Crocus bulbs look beautiful indoors and outdoors and offer a welcome splash of colour in the spring.
They have cup-shaped flowers and come in many colours, but yellow, purple, lilac and white varieties are most popular.
These bulbs benefit from being planted in shallow holes, covered by no more than 1.5cm (half an inch) of soil.
When to Plant: September to November for Spring flowering. Or July to August for Autumn flowering
Planting Depth: 3 times their depth or 10cm
Soil Type: Well drained and gritty
Preferred Position: Full sun
More advice:
- Bulbs in borders – Plant outdoors in September for spring colour and leave nature to work.
- Bulbs in containers – Ensure that the bottom of the container has some drainage holes or crocks. The best compost to use is one specifically for growing bulbs as this has the correct nutrients added to it. Check for watering, but take care not to over-water.
- Indoor bulbs – Similar to outdoor containers, use crocks in the bottom of the container, and a bulb compost. Bulbs should have one third of the bulb showing out of the compost. After planting, place in a dark cool place to force the bulbs, checking for watering. This can take up to 9 weeks before leaves and flower buds appear. Growth will appear yellow at first, but becomes green once place in the light to grow. Check watering and do not place too close to a radiator once flowering starts.
As Crocus are a smaller bulb it may also be worth investing in a Small Hand Bulb Planter in order to create small uniform planting holes both quickly and easily.
