Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Brummie on March 28, 2012, 15:07
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I'm thinking of growing Saffron (Crocus Sativus) Bulbs this season but can't find anywhere with bulbs in stock :(
Has anyone else grown these? Is it a common problem to struggle to get hold of them?
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I know Dobies do them, 30 bulbs for a tenner, or 60 bulbs for 15 quid.
I have last years catalogue in front of me and it says order by mid July for delivery August
So I am guessing they are just out of season at the moment.
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Thanks Lawrence, I guess I'm just too eager!
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I phoned Dobbies last week trying to order mine and they said they will ofer them in the autumn/winter catalogue. That will come out around July. Don't buy them all, I want some :D
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didnt know it'd grow in this country
i'll have to look for some... :)
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Apparently that is why there is a place called Saffron Waldon nr Essex.
They need well drained soil fed with potash to promote flowering and full/part sun and blooms Sept-Oct.
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I bought 20 a couple of years back and grew them in a pot in the greenhouse.
My harvest was not huge :)
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I bought 20 a couple of years back and grew them in a pot in the greenhouse.
My harvest was not huge :)
It looks good! I am aiming to do 20, I've heard you don't need that much :)
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i bought about 50 of these several years ago and get more than enough of a crop from them - ok 3 per flower (as expected) but when dried they last for years
And I was lucky to be able to sell a load of the saffron as a nice, unexpected sideline
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Apparently that is why there is a place called Saffron Waldon nr Essex.
They need well drained soil fed with potash to promote flowering and full/part sun and blooms Sept-Oct.
and that is also how Croydon is so named --- crocus den :D :D
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I bought 20 a couple of years back and grew them in a pot in the greenhouse.
My harvest was not huge :)
It looks good! I am aiming to do 20, I've heard you don't need that much :)
Depending on what dish you prepare (assuming each bulb produces 1 flower[3 stigmas per flower]) you could use 50-100% of your'e crop. In Eastern Iran each bulb can produce 3-4 flowers. ( I saw the saffron fields back in 78 just before the Shah was kicked out. clumps of bulbs in flower about 8" across. Beautiful sight.) I guess they are more mature than bulbs purchased in UK. Lol all I produced was 1 flower!
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Hi Brummie
I,m currently growing around 20 plants in Solihull and you do need to grow quite a few to get any benifit from them.
The bulbs are only available for a short time around August and towards the end special offers are advertised.
Mine were planted last September but I do not think I will see anything till the end of this year.
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I,m currently growing around 20 plants in Solihull and you do need to grow quite a few to get any benifit from them.
The bulbs are only available for a short time around August and towards the end special offers are advertised.
Mine were planted last September but I do not think I will see anything till the end of this year.
It's good to see someone from Solihull being able to grow them! It gives me hope :)
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I'm growing them in pots in Swindon... big terracottas, about ten bulbs per.... they've just died down after their first year, I'll probably leave them in them (bit of BFB raked in perhaps).... long-term I'm thinking of planting them in amongst the asparagus bed....