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Crocuses
Crocuses not only provide colour in the garden, they also announce the arrival of spring. When they burst into flower you know that winter is at an end. They may look fragile but they can withstand the severest weathers. A few days of sunshine is all that is needed to encourage these flowers to appear bringing colour to your garden, patio and decking. Plant them in the ground and leave them undisturbed and they will return in increasing abundance year after year. See Bakker.com highly recommended collections below and make your choice now!
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Crocuses
The crocus is classified in the same family as the iris and is not actually a bulb it’s a corm. Crocuses originated in the mountains around the Mediterranean, and most varieties flower in February and March. Bakker also supplies the rarer autumn crocus (Colchicum). Crocuses are graceful cup-shaped flowers in many bright colours. The foliage is narrow and often has a stripe down the middle. Many varieties smell so delightful that they entice (bumble) bees out of their hives in spring. Did you know that the stamens on some varieties are the very thing that gives us saffron?
You can plant crocus corms in groups of at least 15 but they will also look just so lovely and graceful lining the edge of a path. Crocuses are always an asset indoors too but they need to have been overwintered outside, once you see them poking through in the spring, they can be brought inside. For the best colour contrasts, combine them with other spring flowering bulbs such as snowdrops and winter aconite, or with hardy perennials such as the Christmas rose (hellebore) or primrose.
If you follow the planting instructions below, it just couldn’t be any easier to plant crocuses! Do keep to the correct planting depth - don’t forget that the hole should be 3 x as deep as the height of the bulb. At Bakker, we can also supply you with the correct gardening tools.
In some cases it is good to give your crocuses a helping hand. If it was a short spring and summer came round quickly, give them a good mulch of well-rotted manure in the autumn. A good feed after flowering will be appreciated too, especially after a long and mild spring.
In autumn it’s important that the crocus beds remain moist but not soggy. Cover the beds before the start of winter with a layer of mulch and then remove it at the end of February to allow the shoots to come through. If it happens to be really cold or especially freezing, in February or March (even for just a couple of days) you could use plastic tumblers as a temporary cloche over any early flowers. Crocuses can however, handle frost quite well. If you are growing them in the lawn, we recommend not mowing the lawn until the foliage has died back, or at least turned yellow.
Planting crocuses
Crocus are easy to grow. If you want to enjoy your crocuses in the spring, you should plant them in the autumn – generally speaking, in September and October. Crocuses can basically be grown anywhere in the garden. The only exception is that it’s best to avoid the shady spot on the north side of a building. If they don’t get enough sunlight the flowers won’t open. They like the soil to be nice and airy with good drainage.You can plant crocus corms in groups of at least 15 but they will also look just so lovely and graceful lining the edge of a path. Crocuses are always an asset indoors too but they need to have been overwintered outside, once you see them poking through in the spring, they can be brought inside. For the best colour contrasts, combine them with other spring flowering bulbs such as snowdrops and winter aconite, or with hardy perennials such as the Christmas rose (hellebore) or primrose.
If you follow the planting instructions below, it just couldn’t be any easier to plant crocuses! Do keep to the correct planting depth - don’t forget that the hole should be 3 x as deep as the height of the bulb. At Bakker, we can also supply you with the correct gardening tools.
Planting crocuses in the garden.
- Choose a nice space in the border or in the lawn.
- Loosen the soil with a fork (lift the turf first if on the lawn) and mix it with some organic fertiliser or compost
- Place the trowel into the soil and pull it towards you to create a large opening in the soil.
- Plant the crocus bulb with the point up - 3 cm apart
- Cover the corms with soil and water immediately
Planting crocuses in pots and planters
- Layer the base of the pot or planter with a layer of gravel or clay pellets and cover with a thick layer of potting compost
- Plant each crocus corm on the compost with the point up - 2 cm apart
- Cover the corms with a layer of potting compost and press firmly
- Water immediately
Caring for your crocuses
Although crocuses look rather delicate they can actually handle the harshest weather conditions. Once planted, they should return every year with no special treatment. Crocuses are great for naturalising - they multiply over time and spread themselves.In some cases it is good to give your crocuses a helping hand. If it was a short spring and summer came round quickly, give them a good mulch of well-rotted manure in the autumn. A good feed after flowering will be appreciated too, especially after a long and mild spring.
In autumn it’s important that the crocus beds remain moist but not soggy. Cover the beds before the start of winter with a layer of mulch and then remove it at the end of February to allow the shoots to come through. If it happens to be really cold or especially freezing, in February or March (even for just a couple of days) you could use plastic tumblers as a temporary cloche over any early flowers. Crocuses can however, handle frost quite well. If you are growing them in the lawn, we recommend not mowing the lawn until the foliage has died back, or at least turned yellow.
