When is the best time to plant saffron and when does it bloom?

Saffron, also known as saffron and crocus, is a medicinal plant with a long history. In addition, saffron can also be used as a spice to make meals and has a high economic value. So when is the best time to plant saffron? What month does it bloom? Let’s learn more about it below.

When is the best time to plant saffron and when does it bloom?

Generally speaking, saffron should be planted in autumn. If it is in the southern region, the weather is still relatively hot at the beginning of autumn, so you can wait until around October to plant it. Its flowering period is from the end of October to the beginning of November every year, and the flowering period is about 20 days.

What are the methods of growing saffron?

1. Open Field Method

(1) Land preparation and fertilization: Choose gently sloping or hillside land with loose, fertile, slightly alkaline, and good drainage for planting. One month before sowing, apply 4000 kg of farmyard manure, 40 kg of superphosphate and 200 kg of rapeseed cake per mu, deep plow into the soil, harrow it evenly, and make it into a ridge 1.3-1.5 meters wide and 20 cm high.

(2) Bulb collection: After the above-ground parts wither in summer, the bulbs are dug out, sorted, dried in the shade, and stored until August or September in autumn for planting.

(3) Planting tips: Before planting, separate the large and small bulbs, plant the large ones sparsely and the small ones densely. Generally, the spacing between rows and plants is 20×20 cm, the furrow is about 10 cm deep, the bulb buds are facing upward, and the soil is covered at 2-2.5 times the height of the bulb, that is, 3-6 cm. Deep planting of bulbs is also one of the methods to cultivate large bulbs. After planting, water thoroughly to help the roots take root and keep the soil moist. Seedlings will emerge in about a month.

2. Indoor method

(1) Put the saffron on the shelves at the right time: Around mid-May, when the above-ground part of the saffron has withered, dig out the bulbs, cut off the remaining leaves at the top, remove the remains of the mother bulbs, and then move them indoors, sort them by size, and put them on the shelves indoors. The time to put the bulbs on the shelves should be when some bulbs begin to sprout, which is generally from the end of August to the beginning of September.

(2) Temperature and humidity control: In terms of temperature, the bulbs should experience a "low-high-low" temperature change process indoors. At the same time, as the main buds grow, the indoor air humidity should be increased accordingly, generally controlled at 80%-90%. The doors and windows can be opened at night to increase the humidity, and closed during the day to retain moisture.

(3) Remove side buds: Remove side buds in a timely manner. For bulbs weighing more than 20 grams, leave 2-4 main buds on the top; for bulbs weighing less than 20 grams, leave 1-2 main buds and remove the rest.

In general, saffron must be planted at the right time, but the specific time can be adjusted appropriately according to local climatic conditions and actual conditions. At the same time, a reasonable planting method is also the key to ensuring high yield of saffron. It is important to distinguish the differences between open-field and indoor technical points.