The Saffron Crocus Tale.

[Kirk]

Well they all were planted. 50 of them. Maybe planted a bit late and I realise not in the right conditions.

Anyway, they grew, and grew and grew. Ended up with a good 24 inches of long slender crocus like leaf and eventually 3 flowers.

The tempory home was the raised bed vegetable bed. So reasonable soil, good level of nutrients. Saffron crocus should be in sandy, gritty, sun baked ground. So kind of utterly wrong.

Flowers never really opened (all 3 of them), no idea if they had the required stamen.

Big question: Are or were they Saffron Crocus?
Honest answer I have no real idea.

UK was wet when I put them in, went in a little late, soil better suited to vegetables, not gritty and not sunbaked, probably too rich.

Thoughts are the soil caused the long green leaf growth and the wet/cold caused the lack of flowers. I may be being generous.

Leaf has stayed, just removed last group of bulbs today and the leaves are present on them and the ones I took out 2 weeks ago. I am holding them in a large pot that is poor soil and 50% sand/grit. They seem happy. Well they haven't died.

I have now about 5 times the number of bulbs/corms. Oh hell!!!

Plan is: Create a long bed at front of house, faces South West. Should be dryer against the wall and I will add 2 bags of what is really a fine mulch and 2 bags of sharp sand. Then put the whole lot in there and see what happens.

[Jay22]

I’ve had mine in pots for a few years now...just leaves no flowers!!

[burnie]

Be interested to know how you get on, up here I had planned growing them in the greenhouse, but running out of places to put them.

[Kirk]

The patch of the raised bed they were in I wanted, so extracted about 1/3 of them.
Lots of smaller bulbs and as said lots of long green leaf.
Decided to hold them is a pot of somewhat dry sandy mix. That was 2 weeks ago and they are just starting to go a straw colour, still a fair amount of green.

So the description of gritty, sandy, sun-baked could be the key.

They are all now in a larger pot and a dry sandy mix to hold them while I sort out a bed for them in a better place/position - basically need a 4.2mtr length of wood I have used elsewhere with fair results. Just unable to go buy it presently. Can do 1/3 of it, I suppose.

As said still not 100% sure they really are Saffron Crocus, could have been palmed off with something else.

Anyway - tomatoes in, turnip seed in, swede next.
Then debate something for strawberries. Could be a length of decking and 9mm ply as edging for a long trough.

[ecudc]

I’ve never had any luck with saffron crocus so it probably is them lol. Apparently they need to be planted really deep (15-20 cm) to flower and loads of grit.

[Kirk]

I’ve never had any luck with saffron crocus so it probably is them lol. Apparently they need to be planted really deep (15-20 cm) to flower and loads of grit.

At this time I have no real idea if I have had any success.
I seem to have 2 to 3 times as many but they are smaller. Ever had the idea that they will just get smaller year by year and eventually cease to exist.

Although as said the ground was not really appropriate.

Now have bags of compost, have strimmed the front area, have blocks.
Need to remove old grass layer, set blocks in, add compost and wood edge and when I can get any 2 bags or 3 of sharp sand.

Hope is that the compost - really a somewhat fine mulch - opens the soil, the sand adds drainage and grit, and the front of garden strip keeps it dry and sort of sunbaked. Sun in the UK ?

It's fun.