Question from Ocala, FL. I would like to grow my own Saffron. Will it grow here?
Answer: I’m not precisely sure how Saffron crocus will perform in your area. These bulbs are dry and dormant in summer, flower in fall when rains begin and then send up new leaves through the fall and winter months and move into dormancy in late spring as the foliage dies back. Growing in a container that is placed out of the rain in summer will ensure the best results. Here in Oregon we are wet in winter but dry in summer which is what is needed. When first planted bulbs send up one to three flowers on successive days.
Mix a good bulb food into your soil mix. Give them a container about 10″ deep, bulbs sometimes have a tendency to migrate lower and lower so for that reason you might want to shake them out in July, divide and replant every couple of years.
I think you can grow the saffron on a small scale, your major obstacle is avoiding too much summer wet so place containers in a dry well lit area perhaps under eaves.
Filed under: Gardening, Greetings From The Garden, garden, saffron
We live in the border area between the Willamette Valley and the Coastal Range in NW Oregon. Could we grow Saffron here? Where could we buy the bulbs? What is the actual name of the right bulbs?
Yes, Saffron grows well here in Western Oregon. You can purchase bulbs from Nichols Garden Nursery in Albany. Our website is http://www.nicholsgardennursery.com
The bulbs are Crocus sativus and seem to never produce seeds althought they readily grow and produce divisions. Plant in a sunny spot with good drainage and they should thrive.
where can i purchase the saffron bulb?
Nichols Garden Nursery in Albany, OR offers saffron bulbs for sale. http://www.nicholsgardennursery.com is our website, use it to order or to request a free 76 page catalog. You can also call us at 800 422 3985. We are a family owned seed company & herb nursery founded in 1950.
Bulbs are shipped in late summer/early fall. They bloom in October followed by slender leaves through winter and spring. It is the deep red stigmas, sometimes called theads harvested from each flower that is saffron. They are a very pretty fall crocus that must not be confused with other species of fall blooming crocus.
You can plant Crocus Sativus (saffron crocus) between august and middle october.
The first year they give only a few flowers.
Replant the bulbs after 5-7 years.
Hot and wet together is killing the crocus.
It seems that most of the people I’ve heard who can grow saffron are from Oregon! What about in Michigan? I live in the SouthEast region (Washtenaw/Oakland counties) and would really like to grow some. Is snow bad for it?
How to grow Saffron in Michigan? I would suggest growing in a container. Plant bulbs in a pot at least ten” deep so there is plenty of room for root development. Use a good commercial potting mix and add a little bulb fertilizer as it promotes flowering. Your extended snow cover may freeze the leaves and will certainly keep them from photosynthesizing before they go dormant in summer. A container planting will bloom this fall and when weather turns cold, in lower 20’s,bring it into your garage or other cool area that receives natural light. No natural light, then focus a florescent bulb above it and leave it on during the day and off at night. Keep the soil moist during the winter. Come spring, pop it back outside, placing it under an eave where it won’t receive much rain but does get some heat as that condiitions the bulbs for flowering next fall.
Would I be able to grow Saffron in Tucson Arizona. Any suggestions? Thanks,
Yes, you should expect to do well with Saffron Crocus in Tucson. Your conditions of a dry summer, fall rain, a chilling period in winter but not excess cold is ideal. The only suggestion I would make is if your fall rains come in September give the bulbs a little water to start the flowering process.
Rose Marie
I’ve been growing a small patch of saffron crocuses here in mid-Michigan for years, and they do fine reflowering from year to year. No problem with cold or snow, (though they are protected somewhat by creeping thyme) and the spot I have them in is not too ideal either (I have a clay based soil that I amend with compost). It is a race with the slugs to get to the flowers, although the slugs seem to prefer the petals and leave the stamens for me. (I know, Racing with slugs does sould funny now that I reread this.)
I’m enjoying the blog, and plan to keep reading!
Thank you for sharing your first hand experience and it’s good to know of your success. Now for the slugs, I recommend Sluggo or any of the iron based controls considered safe for use around pets. They seem to eat it and depart…truly depart to never be seen again. We have slug races here in Oregon, makes for a long leisurely afternoon. We’re dry enough in fall that I’ve not seen them bother the saffron.
Hi, I’m interested in growing saffron for my personal use and for my friends and family. I live in southern california west of palm springs which is near the mojave desert. Is my area too dry or too hot for saffron?
You should be able to grow the bulbs in your area provided the bulbs have moisture during the flowering period which will probably begin for you in September until the bulbs go into dormancy in early summer. This doesn’t mean you need the howling gales we are having here in Oregon right now but you want to keep the foliage healthy and growing. If you need more info please let me know.
Has anyone ever tried growing saffron hydroponically? What might be the challenges of using this method?
Interesting question. I’ve not heard of doing this nor can I easily find information. I have happily grown it in containers with good results. This seems to me less labor intensive than growing hydroponically. In a hydroponic environment you would have to keep an eye on it during a long nonproductive period, the time from flowering to dormancy.
However there’s nothing like hands on experience to determine if this is practical.
After reading what you say about growing the Saffron crocus I m wondering how they might grow in St. Paul, Mn. We have cold winters with lots of Snow.
I think you may encounter problems growing saffron crocus. The chief problem is high summer humidity…but hey gardeners love to experiment so I’d suggest start with a few bulbs and see how it grows. Some of the finest saffron is grown in Kashmir Province where it is quite cold but drier than St. Paul.
What is the demand for commercial saffron growers. We have about 12 acres we are interested in planting in something. We are in southwest North Carolina. Any ideas or suggestions?
Until, a mechanized method of production and harvesting is developed, I think commercial growing of saffron in the U.S. is probably not cost effective. It’s delightful to grow small amounts for one’s own use. In Spain where there is a wide culinary appreciation of saffron as well as a long tradition there has been an effort to mechanize but I don’t think it has met with too much success. Today, saffron is largely a family project, The bulbs are dug and replanted every three years. They bloom in fall, the flowers are picked and then the stigmas are separated from the blossom and dried. Saffron is very valuable but incredibly labor intensive.
Saffron needs a dry summer followed by autumn rains for best flower production.
I bought some saffron bulbs about two years ago. They were mailed September of 2006 and planted promptly. They’ve produced foliage, but have yet to bloom. Do you have any ideas why that might have happened?
I suggest you lift the bulbs in late July or early August when they are dormant. Even though bulbs have not bloomed they may have divided. Prepare soil with the recommended application of bulb food (what you would use for other flowering bulbs) and a little compost if available. Plant in a well drained sunny spot and set bulbs about 4″ deep. Sometimes bulbs don’t bloom the first year but they should flower the second season.
It is January and I like in Alberta Canada (zone 7) where the temps. can range from 0 – neg.30 celcius this time of year until March. I was just given some dormant saffron bulbs and am wondering if I should do something with them now or if I can keep them dormant. Thanks for any info!
If the bulbs are completely dormant now, two thoughts occur. It may not actually be saffron crocus since they will often send up shoots this time of year even when unplanted. That can be easily resolved by planting and observation and I will reply directly to you if you want to email a photo. The second is plant the bulbs now in a container that is eight to ten inches deep, setting the bulbs about 4 inches below the soil line. Use a commercial potting mix and if you have any bulb fertilizer work in a small amount. Place the container in your sunniest indoor spot and see if leaves sprout, I doubt it will flower but who knows. I think you are too cold in the winter because the foliage grows during winter and would likely freeze. However, If these bulbs grow plant three or four dormant bulbs in late August and see what happens.
What is you address and I will email you pictures of what they look like now. Thanks
will saffron grow well in Virginia?
Rose Marie replies: It needs good drainage and air circulation but I think it could grow. Start with a small number and give it a try.
Anyone have success in Los Angeles area/westside.
I saw a post from someone near palm springs but the weather is totally different over there.
Rose Marie replies: Even though Los Angeles weather is different than Palm springs saffron will grow well in your area.
And can saffron be grown from seed?
Saffron is sterile and doesn’t produce seed. It is only propagated from bulb divisions/
Any idea if I can grow in New York City? I assume it will be in a pot.
I also wanted to know more info on yield timing – will there be anything to harvest in the first few years of planting because in a May 2, 2007 post above, someone wrote “Replant the bulbs after 5-7 years” can someone explain that? Do these bulbs multiply in the pot?
I am new so please excuse the cheesy questions.
Thank you.
I bought saffron plants at a plant expo last week. The plants are in little plastic containers. I read your the posts on this message board and learnt that the bulbs go dormant in summer, which I was not aware of.
The plants I have, have green (grass like) leaves/shoots. Is it normal for this plant to have this foliage during Spring?
Also,
1) Is it OK to water them lightly during their dormancy?
2) Is it OK to transplant them now (April) into larger containers?
Thanks for all your help.
- LT
Grass like leaves would be the way I describe saffron foliage. Foliage is growing now and will go dormant in summer. Keep them watered now until June when they begin to go dormant, when foliage dies down stop watering until fall. You can carefully transplant now disturbing the roots as little as possible.
Thanks a lot. This is very helpful.
LT
Hi, I’ve been reading the posts and have already learned a lot.
I’m up in Alberta, Canada and I don’t know much about growing plants, I’d say I have more of a brown thumb and could kill fake plants. But I want to learn about them. My brother and I are planning on trying out some hydroponics and I figured it would be interesting to try out a saffron bulb sometime in the future.
Like you mentioned above when someone asked about hydroponics, the amount of work while it’s dormant would make it tedious to grow with this method. My question is what is the time frame that it requires the most water? You said to stop watering when it’s dormant, so would having it in a container and keeping it indoors work, or does it still need sun and the occasional rain fall? When it’s fall I would assume that would be a good time to set it up on the hydroponics, but then after it’s finished blooming in the winter, would setting it aside and just the occasional water work?
Sorry if any of these questions seem like they should be common sense, I’m a computer person, so I don’t know the first thing about growing plants =P
Thanks for any information =)
I am intrigued by this plant and not sure if my state will allow it to be imported. Have you any experience with shipping to Hawaii ? I live in a place that gets less rain than other places and doesn’t get below the low 60’s in the winter. Does the bulb require a chilling off period ? The soil is very loamy and rocky. There are some rains in the summer but not more than 6 inches. Please advise. Would appreciate you keeping our correspondance unpublished. Mahalo, AA
We don’t ship bulbs or plants to Hawaii because of entry restrictions. I have no knowledge of anyone growing saffron in your state. Your day length and warm winters would likely interfere with the plants growth cycle.
I am looking for a Crocus that will naturalize/come back each year in Southern California – It is for a residence in Beverly Hills 90210. They would be planted in a lawn area that would be left unmowed while they are growing so I need ones that are tall enough to poke out a bit in the unmowed grass.
This is a late reply to an overlooked post. Check with your local CA extension service or a good retail nursery to learn which crocus varieties will
return year after year. It’s a climate issue and you need local info. Rose Marie
I live in the Adirondacks in Upstate, NY and last winter was the first time I tried Saffron Crocus and I’ll tell you of my experience to date. I received the dormant bulbs last summer (50) and planted them in a very large clay pot. Though the pot is huge they were very crowded. I thought that I would plant them in the garden this spring but after reading the above posting realize that wouldn’t be possible because we receive a lot of rain in the summer. Anyway, after I planted them in the pot I put them in my unheated barn. Well, this year was one of the coldest on record and when I went in to check and water them throughout the winter found that the foliage was up and green but the soil was actually frozen. I thought for sure the bulbs were a gonner, but when the weather started to warm up I put the pot outside and the bulbs appeared to be no less the wear because the foliage was still green. Now the foliage has turned red and I’m assuming the bulbs are going dormant. I’ll replant them within the next few days, giving them more room and fertilizer, as per the above instructions, and place them under my covered porch which receives a lot of sun but is protected by the rain. Hopefully, I’ll have some saffron to harvest this fall. I’ll keep everyone here posted when I do. Good luck to the rest of you who are trying this bulb for the first time too.
I’m pleased the saffron made it through your winter…they have to be tough if they grow well in Afghanistan. Before you transplant let them dry down complete since the foliage is still supplying nutrients to the bulb. It is believed good for them to be in a warm dry situation during the summer. Often the phrase is “bake in the hot sun while bulbs are dormant”. Is it possible to still keep them under the porch until mid July and then transplant. They will be fully dormant and will then benefit from fresh soil, fertilizer and moisture.
I live in Mid-Michigan (zone 5a-6a). I received a bunch of saffron bulbs 6 wks ago but didn’t get to planting them, and now it’s mid-november and snow has fallen. What’s the best way to care for all these bulbs? do i leave them in their bags and keep them dry and cool? do i plant them indoors (even though there are 30 or so…i don’t have the room to plant them all)? it must be too late to plant them outdoors. I hope i can keep them alive.
Hello Jen,
Plant them now in a container. It needs to be 8″ deep, work a little bulb food into your potting soil and set the top of the actual bulb two inches from the surface. If you have an area in your house that is cool and sunny that would be ideal. Even a cold windowsill could work and if you can only find a container 6″ deep rather than 8″ plant them anyway. If you give them light and water they will grow.
There will be a few flowers and you can harvest the saffron styles. When you have just a few styles and are harvesting from a container I recommend laying them on a piece of waxed paper to dry and then either using promptly or store in a clean odor free glass jar. I stress odor free because I remember a woman who brought in an entire jar of saffron she had harvested. The problem was she’d stored it all in a jar that had previously stored Vitamin B pills and altered the scent of her saffron.
Hi
I love growing Crocus sativus but I don’t know how can I grow them ideally.my aim is good supporting my crocus bulbs in order to becoming big bulbs to get more flowers( both in quantity and in size).would you like please help me?
Best regards.
Homi.
I live in Mississippi… would I be able to successfully grow saffron crocus here in my state?
It’s a tough go for this crocus with your summer rain and humidity. If you can keep the plants dry during summer so the bulbs die back and become dormant then they should grow. I recommend planting in a container and placing it under an eave on the sunny side of the house. If you have such a place then give it a try.
Firstly, thank you for all this fantastic information.
I read that a priest named Santucci introduced saffron to his native home of the Abruzzo region in Italy via Spain during the height of the Inquisition some 450 years ago. My Grandfather was born in Navelli and often told stories of the saffron farms there. I live in So. California and have always dreamed of cultivating saffron. I wonder if saffron is in my blood, lol. I’ve just begun to research and find your posts to be very useful. Thanks for all your passion and hard work.
Best Regards,
B. Santucci
You should be successful in growing saffron in So. California. That’s an interesting story about the Dominican friar Santucci and the possibility you share a common lineage. I did a little web search and found quite a few references to him in regard to saffron. The next question is this in any way related to the great Italian saffron seasoned dish, Risotto Milanese?
Thanks for the prompt reply. Risotto Milanese sounds wonderful. I plan to try that dish soon.
Are you aware of any saffron farms in operation in California? Still dreaming of of retiring to a life of strenuous labor. But with the name Santucci it might make for some interesting marketing possibilities.
Can you tell me of the issues of quality when purchasing bulbs.
Thanks for your time.
I finally tried growing saffron crocus this year. I was a little hesitant to get my hopes up because I read all these warnings about watering and how your bulbs wouldn’t flower the first year, etc….
BUT the little guys, even with all my neglect, sent up two flowers per bulb already! It is SO satisfying to walk out on the deck and harvest the saffron.
(However, it is a bit less satisfying to come into the kitchen and find DH using the paper towel you were drying your saffron on to blow his nose. We’ve decided all saffron-drying towels should be appropriately labeled with a warning: Your DW will probably freak out if you move this paper towel even an inch. She can’t be held accountable for anything that happens to you if you blow your nose on it.)