saffron propagation help

Following on from another (great) thread here, I have just bought 100 saffron crocus bulbs. Fingers crossed they arrive okay.

While I understand cormlets will grow on the parent corm and can be split off each year/every 3 years (depending on what you read) and propagate this way, I also read another interesting way....to quote:

"the easiest way to increase your stocks of saffron bulbs there are (two) other techniques that can be employed to increase your stocks far more quickly."

The first technique is the simplest involving the removal of the main stem. This can either be cut or broken away from the main stem or you may wish to try digging it out of the parent corm using the tip of a sharp knife...dust the exposed surface with a fungicidal powder, then allow the prepared corm to dry in a warm environment for 48 hours to seal any exposed surfaces. The prepared corm is now ready for potting on into a good soil based compost or outside directly into the ground. This method will encourage the dormant buds to break creating a far more successful divisions later on."

I really, really, don't understand this. I have even tried to find such like on YouTube and failed. Can anyone explain this to me, please?

Where I've got to is I can simply cut the main stem, dry it out a bit, and then plant it. Is that right? It's that simple?

Many thanks.

(Source: http://gardenofeaden.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/how-to-propagate-saffron-crocus.html )

Ahhhh....

.. now that makes sense!

Thank you! Whew!


(edited to add)
You'd think the amount I read that I might have understood the original text, but I didn't - so thank you for your helpful reply, New Shoot, I was really lost for a while!

As far as I read it, you need bulbs of a certain size to flower in the first year. The bulbs I was sent were each about 3-4cm in diameter. If you cut the bulbs into tiny pieces, yes you will have many bulbs, but they will take time to get to a mature size and flower. So possibly it might be as easy to wait for the 4 years and divide when you would lift them?

Happy to be corrected, and freely admit I don't know much about this but I think I would rather wait & watch them grow than cut them up.

As far as I read it, you need bulbs of a certain size to flower in the first year. The bulbs I was sent were each about 3-4cm in diameter. If you cut the bulbs into tiny pieces, yes you will have many bulbs, but they will take time to get to a mature size and flower. So possibly it might be as easy to wait for the 4 years and divide when you would lift them?

Happy to be corrected, and freely admit I don't know much about this but I think I would rather wait & watch them grow than cut them up.

I only know for Snowdrops, so no idea if Crocus would be the same.  As a rough guide Snowdrops double each year.  It takes about 3 years to get a twin-scale to flower.

Comparing conventional doubling and twin-scaling every 4th year:

Year 1 : 1 / 16
Year 2 : 2 / 16
Year 3 : 4 / 16
Year 4 : 8 / 256
Year 5 : 16 / 256
Year 6 : 32 / 256
Year 7 : 64 / 4096
...

Just as an aside, cinnamon is a natural fungicide so could be used if you don't have a commercial fungicide powder.
It's also purported to be as good as hormone rooting powder when attempting to get cuttings to root.

I have been doing a fair bit of serious reading about growing saffron crocus corms.

I wonder if I can get a clearer picture of cormlet/cormel growth from help here,please?

My intent is to build up stocks. Should I take the cormels/cormlets off each year or leave it for 2 or 3 years before stripping them off? (My thoughts are each year as there will be more room for new babies plus if it is done 2-3 years then the cormels that developed that year would also be stripped, thus negating the benefit of leaving it awhile.)