I have bought Crocus sativa from Blooming bulbs. I got really lazy last fall and didn't get them in the ground in time. They wound up in pots in the house for the winter. When can I put them out in the garden?
Also has anybody seen a source for Crocus sativa 'Casherianus'?
Saffron
The foliage on my saffron crocus seems to have gone dormant... I'd guess you could plant yours any time, or maybe even store in a cool place for fall planting.
I have some hyacinths inside that just finished blooming... I think I'm going to put them outside but wait until the foliage starts fading before planting them in the ground. I have just the spot for them, as I noticed (oh no!) a colorless corner this spring in the front garden...
Sorry guys I left out an m, and I just found a source for it.
Odyssey Bulbs, Crocus sativa 'Cashmerianus'.
Thank you critterologist, I've just left them in the pots. They went dormant a couple of months ago. The leaves started to turn so I let them dry out. Haven't dug up any of them yet to see if there is still anything there. I think I'll wait till fall. This was a new venture for me (of course most all of it is a relative new venture) as I had never tried to grow my own saffron before. One of them actually bloomed, but the blossom never opened.
I bet they'll do better for you in the ground. After a couple of years, mine have multiplied to make a wonderful display along my front walk in fall! Unfortunately, we seem to get a good heavy rain just when I'm thinking, hmmm, maybe I'll harvest some stamens... I have plucked a few fresh ones for use, and they're tasty! (Leftover basmati rice, a handful of raisins, a few threads of saffron, and enough milk to cover... heat in the microwave for a tasty breakfast or bedtime snack!)
I've just been trying to figure out where I'm going to put them. Several of the places that I wanted to place them are having problems with moles tunneling through. Guess I need to just bite the bullet and put them in the ground.
Line a ditch with chicken wire, fill it in with soil, plant your saffron crocuses and then place more chicken wire on the top. The crocuses will grow up through the wire mesh and the moles and squirrels will not be able to eat them.
Here we would use something with smaller mesh than chicken wire, as moles would have no trouble with holes that big.
Good point Zeppy. Our hardware store sells a variety of mesh sizes as "chicken wire" and we're usually dealing with squirrels and gophers rather than moles.
I just got some hardware cloth that has about 1/4 inch squares. I got it to make a sifter for my potting medium, but I think I have enough to make a "cage" for the corms also. How deep did you put yours? I read something that said if they were planted too shallow they make lots of bulbs and few flowers. If you plant them deeper, they make more flowers and fewer bulbs (corms).
I planted mine the standard 2-3 times the diameter of the bulb (which I think translated to a trench about 3 inches deep).... after a couple of years, they've multiplied nicely and I also get abundant blooms.
I'm off this week so I guess that's one of the other projects that will get added to the list. Along with all the other transplants to go out.
Thanks.
Mike
Okay, critter, I'm inspired. Guess I'll get me some of these bulbs...