Planting Saffron Crocus
Saffron Crocus is a cool season flower in the Iridaceae family. Getting the timing right is the difference between a strong stand and a disappointing one, so the windows below are given relative to your own last spring frost and first fall frost rather than a generic calendar date. Look up your local frost dates and count back or forward from there.
Transplant young plants outdoors 10–14 weeks after your last frost, once the danger of frost has passed.
For a fall crop, sow 8–10 weeks before your first fall frost so plants mature as the weather cools.
Spacing and Planting Depth
Give Saffron Crocus room to mature. The figures below come from verified extension and seed-supplier data for typical varieties.
| Spacing in row | 4 inches |
|---|---|
| Row spacing | 6 inches |
| Plants per sq ft | 6 |
| Planting depth | 4 inches |
| Sun requirement | Full sun |
Days to Maturity
Saffron Crocus reaches maturity in 60–90 days from sowing.
Saffron Crocus is ready to harvest after about 75 days. Harvest before summer heat or, for fall crops, before a hard freeze, to keep quality high.
Conditions and Care
As a cool-season flower, Saffron Crocus does its best growing in the cooler weather of spring and fall and tends to bolt or turn bitter in summer heat. It is frost hardy and can shrug off light freezes, so it can stay in the ground later into the season than tender crops.
Saffron Crocus needs full sun — give it at least six hours of direct light a day for the best growth and flavor. Sow seed about 4 inches deep, then keep the soil evenly moist until seedlings establish.
Saffron Crocus belongs to the Iridaceae family; rotating where you grow members of this family each year helps limit the build-up of soil-borne pests and disease. Saffron Crocus is generally grown as a single planting each season rather than succession sown.
Growing Notes
Planted from corms in late summer; autumn-blooming. Stigmas are saffron.