You may think that crocuses are purely spring bloomers. But that is deceptive. In contrast to the spring crocus “Crocus”, the flowering period of the crocus species “Crocus speciosus” does not begin until September and lasts until November. The flowers are blue-violet and provide color in the gray autumn garden.
Can you plant crocuses in autumn?
Autumn crocuses (Crocus speciosus) are a species of crocus that bloom in September to November. They prefer a sunny to partially shaded location with loose soil without waterlogging and should be planted in August to have enough time for root formation and flowering.
A good location for autumn crocuses
Autumn crocuses are a little more demanding in terms of location than spring bloomers. They cannot tolerate waterlogging. This is what you need to consider when planting:
- Sunny to partially shaded location
- Loose soil without compaction
- If necessary, mix in sand or compost
The best time to plant autumn crocuses is August. Then the tubers have enough time to form roots and develop flowers for autumn.
Planting autumn crocuses correctly
Dig holes two to three times as deep as the tubers. Cover the crocus bulbs again.
Do not plant tubers too close together. A distance of around eight centimeters is sufficient. Then the bulbs have enough space to develop brood bulbs to reproduce themselves.
Leave autumn crocuses to their own devices
Autumn crocuses do not need any care. You'll have the best success if you don't worry about it at all and leave the plants to their own devices.
Watering is usually not necessary in autumn because the soil is sufficiently moist. The leaves shrink on their own in winter.
If you simply let the autumn crocuses grow, entire carpets of flowers will form over the years that will beautify the garden.
Do not confuse with the autumn crocus
Hobby gardeners often confuse autumn crocuses with autumn crocuses. They bloom at the same time and hardly differ from each other in color.
The autumn crocus can be recognized by the fact that the flower grows without leaves, while the autumn crocus flower only appears after the leaves. The autumn crocus has six stamens, the autumn crocus only three.
Autumn crocuses are highly poisonous. The autumn crocus is hardly dangerous for humans, only animals and especially rabbits can show serious symptoms of poisoning when consumed.
Tips & Tricks
Autumn crocuses, like all other crocuses, are completely hardy. When working in the garden, be careful not to accidentally pull the autumn crocus tubers out of the ground.
