Which month is best to plant saffron?

Saffron, also known as crocus, is famous for its neat flowers and dwarf plant shape, and is suitable for both potted and ground planting . Its flowering effect is particularly spectacular when planted densely. In addition, the upper part of the saffron style and stigma can be picked and used to make tea, adding to its practicality. The process of growing saffron is also quite simple. Let’s learn below which month is best for planting saffron?

1. Breeding Methods

1. Bulb propagation

Bulb division propagation is usually carried out from August to September. Mature bulbs will grow multiple main buds and lateral buds, and new bulbs will swell and form at the base of the leaf cluster after flowering. After the above-ground parts wither in summer, the bulbs are dug out, graded, dried in the shade and stored. Planting early at the right time is beneficial for cultivating strong seedlings.

Each mature corm contains several main buds and lateral buds. When planting, large bulbs and small bulbs weighing more than 8 grams should be planted separately. Small bulbs weighing less than 8 grams will not bloom that year and need to be cultivated for another year. For potted plants, it is best to choose spring flower seeds weighing about 20 grams in October and plant them in pots with a diameter of 15 cm. 5 to 6 bulbs can be planted in each pot. After planting, place it outdoors for maintenance. After about two weeks of rooting, move it indoors to a place with sufficient light and humid air. It will bloom around New Year's Day.

After flowering, the remaining flowers should be picked off in time to avoid nutrient consumption, and 1 to 2 times of compound fertilizer solution mainly composed of phosphorus and potassium should be applied to promote the growth of bulbs. Continue normal maintenance until the above-ground parts turn yellow in summer, then dig out the bulbs, dry them in the shade and store them. Crocus can also be grown in water for viewing, using a similar method to daffodils.

(1) Open field method

Plant first and then pick the flowers. The planting period is generally from August to October, the earlier the better. Early planting is beneficial for the bulbs to take root first and then sprout, which promotes the growth and development of the plants. If planted late, the seeds will germinate first and then take root, resulting in poor growth of the seedlings.

The bulbs are planted in three grades: large, medium and small, for easy management. The row spacing for small bulbs is 10-15 cm, the plant spacing is about 5 cm, and the depth is 5 cm; the row spacing for medium bulbs is 10-15 cm, the plant spacing is 5-10 cm, and the depth is 10 cm; the row spacing for large bulbs is 15 cm, the plant spacing is 10-15 cm, and the depth is 10 cm. When planting, dig a horizontal planting furrow in the bed, place the main bud of the bulb upwards, and gently press it into the furrow. Cover with soil and water it. The next day, cover with soil again by 1-2 cm to prevent it from drying out and cracking.

(2) Indoor method

The flower bud differentiation, bud formation and flowering of saffron are all completed indoors. Around mid-May, after the above-ground part of the saffron has withered, dig out the bulbs, cut off the remaining leaves, remove the remains of the mother bulbs, and then move them indoors, grade them by size, and place them on indoor racks. 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. The plaque is 1 meter long, 0.6 meters wide and 10-15 centimeters high, and can be made of bamboo or wood. The plaque rack has 8-10 layers, each layer is 30-35 cm high. The indoor temperature should be controlled below 31°C before early August, and 24-29°C is appropriate, which is conducive to the differentiation of flower buds and leaf buds. The relative humidity should be kept above 80%. After mid-August, the temperature drops and generally no cooling measures are needed. The suitable temperature for saffron to bloom is 15-18°C. From the end of early October, it is best to maintain 15-18°C indoors. It blooms from late October to early November. Pick all the flowers and remove the side buds in time. 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, remove the rest, and then plant the bulbs in the field. The advantages of this method are that the flowering period is concentrated, which makes it easy to pick flowers, saves labor and time, takes up less space, and has fewer diseases. The disadvantage is that the bulbs are planted too late, which affects the growth of the plants and is not conducive to the hypertrophy of the bulbs.

2. Sowing

Since saffron is not easy to produce seeds, seeds can only be obtained through artificial pollination. When the seeds are mature, they can be sown in open-field seedbeds or pots as soon as they are harvested. The seed sowing density should not be too high, it is better to be sparse, because the plants need to grow bulbs and generally cannot be dug up within 2 years. It often takes 3 to 4 years from seed sowing to plant flowering.

3. Fertilization

Before planting, you should apply thoroughly fermented organic fertilizer , such as cake fertilizer, manure, burnt soil, wood ash, chicken and duck manure, etc., and some superphosphate should also be applied. After it takes root and leaves emerge, you can apply a thin liquid fertilizer with a balanced nitrogen and phosphorus every 10 days, such as adding an appropriate amount of potassium dihydrogen phosphate to the thoroughly fermented cake fertilizer liquid, until the flower stalks are removed and the flower buds appear. Avoid excessive or too concentrated nitrogen fertilizer, otherwise it will cause the leaves to grow too long and affect the growth of flower buds. At the end of the seedling and flowering period, apply 1,500 kg of human manure or an appropriate amount of chemical fertilizer per mu to promote the early emergence of seedlings. In spring, the amount of topdressing should be determined based on the growth of the seedlings. After flowering in October, apply 1 to 2 times of quick-acting fertilizer with a balanced content of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to facilitate the growth and development of the bulbs, so that the bulbs can store sufficient nutrients for more and better flowering in the following year. In mid-to-late December, spread a layer of horse manure between plants on the bed surface, and then cover with a small amount of soil to increase fertility and keep warm and prevent frost.

IV. Management

To ensure that the plant can bloom more and more vigorously, when you find that there are too many side buds on the plant, you can break off some of the small buds to ensure that the main buds can bloom more and larger flowers; during the growth and development of saffron, you must drain the accumulated water in time, especially in the rainy autumn season. Otherwise, it is easy to form water accumulation in the seedbed, causing the bulbs to rot and cause unnecessary economic losses; if there is autumn drought, you should also loosen the soil and water the seedbed to keep the soil moist. After the seedlings have all grown, insert a small bamboo knife into the soil to remove the small side buds on the outer circle of the plant, and retain 2-4 larger leaf clusters in the center of each plant to facilitate the harvest of large bulbs next year. The bulbs swell rapidly from February to April, so the soil should be loosened and weeds should be removed in time.

5. Harvest

From late April to early May, the above-ground branches and leaves of saffron gradually turn yellow, and you can use an iron rake to carefully dig them up from one end of the bed. After digging out, remove the branches, leaves and roots, dry them in the field for two days, and then store them indoors. When storing, the plants should be divided according to the standards of health, disease, integrity, damage, and size, and stored in different categories. The storage room should be light-free, cool, well ventilated, the floor should preferably be made of dirt, and the room should be kept dry. Generally, the weight of bulbs can increase 3-5 times. If 350-500 kg of bulbs are introduced at one time to plant one mu of saffron, 700-1000 kg of bulbs can be harvested per mu.

6. Processing

The flowering period of saffron both indoors and in the field is from mid-October to early November, with the peak flowering period from 9 to 11 a.m. every day, and the flowers are brightly colored. Indoors, flowers are not affected by the weather and can be picked all day long; outdoor flowers are picked at 8-11 a.m. on the first day of blooming. If picked too late, the stigma will easily be contaminated with stamen pollen, affecting the quality. After picking, peel off the petals, take out the pistil, style and stigma, preferably with three pieces connected. Spread it on white paper and place it in a ventilated place to dry in the shade. If the quantity is large, you can use the oven to dry it and store it in a sealed place away from light until sale. Generally, 80 flowers can be processed into 1 gram of dried flowers , and 1 acre can yield 1-2 kilograms of dried flowers.

VII. Preparation

Take the original medicinal materials and remove impurities. Medicinal properties: Saffron is composed of many stigmas gathered into loose threads, with three branches, about 30 mm long, and dark red. The upper part is wider and slightly flat, with an irregularly serrated edge at the tip and a short fissure on the inside. Sometimes a small section of yellow style remains at the lower end. Light, soft, moist and shiny, or dull and oily. It has a unique aroma, is slightly irritating, and tastes slightly bitter. Store in a dry container, tightly closed, in a cool, dry place, away from light.

8. Disease and Pest Control

Sclerotinia disease harms bulbs and seedlings. When storing bulbs, injured or diseased bulbs must be removed to prevent the bulbs from deteriorating and the infection and spread of pathogens. It can be controlled by spraying 500 times diluted 50% thiophanate wettable powder.

The above is an introduction to the planting time and method of saffron. Saffron prefers a cool, humid and semi-shady environment. It is relatively cold-resistant and should be planted in sandy loam with good drainage and rich humus.