Growing saffron Crocus - Saffron Crocus Bulbs for sale
Crocus Sativus or 'Saffron Crocus' are hardy bulbs that can be grown in the UK by planting them in the garden or in pots and containers. Autumn flowering they are a pretty flower, but are valued mainly for the saffron strands which are harvested from the flowers (with tweezers).
Is it worth growing your own saffron? Well if you wish to experience the best saffron you have ever had, then yes. If you want a quick and essay way to get saffron, probably not as it's fairly tedious. However if you have the slightest interest, give it a go, the bulbs do not cost much and the lilac flowers are pretty anyway.
How to grow Saffron Crocus
Saffron crocus are easy to grow, in good, friable soil and kept slightly moist during the flowering period. They can also be planted in a pot. Be careful not to over-water when grown like that. Indoors is also a possibility if you have a position on a sunny window sill.
Saffron can be obtained by buying the bulbs. Plant crocus sativus in late summer (August as a guide), remember that this is an Autumn flowering crocus, that prefers full sun and a warmer climate than its European cousins.
Saffron is worth more than its weight in gold. Its the cost of picking the saffron that makes it so valuable, the individual flowers of the female plant are hand picked, sorted and dried. The stigmas are them removed by hand. 200,000 stigmas to 1kg of saffron. At 3 stigmas a plant thats a lot of saffron bulbs.
And if you are just interested in the flowers then you can even naturalise them into the lawn, just don't mow until the foliage has died back
Saffron Crocus Bulbs are available for sale online from specialist herb nurseries listed.
AVON BULBS
Phone : 01460 242177