Overview

Discover the joy of cultivating the world’s most valuable spice right in your own garden with our premium saffron crocus bulbs. These high-quality Crocus sativus bulbs, measuring a generous 9/10cm, are specifically selected for their robust growth and exceptional saffron yield. Ideal for both seasoned gardeners and curious beginners, these bulbs transform your autumn landscape with stunning lilac-purple blooms, each harboring the precious crimson stigmas that become the coveted saffron spice. Imagine the delight of harvesting your own saffron threads, adding a touch of gourmet luxury to your culinary creations directly from your backyard. This unique fall-blooming crocus offers not only an economic advantage but also an enchanting display of color when most other garden plants are preparing for winter dormancy, making it a truly special addition to any outdoor space.

Our saffron crocus bulbs are a fantastic way to engage with nature and enjoy a rewarding gardening project. They are easy to plant and incredibly resilient, establishing quickly to provide a beautiful floral show and a bountiful harvest year after year. The large bulb size ensures reliable flowering and strong performance, guaranteeing a successful experience even for those new to growing saffron. These bulbs are perfectly suited for various garden settings, from dedicated spice beds to decorative borders and containers, offering flexibility in how you choose to cultivate your own supply of this exquisite and highly prized spice. Embark on a fascinating gardening journey and bring the magic of saffron cultivation to your home.

Key Benefits

Growing your own saffron offers a multitude of benefits, from the aesthetic beauty of its fall blooms to the culinary delight of fresh, homegrown spice. Our saffron crocus bulbs provide an accessible way to experience these advantages:

• Rare Autumn Blooms: Enjoy beautiful lilac-purple flowers with striking deep purple veining and vibrant red stigmas, providing much-needed color and visual interest in your garden during October and November when most other plants are fading.
• Homegrown Gourmet Spice: Harvest your own valuable saffron threads directly from your garden, allowing you to enjoy the freshest, highest-quality saffron for your cooking without the high cost of store-bought varieties. This is an excellent way to grow saffron at home.
• Easy to Grow & Low Maintenance: These Crocus sativus bulbs are surprisingly easy to plant and care for, requiring minimal attention once established. They are a resilient choice for gardeners of all skill levels, offering great rewards for little effort.
• Naturalizing & Long-Lasting: Once planted, these bulbs will naturalize in your garden, multiplying over time and producing stronger saffron yields in subsequent seasons. They can remain in the ground for several years, providing continuous harvests.
• Versatile Garden Placement: Suitable for a variety of garden locations, including sunny garden beds, woodland edges, pathway borders, and even containers, offering flexibility in design and placement.
• Deer Resistant: A practical choice for gardens prone to deer, as these plants are naturally deer-resistant, helping to protect your valuable crop and blooms.
• Premium Bulb Size: The large 9/10cm crocus sativus bulbs are specifically chosen for their superior vigor, ensuring reliable flowering and excellent saffron production from the very first season.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Cultivating a thriving saffron spice plant from our saffron crocus bulbs is a straightforward process that yields incredibly rewarding results. To ensure optimal growth and a bountiful harvest, selecting the right location is paramount. Choose a site that receives full sun to partial sun (at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily) and boasts well-draining soil. Saffron crocus dislikes soggy conditions, so amending heavy clay soils with compost or sand can significantly improve drainage. Plant the bulbs in late summer or early fall, about 4-6 inches deep with the pointed end facing upwards, and space them approximately eight inches apart. For a denser display or in containers, you can plant up to three bulbs in a 10-14 inch pot with quality potting mix.

Once planted, keep the soil lightly moist during active growth periods, primarily in fall and spring. During their summer dormancy, they prefer drier conditions. Water at soil level to minimize the risk of fungal issues and maintain the delicate stigmas. Fertilize in early spring as new shoots emerge with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer to support strong growth and flower production. These resilient bulbs are generally hardy in USDA Zones 5-9 and can withstand moderate winter temperatures, especially with a light layer of mulch to protect the crowns. Mulching also helps retain soil moisture and suppresses weeds, contributing to a healthier saffron patch. Protect from extreme heat and ensure good air circulation. With proper care, your fall-blooming crocus will reward you with beautiful flowers and precious saffron threads for many years.

While relatively low-maintenance, keeping an eye out for common pests and diseases is always a good practice. Good drainage is your best defense against bulb rot. If you notice any yellowing leaves or stunted growth, check the soil moisture and consider a soil test to address any nutrient deficiencies. By following these simple guidelines, you’ll be well on your way to enjoying a successful harvest from your crocus sativus bulbs and have plenty of homegrown saffron to savor.

Size & Details

Each order contains premium saffron crocus bulbs, carefully selected for their size and vitality. These large 9/10cm bulbs are specifically chosen to ensure robust growth and reliable flowering, leading to excellent saffron production from the initial season. When mature, the plants typically reach a height of approximately five inches, showcasing graceful six-petaled blooms that open on sunny days and close at night. While saffron crocus establishes quickly, the most significant saffron yields are often observed from the second season onwards, as the bulbs naturalize and multiply. They are shipped as dormant bulbs, ready for planting upon arrival in late summer or early fall, allowing them ample time to root before their stunning autumn display. Expect your first harvest of saffron threads within the first season, with increasing yields in subsequent years. This long-lasting perennial will continue to enrich your garden and kitchen for many seasons to come.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big do these saffron crocus bulbs get? A: These are premium 9/10cm saffron crocus bulbs, which are considered large for their type, ensuring strong growth and reliable flowering. The plants themselves typically reach about five inches tall when in bloom.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: Saffron crocus is primarily an outdoor plant, thriving in garden beds, borders, and containers where it can receive ample sunlight. While it can be grown in containers, it generally performs best outdoors.
• Q: How much sunlight does a saffron spice plant need? A: For optimal growth and saffron production, your saffron spice plant requires full sun to partial sun, ideally at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? Is it good for beginners? A: Yes, saffron crocus bulbs are surprisingly easy to care for and are an excellent choice for beginners. They are quite resilient and require minimal maintenance once established, primarily good drainage and adequate sunlight.
• Q: What condition will the bulbs arrive in? A: Your bulbs will arrive dormant and ready for planting. They are carefully packaged to ensure they reach you in excellent condition, prepared to be planted in late summer or early fall.
• Q: How long until saffron crocus blooms and produces saffron? A: These fall blooming crocus varieties will typically bloom in October and November of the first season after planting. You can begin harvesting saffron threads as soon as the flowers open.
• Q: What’s the best time to plant saffron crocus bulbs? A: The ideal time to plant your crocus sativus bulbs is in late summer or early fall, typically from August to September, to allow them to establish roots before their autumn flowering period.
• Q: Will saffron crocus survive winter in my zone? A: Saffron crocus is generally hardy in USDA Zones 5-9. In colder zones, a layer of mulch can provide additional protection, or bulbs can be lifted and stored for winter.
• Q: Can I really grow saffron at home? A: Absolutely! These saffron crocus bulbs are specifically for growing your own saffron. With proper planting and care, you can enjoy harvesting your own valuable spice right from your garden.
• Q: What kind of soil is best for saffron crocus? A: Saffron crocus thrives in well-draining soil. If your soil is heavy clay, it’s recommended to amend it with organic matter or sand to improve drainage and prevent bulb rot.