - a bulbous nest, covered with a special film, slightly protrudes above the ground, giving the plant the appearance of a small bouquet, neatly collected by nature itself.

Any of these varieties can be grown on your site. Crocuses, planted correctly, will bloom in early spring.

Tuber processing

When choosing planting material, it must be remembered that the bulb must be whole, firm, without sprouts and damage to the skin. Its size can vary from 9 to 12 cm. It is such a head that can accumulate enough substances over the winter to please the eye with amazing flowers in the spring. The number of buds that form in the plant depends on the size of the tubers.

Tubers are usually disinfected before planting. There are various preparations designed for this procedure. The most commonly used antiseptics are specially designed for the treatment of bulbous and other cultivated plants:

Fundazol;
Karbofos;
Maxim;
Speed;
Vitaros.

These broad-spectrum fungicides reliably protect the bulbs from disease and rot, making them resistant to temperature and humidity changes. The preparations are very easy to use. They are sold, as a rule, in packaging of 2 ml. It is necessary to dilute 1 ampoule of disinfectant in 1 liter of water and soak the planting material in the resulting solution for 20 minutes.

If there is no special tool at hand, you can use the old and proven recipe. 5 g of potassium permanganate should be dissolved in 1 liter of water. A weak solution of potassium permanganate is a good antiseptic. If you put crocus bulbs in it for half an hour, the effect will be the same as after known fungicides.

After disinfection, flower tubers do not need to be washed. It is enough to dry them. Immediately after the procedure, the material is ready for planting.

Site selection and preparation

Before planting crocuses in the fall, you need to prepare the site in advance. A flower bed intended for primroses should be located in an open area, which in the spring will be well warmed up by the sun's rays. If you leave the flowers in the shade, they will not die, but they will not please with an abundance of buds.

Crocus corms grow well in sandy soils. The soil must be breathable. Moisture stagnation at the roots should not be allowed, otherwise the plant will begin to rot, which will inevitably lead to its death.

The problem of heavy clay soil is solved very simply. The site should be dug up well with the addition of coarse river sand. This material will provide good drainage in the flower garden and prevent water stagnation. Sand or small river pebbles are brought to a depth of 20 cm.

It is desirable to feed clay soil with organic and mineral fertilizers. From natural substances for this type of soil, compost is suitable. Crushed peat well structures and enriches heavy soil with useful substances. But it is better to use it with lime to avoid severe acidification of the site. All substances are taken at a dosage of 0.5 kg per 1 m².

Inorganic top dressings should be represented by superphosphate. 40 g of active substance per unit area of the plot will be quite enough. Phosphorus nourishes the bulbs and promotes the development of the root system. But its compounds can be used only 30 days after lime has been introduced into the soil.

If the land in the future flower garden is of a light sandy type, then it must be enriched with humus or compost from last year's foliage. Such soils are very poor, so it is recommended to apply at least 5-7 kg of organic fertilizers per 1 m².

Loamy and sandy soils are ideal soil for crocuses. They do not require additional feeding. If the flower bed is located on such a site, it is enough just to dig it up by 20-25 cm.

The flower garden should be ready 2-3 weeks before planting. During this time, the soil will settle, and mineral and organic fertilizers will be partially processed, providing the flower tubers with the necessary nutrients.

Optimal landing time

Perennial corm plants, which include crocuses that bloom in early spring, tolerate frost well. That is why they are usually planted in the fall. However, this does not mean at all that you can choose any time for.

Although resistant to low temperatures, flowers can die if they do not have time to adapt to a new place. Therefore, there is an unspoken rule that requires planting crocus tubers in open ground at least 2-3 weeks before the onset of severe cold weather.

In the northern regions of Russia, the main work in the garden is carried out until mid-September. Residents of the central regions of the country transplant flowers until the first days of October, and in the south the season can be extended even until November. This schedule is rather conditional and depends on weather conditions, which can change.

It is also impossible to delay too much, since roots can appear very quickly on perennial bulbs. They are very fragile and break easily when planting flowers in open ground. The choice of the optimal time for transferring crocus tubers to the flower bed is one of the main components of the successful cultivation of these beautiful spring plants.

How to plant a plant in autumn in open ground?

The answer to the question of how to plant crocuses, each owner of a personal plot is looking for on his own, depending on what kind of flower arrangement he wants to get in the spring. If we are talking about decorating an alpine slide, then the flowers must comply with the general scheme in order to fit into the landscape design. Usually they are planted in small groups, located at some distance from each other.

If the gardener's goal is a flowering meadow, completely covered with thin green leaves and delicate lilac and white saffron buds, then crocus bulbs are distributed very densely in the soil. The landing pattern is usually selected 3x3.

The flowering time of these ornamental plants lasts, as a rule, no more than 10 days. To keep the beauty of the flower bed as long as possible, many crocus lovers resort to a little trick. During planting, they place the bulbs at different depths, adjusting the flowering period in such a simple way.

The optimal choice of the distance from the surface of the earth is an important condition for the cultivation of primroses. If the tubers are small, then they should be deepened by 5-7 cm. For large bulbs, this value can reach 12 cm. A well-known rule for planting this type of plant says that the planting depth should be 2 times the size of the tubers.

However, unpretentious crocuses, having a powerful root system, are able to independently regulate their position in the ground, lowering if necessary or, conversely, stretching closer to the top layer of soil.

However, you should not plant flowers too deep. In the spring, it will be difficult for them to break through the thickness of the frozen earth and snow. A small distance from the surface of the flower bed can threaten the tubers with freezing. Especially when it comes to a region with harsh climatic conditions. The danger increases during a snowless winter.

Benefits of Special Capacity

Primroses are placed in specially prepared holes and covered with earth. The soil must be moist. At the bottom of the landing pit, you can put a little sand mixed with humus. The bulb is carefully placed in the hole and sprinkled with earth. Then it is recommended to cover the site to protect the flowers from the effects of winter low temperatures.

Do not use cellophane film for these purposes. This material does not allow air to pass through, which is necessary for crocus tubers for normal development. It is better to mulch the flower garden with sawdust, wood shavings or leaves that have fallen from trees.

Sometimes gardeners use a different method of planting perennials. Plant tubers are first placed in a special container or basket filled with prepared nutrient substrate. Then the box with the bulbs is buried in the flower bed.

This method is almost no different from planting crocuses in the fall in open ground. But the use of a separate box allows you to quickly remove the tubers from the ground for storage in the spring and protects them from rodents.