How to plant crocuses
Crocuses are a welcome and colourful addition to any garden and provide a welcome source of early nectar for pollinators in the late winter and early spring. Plant them around 8 to 10 cm deep in gritty, poor to moderately fertile, well drained soil in full sun — allowing for 75 to 100 corms per square meter. They look fantastic planted in dense patches, used as under-planting for daffodils or even peeping through your lawn. They’re equally at home in containers or in your garden borders and, in cool conditions, will naturalise well to enjoy year after year.
Large flowering (or Dutch) crocuses have (surprise surprise) larger flowers than their spring flowering cousins. Why not experiment with a mix of both to see which you prefer?
Always unpack corms and plant on arrival.
Potential problems, pests and diseases:
As with all new and tender shoots, slugs and snails are something of a pest. Crocus corms also make a tasty snack for squirrels so if you have them in your garden, be sure to protect your corms by planting deeply and covering with holly leaves or a mesh cover. Finally, watch out for aphids as the weather warms: they can carry infection and should be kept at bay with a weak solution of soapy water.
