How to propagate saffron

Bulb propagation

Ball time

The growing season of saffron is in winter and spring. There are two varieties: autumn flowering and spring blooming. The bulbs are usually divided in August and September. The earlier the bulbs are divided, the better it is for strong seedlings.

Selecting bulbs

In spring, the remaining flowers should be picked off immediately after flowering to avoid nutrient consumption, and a compound fertilizer solution mainly composed of phosphorus and potassium should be applied 1 to 2 times to promote the growth of bulbs and continue normal maintenance. When the above-ground parts turn yellow in summer, take out the bulbs, dry them in the shade and store them.

Preserving bulbs

Cut off the remaining leaves at the top, remove the remains of the mother bulb, then move it indoors, sort it by size, and place it on the indoor rack. There is no need to bury the soil. Just place the bulbs with the buds facing up and place them flat on the plaque with slight gaps between the bulbs.

Indoor potted plant division

In autumn, the bulbs can be divided according to their shape and those with daughter bulbs. Just break it apart with your hands and plant it in a pot.

Maintenance after ball division

After dividing the bulbs, increase the indoor air humidity appropriately and keep the soil moist. Promote bulb germination.

After mid-August, the temperature drops and generally no cooling measures are needed. The suitable temperature for saffron is 15~18℃. Controlling the indoor temperature after dividing the bulbs can promote flowering.

Seed propagation

Saffron is not easy to produce seeds and needs artificial pollination to obtain seeds. So if you want to use the sowing method, you can buy seeds at a flower shop.

In spring and autumn, sow the seeds directly in the pot, with a spacing of 5 to 10 cm between the seeds, and it is better to sow them sparsely. Because the plant is growing bulbs, the pot cannot be changed or the soil loosened within 2 years.

It takes 3 to 4 years from sowing seeds to the flowering of plants. During this period, you can water and fertilize appropriately.