Growing saffron in open ground and pots, plant varieties and its healing properties

Saffron is a very beautiful, delicate flower, which has been known since ancient times for its beneficial properties and culinary qualities. Growing saffron requires certain agrotechnical skills, but you still need to know some rules for caring for it.

Content:

• Saffron, plant description and photo
• Varieties where it grows
• Useful properties, what is the value of the plant
• Growing saffron: when to plant tubers, care recommendations
• Pest and disease control
• When to dig up bulbs
• Growing saffron as a business
• Decorative saffron
• Growing saffron crocus indoors

Saffron, plant description and photo

The plant has a second, more common name - crocus.

Description of culture:

• The plant belongs to the Iris family.
• Tuber-bulb culture. The diameter of the bulb is no more than three centimeters. The shape is flattened, round.
• The stem is poorly developed. The leaves are erect, linear in shape. Usually foliage grows before flowering and after the buds wither.
• The inflorescences are single, elongated, semi-open, up to eight centimeters high. One bulb produces two to three buds.

Based on color, crocuses are divided into two types:

• blue-flowered, in this case the color palette varies from lilac to violet;
• yellow-flowered, colors range from pale yellow to bright red.

Purple crocuses are more common here.

Saffron fruits have three nest boxes and contain small seeds.

The photo provided clearly shows the tenderness and lightness of the flower.

Varieties where it grows

There are up to eighty species and about 300 varieties around the world. The plant is perennial, widespread in Asian and European countries, growing in meadows and steppes.

In nature, crocuses are less common, so they are grown independently for industrial purposes, especially in Iran, Spain and India.

All types are divided into two classes:

• spring;
• autumn.

The most common varieties are:

• Crocus vernus or Spring: Pallas, Jubilee, Pickwick, Agnes;
• Golden Saffron: Beauty Cream, Blue Bonnet;
• Crocus the Beautiful: Cassiope, Albus, Pallux;
• Sage Thomasin (varieties: Ruby Giant, Bare People;
• Crocus biflorus or Two-flowered;
• Sage of Banat;
• Crocus angustifolia;
• Crocus Korolkova;
• Saffron Striped.

These plants grow well in a summer cottage or in flowerpots indoors.

Useful properties, what is the value of the plant

Dried saffron flowers are often used in cooking.

This spice is considered the most expensive and refined and has a pleasant sweet-bitter taste. It is used for vegetables, meat and even dessert.

This culture has healing properties and is used to treat the following diseases:

• liver failure;
• infertility;
• respiratory tract diseases;
• in case of disruption of the central nervous system;
• during acne formation;
• for depression;
• in case of malfunction of the digestive tract.

However, you need to know moderation in everything, especially since the spice is very expensive.

Let's watch a video about the benefits of saffron, and also learn about the benefits that can be obtained from its sale:

Growing saffron: when to plant tubers, care recommendations

A plant belonging to the spring class is planted closer to September-October. The depth of the hole is from five to ten centimeters.

Autumn species of crocuses being planted at the end of July or beginning of August, and until September. In this case, the depth of the hole is eight to ten centimeters. In both cases, planting is carried out at a distance of ten centimeters from each other. A sunny area is used, partial shade is allowed.

Care Tips:

• Moderate watering.
• Fertilizer application: At first, decomposed humus is used as fertilizing, and then mineral supplements are regularly added.
• The plant is propagated by planting every 3-5 years.

Let's watch a useful video about planting and growing saffron:

Pest and disease control

Crocuses are eaten by slugs, moles, caterpillars and mice. To get rid of slugs, it is necessary to treat the soil with special substances, you can get rid of caterpillars by collecting larval pupae in early spring, and to avoid attacks by mice, planting is carried out away from the turf.

The plant suffers from viral and fungal diseases.

For prevention, the bulbs are treated with Fundazol; in case of infection, the tubers are burned.

When to dig up saffron bulbs

Bulbs are dug up during the dormant period. This usually occurs in mid-June, perhaps a little later.

Gardeners recommend carrying out this manipulation every year in order to notice weak or diseased tubers in time.

Store the collected material in the basement.

Growing saffron as a business

For your own business, saffron is an ideal option, because it is the most expensive spice in the world, given that the costs of growing the crop are minimal.

The wholesale price ranges from four hundred fifty to seven hundred dollars per kilogram.

One kilogram of stigmas, which, in fact, are valuable raw materials, can be collected from seventy thousand flowers. On one hectare of land it will be possible to collect up to twenty kilograms.

The more land, the better it is for the owner - the profit will be greater. In addition, profit can be made by selling planting material.

Decorative saffron

Let's look at a few more decorative varieties:

Let's look at a few more decorative varieties; for convenience, we indicate them in the table.

Growing saffron crocus indoors

Crocus grows well at home.

There are a couple of nuances:

• Use quality seeds.
• Place the pot on the south side of the house.
• Maintain temperature conditions (plus 18, plus 20 degrees).
• Up to ten bulbs can be planted in a pot at the same time; taking this into account, it is worth choosing the appropriate size and depth of the flowerpot.
• Water and feed the flower in a timely manner.

Provided you follow all the recommendations, there should be no problems with growing crocus.

So, saffron is a flower that not only pleases with its beauty, but is also a good option for business.

Another advantage of the flower is its simple rules for growing and further care.