When to dig crocuses - change to a new place

The air of early spring is filled with the aromas of primroses. Crocuses, like multi-colored beacons on the earth, barely thawed after the cold weather, make it clear that nature will soon come to life and delight people with a riot of colors. Many beginner gardeners plant these spring flowers, but not all have mastered the rules of agricultural technology. This article will discuss how crocuses behave after flowering, what to do next with the owner. When to dig bulbs and how to store planting material.

General information about the crocus plant

The name of the plant comes from the Latin language. His second name is saffron. Garden crocus belongs to the genus Saffron, the family Iris (Iridaceae), the order Asparagaceae (Asparagales). The genus has more than 80 species.

Crocuses in the forest

Crocus is a perennial herb that blooms in spring or autumn.

The onion of the plant is covered with scales, it is round or slightly flattened, with a diameter of up to 3 cm, with a fibrous root system. Basal leaves and, most often, a single flower develop from it (sometimes 2-3 flowers appear).

By color, crocuses are divided into yellow-flowered (shades from cream-white to bright orange) and blue-flowered (from pale blue to dark purple). Sometimes there are albinos and flowers with white veins.

In wildlife, saffron grows in alpine meadows, forests, steppes of Central and Asia Minor, southern and central Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

Crocus cultivation: features

The plant grows both in open ground, for example, in the garden, and indoors in pots.

Growing Features:

• Planted in lighted areas, on verandas, balconies, but not under the scorching sun and without drafts.
• The soil is suitable neutral, light, loose, well-permeable to moisture. The best option is loamy or sandy. For heavy land, drainage is done to avoid infection of the tubers with fungal diseases.
• Crocuses are not picky about soil nutrition. But during the period of growth and flowering, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are required.
• The plant is drought tolerant. Frequent watering negatively affects flowering.

Flowers in a pot

Ideal time for picking bulbs

Enough of admiring the flowering, gardeners begin to be interested in the question: crocuses have faded, what to do with them next? It should be noted that these are frost-resistant plants, therefore they are usually not dug up and transplanted for 3-5 years. During this period, the mother onion is overgrown with subsidiaries in an amount up to 10 pieces.

But it is important not to miss the moment when transplanting crocuses to a new place is simply necessary.

Cases are described when it is recommended to dig out crocuses once a year:

• in regions with cold winters to protect against freezing;
• to prevent the spread of disease;
• in order to obtain young planting material.

Weather for cleaning

The dormancy period for autumn plants is June-August, for spring ones - July-September. It begins when the leaves of the flower lie on the ground, turn yellow and peel off easily.

This is the most successful time when it is worth digging out crocuses after flowering for transplanting, propagating and laying tubers for storage.

A dry, cool day is suitable for this type of work.

The process of digging crocuses

Prepare inventory:

• pitchfork;
• piece of polyethylene or tarpaulin;
• secateurs;
• plastic box;
• household gloves.

Then they act like this:

1. On the side of the crocus bushes, a prepared piece of film is spread on the ground.
2. At a distance of 5-7 cm from the bush, pitchforks are driven to the entire possible depth and an earthen ball is removed onto the film.
3. It is neatly crushed and all the tubers are pulled out.
4. They are cleaned of the earth manually or using a water stream. Roots are carefully cut with secateurs.
5. Onions are folded into a box, transferred to a shady place and dried, laying on a flat surface in one layer.

The problem of how to dig planting material to transplant crocuses has been resolved.

Digging crocuses

What crocuses do not need to be dug in the fall: varieties

This season accounts for the flowering phase of autumn crocuses. Varieties of this variety are almost unknown to amateur gardeners. Here is some of them:

• Crocus Sharoyan has lemon yellow rounded petals. It blooms in the second half of September.
• Sowing - large purple peduncles. Its fragrant stigmas are dried and used as a spice. It blooms in September and October.
• Fine is one of the early tall varieties. Blooms in early September with white or lilac large flowers.
• Long-flowered - has a different color, late variety, flowering phase in November.
• Pretty - light purple large flowers, forming on one bush inflorescences of 5-10 pieces. Dissolve in October.
• Kholmovoy - miniature white, appears in September.
• Banat - lilac flowers resemble the shape of an iris. Pleases the eye with its flowering throughout September.

How to properly prepare crocuses for storage

Dry the onions in a shady cool place for a day.

Then carefully inspect for mechanical damage with a pitchfork, insect, rodent, as well as for the presence of mold, disease, sores.

The surface should be dry, without exfoliating flakes, spots, uniform color.

Low-quality, spoiled - reject and destroy. Healthy, dense large clean onions - treated with phytosporin or a light raster potassium permanganate and stacked according to grades for storage.

How to store at home

The air in the room where the planting material is located should be fresh, cool. The temperature corresponds to + 15 ... +18 ° C during the entire storage period.

Onion storage in drawers

For spring crocuses, the rest and storage period is July-September, and for autumn crocuses it is June-July.

Indoor crocuses and those for distillation are stored until early spring. At the same time, they observe a lower temperature regime - + 10 ... +13 ^°C. They are planted 2.5 months before the desired flowering period.

Important storage rules before transplanting crocuses:

• air temperature not higher than + 18 ° С and not lower than 0 ° С;
• dry, well-ventilated area;
• can not be placed in plastic bags, sprinkled in bulk or stacked in several layers in one container.

Suitable for cardboard, plastic wooden crates with holes for ventilation, wide low containers with a layer of sandy soil and drainage and with holes in the bottom, nylon stocking or mesh bag, paper egg trays.

Crocuses for distillation are placed on the shelves of a dry basement or cellar, where the temperature does not rise above + 10 ... +15 ° С. Use the same packaging as for storage on the balcony. If rodents visit the basement, then planting material is folded in a single layer into small glass, metal cans and covered with a lid with narrow openings.

In the summer months, if there is no basement, each onion is wrapped in newspaper or thick paper and placed on the lower shelves or in the drawers of the refrigerator. Containers, pots with crocuses are determined there, until the time for planting comes.

Treatment of tubers from diseases and pests

The main pests and diseases are presented in the table:

Rotten and healthy onion

Pest damage during storage

During this period, the presence of flowering, damage and disease is checked monthly. Damaged planting material is immediately discarded.

The most dangerous are rodents: mice, rats. Their penetration into the room with onions is unacceptable. Complete isolation from rodents can be achieved if tubers are folded into glass or iron containers and covered with lids with ventilation holes.

Concern for the quality and preservation of planting material is the key to the magnificent flowering of crocuses. This will not take much time, but it will give several months of aesthetic pleasure to the whole family.

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