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crocus en masse

hello. could I have some advice please? I'd like to plant crocus bulbs in my lawn. I'd like about 9x clumps of about 35/50 bulbs each. what's the best way of doing this? I've seen these bulb planters with a handle that you lift up a small sod and pop a bulb in but I can't be doing that 450 times! should I be trying to lift a 'flap' of turf about 18" diameter and plopping them all in then covering  them over with the 'flap'? any advice would be very welcome, thank you.

Posts

  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,104

    Lifting a turf like that was the way I was taught to plant them, hundreds of years ago. Helps if you loosen the soil under the turf a little when you drop the corms in.

  • Agree with berghill - lift turf.  Bulb planters go too deep - crocuses only need to be about 5cm deep.

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114

    Be aware that the foliage persists quite a long time after they flower so you won't be able to mow for quite a long time.  No, they do not have to be in the shade.  They open fully in the sun.

  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,104

    It will reduce the crocus's chance of flowering the second year. It needs the leaves to die down naturally to feed the corm for the next season. You may just about get away with it if you wait 6 weeks between the flowers dying off and cutting the grass. Remember that you also cannot use a weed and feed on the lawn either.

  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114

    Verdun, I agree.  Snowdrops are in nice clumps, whereas crocus have to be spread about.

  • chickychicky Posts: 10,379

    Well I am going to put in a vote for crocuses in lawns - I love themimage.  We had them (inherited) in our last house, and seeing them open on a sunny February day was a delight imageimage.  We never found it a problem letting the leaves die down (they are quite grass like anyway)....but we never had a bowling green lawn image

    I'd do it here if I could, but the deer eat themimage

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