To see the blooming crocuses that bloom as soon as the snow melts, you need to plant these flowers in the fall. How crocuses are planted correctly in the fall, so that the plants take root well, do not freeze in winter and delight them with abundant flowering, it is useful to learn for novice growers.
The time for planting crocuses in the ground depends on how warm the autumn is in the area where you live. Before the onset of frost, the bulbs must take root in order to winter safely and bloom in early spring.
Planting spring crocuses in the fall will allow you to see primroses in the snow
Crocuses begin to develop when the soil temperature drops to 10 ° C. Bulbs are dormant in summer at high air and soil temperatures, as well as in winter at low temperatures.
Crocuses are planted in the Moscow region in late September or early October. In the colder region, in the Urals, crocuses are planted during September, while in Siberia it is better to do this at the end of August. For landing, choose a place protected from the wind, well lit. You can plant flowers under the trees when they bloom, there will be no foliage to shade them yet.
Two weeks before planting, the soil is dug up, adding compost and river sand. Crocuses do not like stagnant water, therefore, if the soil is clayey and heavy, drainage from gravel is done at a depth of 20 cm. The depth of planting the bulbs is about 5 cm, for large ones – 10 cm. The distance between the plants is about 10 cm, if you do not want to replant them in the next 5 years, but you can plant the bulbs closer to each other.
The planted bulbs are lightly watered if there is no rain. With heavy autumn rains, on the contrary, they cover, protecting from excessive waterlogging. There is no need to fertilize plants in the fall.
Most crocuses tolerate frost well, but for additional protection before the onset of frost, the garden bed is mulched with sawdust or peat, and covered with spruce branches
For the reproduction of crocuses, baby bulbs are used, which grow annually on the mother’s bulb. The bulbs of spring flowering are dug out after the wilting of the leaves, from early June to mid-July. They are separated, washed and dried for a week, and then stored in a cool dark place. Before planting in the fall, it is advisable to process the bulbs in a fungicide solution.
Planting time for crocuses in the fall depends on the region. In the northern regions, planting begins at the end of August, and in the south, in the Crimea, this can be done until November.