When to dig up crocuses - transplant to a new place

The air of early spring is filled with the aromas of primroses. Crocuses, like multi-colored beacons on the ground barely thawed after the cold weather, let you know that soon nature will come to life and delight people with a riot of colors. Many novice gardeners plant these spring flowers, but not all have mastered the rules of agricultural technology. In this article, we will talk about how crocuses behave after flowering, what to do with them further to the owner. When to dig up the bulbs and how to store the planting material.

General information about the crocus plant

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

Crocuses in the forest

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

The onion of the plant is covered with scales, it is round or slightly flattened, up to 3 cm in diameter, 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 creamy white to bright orange) and blue-flowered (from pale blue to dark purple). Sometimes albinos and flowers with white veins are found.

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

Growing crocuses: features

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

Growing features:

• They are planted in lighted areas, on verandas, balconies, but not under the scorching sun and without drafts.
• The soil is suitable neutral, light, loose, moisture permeable. The best option is loamy or sandy. For heavy soil, drainage is done to avoid infection of tubers with fungal diseases.
• Crocuses are not picky about the nutritional value of the soil. But during the period of growth and flowering, it is necessary to apply phosphorus and potash fertilizers.
• The plant is drought-resistant. Frequent watering has a negative effect on flowering.

Flowers in a pot

Ideal time to harvest bulbs

Having admired the flowering enough, gardeners are beginning 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, so they are usually not dug up or transplanted for 3-5 years. During this period, the mother onion grows overgrown with daughter ones in an amount of up to 10 pieces.

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

There are cases when it is recommended to dig up crocuses once a year:

• in regions with cold winters for frost protection;
• to prevent the spread of disease;
• in order to obtain young planting material.

Cleaning weather

The dormant period for autumn plants is June-August, for spring plants - July-September. It begins when the leaves of the flower fall on the ground, turn yellow and easily begin to flake off.

This is the best time to dig up crocuses after flowering for transplantation, reproduction and storage of tubers.

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

Crocus digging process

Prepare inventory:

• pitchfork;
• a piece of plastic 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, a pitchfork is driven in to the entire possible depth and an earthen lump is removed onto a film.
3. They gently break it up and take out all the tubers.
4. They are cleaned of the ground by hand or with a water jet. The roots are carefully cut with pruning shears.
5. The onions are folded into a box, transferred to a shady place and dried, laid out on a flat surface in one layer.

The problem of how to dig out the planting material in order to transplant crocuses has been solved.

Digging up crocuses

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

This season is 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. Blooms in the second half of September.
• Sowing - large purple flower stalks. Its fragrant stigmas are dried and used as a spice. Blooms in September-October.
• Fine - one of the earliest tall varieties. It blooms in early September with large white or lilac flowers.
• Long-flowered - has a different color, late variety, flowering phase in November.
• Pretty - light purple large flowers forming 5-10 inflorescences on one bush. They dissolve in October.
• Holmovoy - miniature white, appears in September.
• Banatsky - lilac flowers resemble the shape of an iris. It pleases the eye with its bloom all September.

How to properly prepare crocuses for storage

Dry the onions in a shady cool place for 24 hours.

Then they carefully examine for mechanical damage with pitchforks, insects, rodents, as well as for the presence of mold, diseases, ulcers.

The surface should be dry, free from flakes, stains, uniform color.

Poor quality, spoiled - reject and destroy. Healthy, dense large clean onions are treated with phytosporin or a light raster of potassium permanganate and folded into varieties for storage.

How to store at home

The air in the room where the planting material is located should be fresh and cool. Temperature correspond to +15 .. + 18 ° С during the entire storage period.

Storing onions in boxes

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

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

Important storage rules before replanting crocuses:

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

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

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 container as for storage on the balcony. If the basement is visited by rodents, then the planting material is folded in one layer into small glass, metal jars and covered with a lid with narrow holes.

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

Treatment of tubers from diseases and pests

The main pests and diseases are presented in the table:

Rotten and healthy onion

Pest infestation during storage

During this period, check for bloom, damage and disease on a monthly basis. The spoiled planting material is immediately discarded.

Rodents are very dangerous: mice, rats. Their penetration into the room with onions is unacceptable. Complete isolation from rodents can be achieved by putting the tubers in glass or iron containers and covering with lids with holes for ventilation.

Taking care of the quality and safety of the planting material is the key to the magnificent flowering of crocuses. It will not take much time, but it will give the whole family a few months of aesthetic pleasure.