With its predominantly clay soils and humid mood , grow saffron crocus prime in South Carolina may certainly be a challenge . The orange yellow plant life , Crocus sativus , will not put up pissed filth for any distance of period ; the light bulb will rot if it sits in dampish grunge for any amount of clock time . rest home gardeners with undesirable soils can grow saffron crocus flower in containers , which are easy to move in and out of threshold .

Step 1

Fill your planting boxes with a well - draining seed - starter soil mix . allow for additional drainage in the box by putting a 1/2 - inch layer of uncouth gravel at the bottom .

Step 2

Plant the saffron crocus bulbs as soon as they are incur from the nursery , normally in other fall . Plant the bulbs just about 3 inches abstruse and 3 inches asunder .

Step 3

come in the plantation owner boxes in a cheery localization outside , as saffron crocus plant need a minimum of 4 to 6 hours of sun daily .

Step 4

Water the saffron crocus only after it has emerged from the land , usually three to four weeks after planting . weewee pot plants every two to three day , count on how well the soil commixture drains and dries out .

Step 5

Harvest the three long , orange stamen that appear in the center of the purple , cupful - mold flower on the twenty-four hour period it open . Delaying harvest time by even a day degrades the quality of the saffron threads , which commence to dry out out as soon as the peak opens .

Step 6

Move the pots indoors for the wintertime after the plant has faded . Give the plants no water supply during quiescency .

Step 7

make for the pots back outdoors in other fall when the saffron plant buy the farm from sleeping . Harden off plants over a hebdomad or two by bit by bit increase the amount of time the plant is outside each daytime .

Tip

Saffron should be dry out using very low , collateral oestrus . Air dry is the best way to attain this , though verify your threads are strong as they will blow out with the slightest walkover . Saffron crocuses can be farm outside , as long as the soil is very well - draining . The plant is sturdy to Zone 6 , so most South Carolina winter should not present a problem to the menage agriculturalist of saffron crocus . Should a strong winter be prognosis , consider raise the lightbulb from the priming and keep back them indoors during the deep wintertime months . Because saffron crocus bulbs are totally torpid through most of the veritable growing season , consider stigmatise where they are planted with a control stick or plant tag . Until they crack dormancy , the plants give no indication of their locating . In South Carolina , where frosts are often much later than other area of the United States , the flora may not go dormant until late in the wintertime .

Warning

When ordering saffron crocus bulb from a commercial provider , be absolutely sure you are not confusing the works with the similarly key out autumn hayfield crocus ( Colchicum autumnale ) , which is sometimes also call saffron crocus . These plants not produce saffron and are poisonous when ingested . Water will injure the delicate crocus flower and its worthful Crocus sativus threads . If you must irrigate when the flora are blooming , take care not to damage the flower by pour water directly onto the efflorescence .

Things Needed

References

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