skip to main content

Experiences with Saffron Crocus?

11 years ago

Hi! I was really curious if anyone has grown the Saffron Crocus. If so, what was your experience with it, what zone you are in and where you able to harvest Saffron? I'm toying with the idea of growing it but I'm feeling a little intimidated by it because I heard its hard to grow good quality saffron from it. Thanks in advance!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

socalgal_gw Zone USDA 10b Sunset 24
11 years ago
It didn't work for me in zone 10b. I don't think it even bloomed, and it definitely didn't come back the next year.
vetivert8
11 years ago
I have grown them, and they flowered, and then I had an inadvertent upheaval so they come up in weird places now.

If you can grow garlic well you can probably grow saffron. They seem to prefer an open soil, and plenty of sunshine, and they do better if they're lifted each year and replanted with the larger bulbs set out to flower/produce and the smaller ones put in to grow on to flowering size. Some people recommend using a 'hill and furrow' growing system, though not as marked as you would for potatoes. If you need to irrigate rather than count on autumn rains, then that would make sense for keeping the flowers/anthers dry.

You might not get flowers the first year if the bulbs have yet to reach flowering size. And you need to manage your bulbs this way rather than hoping they'll naturalise. I suppose it's because they're a crop, not a decorative plant.

Feeding seems to be best done using mature compost rather than quick chemicals.
Related Discussions
Saffron crocus
Q
Comments (13)
tlbean2004 wrote: "Dig one up and see if there is any kind of growth on them." Thanks for your response, tlbean2004. Well, I had about 15 of them, so I can just dig in the general area, I guess. "What kind of ground are they in?" Just regular garden soil. "Is it dry?" We've had average rainfall over the summer, so not particularly. "Are you watering?" Since the rainfall has been average, not the crocuses. I've watered some of my other plants when they look thirsty at times, but I just assumed the crocuses had died, so I haven't bothered. Anyway, I'll do some digging and see if that uncovers anything. :)
...See More
Saffron Crocus? Tips for newbie?
Q
Comments (3)
They are planted within my woodland garden area so they are planted with ferns. Eventually, I plan to plant them in a woodland setting with edible spring ferns because I love fiddle heads. Perhaps in our climate think more about companion planting than "cover" cropping. Why? Because you want something that "shows" the crocus when they bloom! They are beautiful - so a decides plant, or something that declines a bit in the fall would be a nice companion. Also something that will not smother, cover or crowd the bulbs out (which means most traditional ground covers are out).
...See More
Saffron Crocus bulbs
Q
Comments (4)
Jamus please post your recipe in the forum. I have just put in a dozen bulbs (from diggers) - I know that it is an amazing spice and I love the fragrance, just not quite sure how to cook with it. Im sure others would be interested. John, you have done a great thing by publicising a small producer with such great service and knowledge. Should happen more often - maybe it might help slow the takeover by the substandard chain stores have engulfed the market. I hesitate to call them 'nurseries' as they have little or no plant knowledge to pass on. Jus.
...See More
saffron crocus question
Q
Comments (19)
I am in central Connecticut and have had about a 25% success rate in that I tried planting them twice in separate years. Only a few came back where I figured was an excellent location because there were other crocus bulbs surviving there. Maybe 6 out of 45 came back. Then I circled the base of a 60 year old Dogwood tree which had Bishops weed as competition. Out of 25 more bulbs, I figured 15 came back and I can harvest a pinch of saffron each year. (Yes, only a pinch of it.) You mention that you had no success. Do you have other crocus bulbs planted in the area? Are they successful? I presume that you planted them in the fall. Did something eat them? One year I set out 30 crocus bulbs only to find 30 holes the following morning. I guess I neglected to water them in which would have disguised them.
...See More
wvbetsy
11 years ago
I've had excellent success growing saffron crocus. I plant them just as I would any other crocus. I amend the soil with compost regularly. The only time I dig them is when they've become crowded. I disagree that they're no decorative. They've naturalized throughout my flower beds. I collect the threads and use them in cooking.
ofionnachta
11 years ago
I've got a couple of clumps that have flowered for 2 years now. They are in my garden meant for flowers, not veggies. I think they are beautiful and yes, we have used the threads in cooking--but since there are not many, we only added them to the saffron we already had. I live in NJ a few miles north of Trenton. The crocuses are planted in the only bed that gets full afternoon sun. They did make clumps pretty fast after I planted the single bulbs.
loohan7
2 years ago
I can't figure out why mine won't sprout this year. I'm in USDA Zone 6B. I overwintered them indoors then put the pots back out. It is now Oct 8 and nothing came up. I just upended one pot and was surprised to see lots of little bulbs, looking firm and good but no hint of a sprout. 1/4" to 3/8 estimated diameters.

The pot was largely organic matter.

I can only attempt tp grow them in pots because of the voles.

Related Stories

LIFE Is Cabin Fever Real? Share Your Story

By Mary Jo Bowling

Are snow piles across the U.S. leading to masses of irritability and boredom? We want to hear your experience

GARDENING GUIDES Don’t Let These Excuses Keep You From Gardening

By Steve Asbell

Stop blaming your lack of experience, space, time and funds, and get on with the joy of garden making

GARDENING GUIDES Gardening With Kids: How to Plant Bulbs

By Alison Hodgson

You don't need expertise to get flowering bulbs in the ground in fall — but kids will feel like gardening pros come spring

FALL GARDENING Reflecting on a Gardening Year

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Mistakes and successes, surprises and comforts. The garden helps us grow in new ways every year

CEILINGS 13 Ceiling Treatments To Look Up To

By Jason Ball Interior Design

Intricate, Rustic, Modern or Metal, These Ceilings Make the Room

DIY PROJECTS Holiday DIY: Mason Jar Forced Bulbs and Evergreen Gift Tags

Learn how to make these winter projects from the book ‘Garden Made’ by Stephanie Rose

GARDENING GUIDES What Are Your Spring Gardening Plans?

By Annie Thornton

Tearing out the lawn? Planting edibles? Starting from scratch? Tell us what you plan to change in your garden this year

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Great Design Plant: Thunder and Lightning for Midsummer Garden Color

Get over the mouthful of a name; focus on the dramatic foliage and gorgeous magenta flowers of Thunder and Lightning field scabious

GARDENING GUIDES Your Garden Is Stirring — Here’s What to Do in February

By Susan Haynes

February is a good time to start seeds, shape up shrubs and watch for the earliest blooms. Here’s what to do in your part of the U.S. now

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: Hollywood Haven for a Celeb and Family

By Vanessa Brunner

Comedy is hard, but actor Joel McHale's spacious redesigned home in California is easy on the eyes

Sponsored

Kuhns Contracting, Inc.

26 Reviews

Central Ohio's Trusted Home Remodeler Specializing in Kitchens & Baths

More Discussions

Variegated lily of the valley

3

Plant ID? Does anyone recognize these bulbs?

6

Camass dies every year

0

Daffodils favorites - 2024

1