Crocus Bulbs

With their colorful, bright flowers and easy-to-grow nature, crocus bulbs call attention to themselves by being the first plants to bloom in spring, often contrasting magnificently with the surrounding white snow. Crocus plants do best when planted four to six inches deep during the fall, about six to eight weeks before the first frost -- when soil temperatures are below 60 degrees Fahrenheit -- so roots can establish themselves before the winter. Following this, it's recommended to cover crocus bulbs with compost and mulch to offer protection during the colder months.

Do Crocuses come back every year?
Crocuses do come back year after year, and are particularly hardy bulbs. They're tolerant of cold weather, and squirrels tend not to dig them up. As a result, you may have longer year-over-year success with crocus bulbs than with other types of bulbs.

Crocuses are also excellent naturalizers, meaning that they multiply and spread throughout the years once established. They multiply by corm offsets, or baby corms that develop along the sides of the bulbs. Crocus can be divided after a few years.

How long do crocus flowers last?
Crocus blooms tend to last three or four weeks, whether spring-blooming crocus or fall-blooming crocus. These flowers are resistant to frost, and you'll enjoy several blooms on each stem. Once the flowers fade back, leave the grass-like foliage in place until it starts to die back on its own, so that your crocus can garner enough energy from the sunlight to survive to the next blooming season.

How do I plant crocus bulbs?
Crocus are one of the easiest bulbs to plant, and they rarely suffer damage from rot or animals. Choose a spot in your garden with full sun, and make sure to select a site that doesn't hold much water. Plant the bulbs two to three inches deep, and space them two to three inches apart. You can plant your crocus in a row, but they really shine in a mass planting or informal groups and clusters. Water yoru crocuses in well, and wait to enjoy them in springtime or fall.

When should I plant crocus bulbs?
Planting time for crocus bulbs is dependent upon variety. Spring-blooming crocus should be planted just a few weeks before the first hard frost date. They need a period of cold to open in springtime, so you want to get them into the ground before the winter! Fall-blooming crocus should be planted in mid- to late summer in order to be established in time for blooming.

What type of soil do crocus plants need?
Crocus bulbs are fairly unfussy, and can handle low-quality or sandy soil if it's amended with a bit of organic material, like compost. Work in a compost before planting. Although crocus are easy to grow, they cannot tolerate too much water. Standing water in the garden is a recipe for rotted bulbs, so make sure to choose a well-draining location for crocus plants! For crocuses planted in containers, use potting soil for the best drainage and flowering results.

What crocuses bloom in the fall?
The group of crocus that bloom in autumn actually contains two separate plants. Some crocuses are fall-blooming, such as the saffron plant used in cooking. However "autumn crocus" is actually a name for colchicum, a crocus-like plant that also blooms in fall. Colchium is a bit larger than crocus, and can tolerate colder temperatures. However, both plants grow from small corms and have narrow, grass-like foliage. Fall-blooming crocuses and colchium should actually be planted well after winter, in midsummer. A July or August planting time will give your fall crocuses enough time to get settled before their blooming season.