When to plant crocus bulbs
Plant spring flowering crocuses in autumn between September and November. Choose a dry day when the ground isn’t frozen. If you want to grow colchium bulbs, also called ‘autumn crocus’, plant them in spring. Autumn crocus’ flower at the end of summer and into autumn.
How deep to plant crocus bulbs
Plant your crocus bulbs fairly deep, aiming to get them in at around 10cm under the surface. Choose well drained, fertile soil to grow your them. If you’ve got lots of bulbs to plant, a bulb planter can make getting them to the right depth easier and quicker. Leave a gap of around 10cm around your freshly planted bulbs so they have plenty of space to develop. After you’ve re-covered your bulbs with soil, water them in to settle the ground and mark where they’re planted with a label.
What to companion plant with crocuses
Crocuses look fantastic planted in drifts with other coloured crocuses. Drifts of purple saffron crocus bulbs not only offer a valuable spring crop with their blooms and bright orange stamens, they look great naturalised in grass. Throw a handful into grass and plant where they fall to make a natural-looking display. Pair your crocuses with other naturalising bulbs like cyclamen and muscari to make an even grander spring show.
Great companion plants for crocuses include other spring flowering bulbs like tulips, snowdrops and daffodils. They are a great early bloomer to include in the top layer of a mixed bulb lasagne container planting. Crocuses look lovely peeping out of herbaceous perennial beds, filling decorative patio containers and lining borders and pathways where they provide colour when little else in the garden is stirring.
