Daylily Nursery 222265451 User manual

Growing Guide: Crocus

Planting Crocus Corms: In areas where Crocus are reliably hardy—USDA Zone 6 through 8 in

the South, 6 through 9 in the West—you should plant the corms as soon as you receive them.

Crocus do best in full sun and well-drained soil that is moderately rich in organic matter. Ideally,

the site should be relatively dry in summer, when the corms are dormant. Plant the corms 4in

deep and 4in apart. If gophers, mice, or voles are a problem in your garden, plant the corms in

containers or line the bed with hardware cloth or a similar wire mesh. Flowers generally come up

6-8 weeks after planting, although occasionally they wait until the 2nd fall to appear. Bloom lasts

about 3 weeks. The grass-like leaves may emerge either with the flowers or soon after they

appear. Sometimes they wait until the following spring. In either case, the leaves persist for 8-12

weeks, then wither and vanish, leaving no trace of the corms below until the flowers appear

again in fall. It's not a bad idea to mark the area where you've planted your corms, so you don't

inadvertently dig them up while planting something else.

Overwintering Corms in Cold Climates: Crocus can be grown in areas with colder winters

than Zone 6, but the corms must be lifted and brought indoors for the winter. After the first few

frosts, but before the ground has frozen solid, carefully dig out the corms, place them in a

wooden crate or plastic tub, and completely cover with dry peat moss or sand. Store in a cool

(40-50°F), dry place, such as a basement. Plant them out again in the spring after all danger of

frost has passed, but don't water until you see new growth in early autumn. Another way of

growing Crocus in cold-winter areas is to plant the corms 2 in. deep in clay or plastic pots filled

with a well-drained soil mix, and then set the pots directly in the ground, with the rims about 2

inches below the soil surface, so the pots don't show. After the plants die back in the fall, move

the pots into the basement and store them dry for the winter. Set the pots back out the following

spring. Again, marking the pots' location so you don't accidentally dig into them is probably a

good idea.

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