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Delicate crocuses bloom one of the first and show that the snow and frosty winter gradually gives way to the tender spring sunshine. And do you know that you can admire their blooming even when the snowstorm is still blowing in the street and is far away to the present spring? Let's imagine for a minute that we are wizards who are subject to the change of the season, and we are going to turn out crocuses at home. Agree that there is nothing more beautiful than flowering plants, and these primroses are recognized as one of the best crops, easily yieldable. The whole beauty of this procedure is the ability to control the flowering of crocuses, bringing it closer to the desired date.
So, what is this magic process and how to make flowers bloom at the right time? About this and talk today.
We choose the planting material
From what will be the planting material, depends not only the quality of flowering, but also the duration of the process of forcing. It is noticed that the largest inflorescences in the shortest possible time are obtained from large varietal corms that bloom more abundantly.
Garden plant specimens growing on flowerbeds are also amenable to forcing, but it is worth considering that their flowers will be shallow and quickly fade.
The best for forcing in domestic conditions are recognized hybrid crocuses, in particular, belonging to the Dutch selection.
When buying corms, you need to pay attention to these points:
- they must be dense, dark brown in color;
- on the surface there are no traces of mechanical damage;
- scales absolutely healthy, without signs of rotting;
- the bulb should remain in a state of complete rest, that is, without germinating rootlets and stems (otherwise it will be difficult to hold its flowering to the desired date);
- it is best to choose corms with a diameter of at least 7 cm, because the amount of planting material depends on the number of future inflorescences.
As for the popular crocuses of the Chrysanthus group (golden-flowered), they are practically not used for forcing. Although they are very beautiful, but the character of the plants is quite capricious: most often they do not "live longer" for budding, and immediately wither.
Preparing corms for forcing
Dismantling of crocuses provides for proper preparation of bulbs, because without it it is very difficult and almost impossible to manage flowering. First of all, after purchasing the planting material, it is allowed to lie down for a week at room temperature. Then proceed to "quenching procedures" and gradually reduce the temperature, transferring the corms to a cooler room.
In the end, everything should end up in the fact that the crocuses are in the cellar or refrigerator, where the air temperature fluctuates within 3-9 degrees of heat (no higher and no lower). There they must stay at least 20 days, or even a whole month.
Before filling in the refrigerator, the bulbs should be wrapped in paper.
When and how to proceed with forcing?
The timing of planting the bulbs directly depends on the specific date. In general, it is necessary to be guided by the fact that 70-90 days pass from planting to flowering.
Thus, to drive out the crocuses by March 8, they must be planted in the first decade of December.
For planting it is better to take a wide bowl - in them crocuses are better rooted. At the bottom of the dish must fill drainage and fill it with nutrient soil.
If the purpose of forcing is only flowering (without further use of bulbs for reproduction), instead of soil, they can be placed in expanded clay or sand.
When forcing crocuses at home, the bulbs are planted in such a way that they do not touch either with a vase, not with each other, and completely covered with earth or other material, leaving a small tail. So the stem will grow even.Then the pot is placed in a cool dark place until germination of crocuses.
Preparing crocuses for flowering
Sprouted crocuses with dense sprouts up to 5 cm high are brought to light. The temperature of the content should be from 14 to 20 degrees Celsius, otherwise the flowering will come quickly and also quickly end.
Water them no more than 3 times a week, so that the bulbs do not rot. Rare spraying is allowed. After the end of flowering, you can leave the crocuses in the pot, allow them to fade and then store until the spring landing on the flower bed.
As you can see, the outbreak of crocuses at home is not a big deal. Manage their bloom is fairly easy, and the result will please even the most demanding flowerpots, because the pot with amazing inflorescences is a perfect gift for spring holidays for close. Experiment and enjoy your work!
