When is the best time to plant saffron bulbs?

Saffron , also known as crocus, has very beautiful flowers. Its red flower center is a very good Chinese medicinal material and is very expensive. If you grow saffron, when is the best time to plant saffron bulbs ? Let’s learn more about it below.

When is the best time to plant saffron bulbs?

The planting time for saffron bulbs can be chosen after September in autumn, or in March-April in spring. For natural environment planting, it is recommended to plant in autumn and early spring.

How to plant saffron bulbs

1. Bulb processing

Before planting saffron bulbs, soak the seeds in 500-600 times diluted 25% carbendazim for 20 minutes to prevent the occurrence of diseases and pests. You can choose to plant in autumn.

2. Land preparation and ridge making

Saffron prefers crop rotation and avoids continuous cropping. Choose a well-drained, loose, fertile sandy plot. It is best to have planted beans, corn, rice and other crops before. Saffron is a shallow-rooted plant with fibrous roots, so it is important to apply enough base fertilizer. Apply 4000-5000 kg of decomposed farmyard manure per mu. When applying fertilizer, be careful to spread the fertilizer evenly on the ground. Dig trenches and ridges in the north-south direction, with a width of 1 meter and a height of 20 centimeters, and a spacing of 30-40 centimeters between ridges. Dig furrows on the bed surface with a depth of about 8 cm. The furrow spacing is about 20 cm, and then you can sow the seeds.

3. Planting seeds

Before planting, remove excess side buds, keep row spacing at 15-20 cm, plant spacing at 10 cm, depth at 3-6 cm, and cover and compact the soil with the main buds of the bulbs. After sowing, water the seeds thoroughly to ensure that they have enough water to grow. After 5-7 days, apply human and animal manure and water, 3000-4000 kg per mu, to promote early rooting of the bulbs.

4. Lamination

After planting, if the temperature is below 5 degrees, you must cover the film, cover it with soil and compact it, which can prevent frost and increase soil temperature. It can also reduce the growth of weeds and promote the growth of bulbs. The temperature rises from late February to early March, and the bulbs enter the greening period and the film is removed. After removing the film, the soil is loosened and weeds are weeded. The depth of intertillage is 2-3 cm. Be careful not to damage the roots of the plants during intertillage.

5. Water and fertilizer management

After the film of saffron is removed, top dressing should be applied in time. Apply 3000-4000 kg of human and animal manure per mu together with watering, and apply top dressing again after half a month. In March and April, generally spray 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate every 10-15 days, and spray 2-3 times in a row to promote bulb growth. In April, saffron enters the late stage of field growth. If side buds are found, they should be removed in time to avoid affecting the growth of large bulbs.

That’s it