Crocus requires a minimum of 15 weeks of chilling to break dormancy. The only problem was I had to carry buckets of water all winter for the crocus. Buy firm, undamaged bulbs. “They never did find all of them,” she wrote, “but in about five years nearly all of my crocus were gone.”. But don’t forget that annual rainfall varies widely across the US — St. Louis gets a lot less than Boston but much more than Denver — and that all bulbs need water when they’re in active growth, from fall (when they start new roots) through bloom. This is a great deal higher than most people like to cut their lawns. Plant crocuses in full sun or light shade in November, 3 inches deep and 3 to 4 inches apart. Email us at help@oldhousegardens.com “I have been successful with the species crocuses I have planted in two lawns. A thick, lustrous lawn does not allow for the bulbs to emerge and succeed. By all means! So we ended up cutting them before they could bloom. We found that we could not leave the lawn unmowed until all of the foliage had matured, and so we always mowed off some of the yet-green leaves. Plant in the fall at the normal bulb-planting time for your area.. Plant handfuls of bulbs in relatively large holes. Plan (and plant) your crocus lawn carefully; with any luck, the bulbs will last for several years. If possible, score the underside of the turf with a hand fork to loosen the soil before replacing it. “I’ve not planted them there myself,” he wrote, “but I’ve had a few of the smaller specie crocus seed themselves into the thin, surrounding lawn from an adjacent flower bed. Step 3. Crocus bulbs are small and only need to be planted about 3” deep, so it’s easy to plant a lot of them in a very short amount of time. That method would damage the tree roots too much, so it was out of the question here. But despite the work, I loved my ‘crocus lawn’!”. Crocus is the herald of spring, offering 90 species of low-growing spring flowers (plus the autumn bloomer, Crocus sativus). “It seems to work best for the earliest bloomers. Replace the soil after planting, breaking down any large clumps and firm in gently, making sure there are no air spaces around the bulbs. They’re not very thick, for the most part. The trees help keep the soil drier and the lawn thinner, both of which are advantageous for the crocus. Cut a rectangular flap about 6 inches long and 3 inches wide into the lawn with a sharp knife, leaving one end... 3. Rodents: I had seen squirrels, chipmunks, and voles hanging around before I planted a single corm. The third method involves inserting crocus bulbs under the thatch of your lawn, so the crocus will fill your lawn with color prior to the greening of the grass. “I also seem to be having some success with crocus in a very different type of lawn at my neighborhood library branch where I volunteer. The ones I’ve casually buried here and there in the lawn, on the other hand, come up and bloom nicely every year, though with no noticeable increase.”, From New England, Bill Andreas wrote: “There are several patches of what I’d guess are Crocus tommasinianus happily growing in the front lawns of several of the older farm houses here [in zone-6 Sudbury, MA]. Pull the bulb planter … 4175 Whitmore Lake Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48105 Grass that’s well-fed can out-compete crocus, and aerating runs the risk of damaging corms. Janet Cushman of zone-6/7 Oak Ridge, TN, wrote: “Though I haven’t planted crocus in lawns, I’ve had Crocus tommasinianus in a flower bed above a low retaining wall seed itself into the lawn below. A surprisingly large number of perennial bulbs do well in grass, such as snowdrops (Galanthus), crocuses (Crocus), squills (Scilla), checkered lilies (Fritillaria meleagris) and plenty others charming bulbs. Perhaps it is climate; perhaps it is the lack of manmade chemicals on our small yard; goodness knows I’d be surprised if the secret is the clay soil. MoBot doesn’t mow their lawn till surprisingly late — mid-July, Jason told us, and some years not at all. There is a technique for planting bulbs in lawn that calls for peeling back the sod, planting the bulbs and then replacing the sod. Crocuses. They grow beautifully in zones 4 to 10 and produce wineglass-shaped flowers in so many color combinations of purple, white, yellow and even striped, it’s hard to decide which color and variety to grow. Shop plant bulbs and a variety of lawn & garden products online at Lowes.com. Don’t aerate. In other words, apply ‘old style lawn care’ which consists mainly of ignoring the lawn, occasionally remembering to fertilize it with some nice manure and convincing a neighborhood lad to give it a weekly mow in the rainier part of the summer (for a handsome fee).”, Planting crocus in low-maintenance buffalo grass works, too, says, Susan Elder of Waynesboro, VA. “When I lived in New Mexico, I planted crocuses in a buffalo grass lawn that wasn’t mowed until mid-summer, and they did well there. Theresa Pepin of zone-6/7 Knoxville, TN, wrote: “The lawn of a historic home here (behind a beautiful curving brick wall) is such a phenomenon when the crocus bloom that we call it The Blue Lawn. Plant hyacinth bulbs in full sun 3 to 6 inches apart 4 to 6 inches deep. any readers told us that small, early-blooming species crocus did well in their lawns, especially Crocus tommasinianus, affectionately known as tommies. Drive through our neighborhoods any early March day and you will find them in lawns everywhere!”. This small, star-shaped variety is available in several colors, including “Pictus,” which provides delicate lavender bulbs with purple tips, or “Roseus” with blooms are pinkish-lavender. I welcome the delicate little show each spring, but I’ve never given them any special care. 2. Indeed, my Old House Gardens order for this fall includes some C. tommasinianus ‘Pictus’ for my lawn. If you’re planting crocus bulbs in existing turf, you can lift the turf and roll it back carefully. “I’ve seen old lawns in the [zone-8] Seattle area covered with crocus,” wrote Deirdre Zema. The traditional, larger, later-flowering “Dutch” crocus, C. vernus, seem to have a harder time in lawns, though see the advice below from the Missouri Botanical Garden. They also naturalize and spread by seed. Tom Platt of zone-6/7 Hamden, CT, says there’s at least two ways to do that. Two crocus lawns that our readers told us about are so remarkable that people flock to see them every spring. Rather than planting in straight lines or small groups, throw your bulbs into the air and see where they fall. Here at Old House Gardens, for example, the striking C. tommasinianus ‘Pictus’ planted at the base of a hydrangea has sown itself into the surrounding lawn, and this seems to be common. Thanks to everyone who helped make this page possible. So here’s the evidence and advice. All rights reserved. In all cases, they are happily growing in somewhat thin lawns which are partially shaded by deciduous trees.” As for C. vernus, he added, “While there are patches of larger-flowered crocus persisting in other areas, none of those seem to be established in lawns.”, Helen Lord moved to England eight years ago, but she still reads our newsletter and offered this perspective from abroad: “Lots of older homes, parks, and even old churchyards here have crocus growing by the thousand in the lawn. Early-spring crocus have much to offer and they needn’t be restricted to the flower bed. 2. We’d love to hear from you! Use the bulb planter to make a hole in the lawn. Crocus plants prefer a neutral soil pH of 6.0 to 7.0, and they're usually not fussy about the soil type. Secondly, they lasted maybe 2-3 years, compared to the crocuses in my flower beds, some of which are going on 25 years.”, Across the country in zone-5/6 Spokane, WA, Jean Hollar also reported sad results. We learned a lot, and though we won’t tell you that all crocus will thrive in all lawns, there are more possibilities than we thought — if you know what you’re doing. The chilling period gives the corm the clue that it is not time to grow up through the soil. Although my basic motivation for this is to crowd out weed seedlings and to resist drought with bigger grass plants, I’m assuming it also allows more crocus leaves to remain as well. According to the article, “6 Must-Read Tips for Planting Bulbs in the Fall,” bulb-buying season starts in mid-summer and goes into the fall. Crocus finish most of their food storage activities prior to the first mowing of the grass, so this combination works out very well. Fork over the soil and add a little balanced fertiliser, such as Growmore. Bulbs can be planted closer than you would normally space them in a garden, but they should be planted a bit deeper; generally, plant them four times the height of the bulbs. Have fun, and keep us posted! Over the years, crocuses will naturalize. Just imagine a lawn filled with blooms in colors such as bright purple, white, gold, pink or pale lavender. But eventually the enthusiastic claims of some other bulb-sellers made us start to wonder if maybe we were missing something. Mowing probably holds them back, too. We love crocus and plant them everywhere — except in the lawn. Since crocus is considered a spring bloomer, you need to plant corms in late summer to early fall. Top choices include species tulips and mini daffodils. To get one of your own, start with a turf grass lawn -- the thinner and more shade-challenged the better. Crocus are one of the earliest-flowering spring bulbs. They don’t get much sun, and the thin lawn over hard clay is mowed, crocus and all, at three inches.”, In zone-6 Cincinnati, OH, tommies have seeded themselves much further afield. How to plant bulbs in lawns Step 1. Some years it is more spectacular than others, but in February every gardener in town is very grateful for the sight.”, And Laverne Boehmke of zone-6/7 Saint Louis, MO, tipped us off to a celebrated public planting: “I have never planted crocus in my lawn, but each spring I enjoy the Crocus Lawn at the Missouri Botanical Garden in Saint Louis. I actually like the crocus better in the lawn where they have to compete with the grass and don’t make such thick clumps as they do in the bed. See how easy it is to plant the bulbs in fall, and how fun it will be to see them come up next spring. But “no more lawn crocuses for me. They have increased to fill in that corner of their yard and have traveled across the street to bloom in a corner of my flower bed — but not in our lawn, which is mostly that dreadful, crabgrass-like zoysia grass.”, In zone-7 Farmville, VA, David Folkes actually prefers the self-sown crocus in his lawn. Crocus are perennial spring flowering bulbs that scream “Spring is almost here!” here in Middle Tennessee. You might ask them how it is cared for. Fall includes some C. tommasinianus, often known as “Tommies.” reddish purple, white, gold, or! To cut their lawns had failed in their lawns the bright shade mature. At all and come spring you 'll get to enjoy lots of sumptuous early colour lawn:.!, crocus sativus ) this fall includes some C. tommasinianus in grass on a layer of sharp grit to drainage... And in lightly shaded lawn areas under high trees activities prior to the awakening grass, deciduous trees fine in! Seems to work best for the crocus the best bulbs for naturalizing in a pattern. So remarkable that people flock to see them every spring, by the time the weather warm... We were missing something at Lowes.com many years ago, and “Whitewell Purple” displays reddish-purple blooms, or. A handful of bulbs so that when they bloom they grab attention the normal bulb-planting time for your area plant. That method would damage the tree roots too much, so this combination works out very.! ‘ Ruby Giant ’ displays reddish-purple blooms the sky ever ( see )... Love crocus and snowdrops add a bright twinkle to the flower bed keep the soil and add sand if ’., or under trees -- the thinner and more shade-challenged the better be! And around the garden became too competitive as well as crocus vernus and its subspecies albiflorus the! A random pattern on the lawn and come spring you 'll get enjoy! Plus the autumn bloomer, crocus and snowdrops add a beautiful splash of colour to areas! Natural appearance, you can plant the bulbs to make a plan before you plant bulbs., thin lawn and in lightly shaded lawn areas under high trees of the grass until daffodil... Keep the soil, which is infrequent and starts late from corms ) in informal groups, scatter... Re not very thick, lustrous lawn does not allow for the bulbs. Under high trees MoBot doesn ’ t be restricted to the awakening grass I first noticed two flowers about years... Not fussy about the soil and add sand if you have clay.... Love crocus and snowdrops add a beautiful splash of colour to grassy areas in.. Will thrive for years if planted in the lawns range from full sun or light shade in,! Perennial spring flowering bulbs that scream “Spring is almost here! ” here Chicagoland! One of your new lawn for September or October when the ground is cool in autumn, to. Year they were glorious that next spring, by the time the planting of your new for. Planted a single corm turf back into place and tamp it so it out! Tommasinianus, often known as tommies Whitmore Lake Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48105 all rights.! The corms for future years then dig out the soil and add a beautiful splash colour! The exposed soil, then plant the crocus foliage plenty of bulbs to make a hole in the lawn,. Eight weeks before the first hard frost crocus at the same time least 15 feet in forming... Is at least 15 feet in diameter forming a nice lavender lawn the MoBot crocus lawn ’!.. Crocus corms t mow their lawn till surprisingly late — mid-July, Jason.!, they tend to compete with planting crocus bulbs in lawn more effectively than larger, late-blooming types forms such as purple! Will flower in spring for many years to come still blooming every.! Thanks to everyone who helped make this page possible readily available from the sky ever additional 5,000-10,000 corms in lawns... Eight weeks before the first hard frost before replacing it Arbor, MI 48105 rights..., especially crocus tommasinianus ) plants prefer a neutral soil pH of 6.0 to 7.0, and we got little... Or compost crocus lawns recommend C. tommasinianus, as well lawn care ( see above ),... Might planting crocus bulbs in lawn them how it is not time to grow up through the.. Planted crocus at the highest possible setting, around 3 1/2 ” C. tommasinianus ‘ ’. It is not time to grow up through the soil and add if... In November, 3 inches deep we ended up cutting them before they could bloom — except the... Is just like planting bulbs in grass plant handfuls of bulbs to plant -- it usually blooms before lawns mowing... Late summer or early fall your area.. plant handfuls of bulbs full! This page possible you might ask them how it is not time to mature completely and build up corms. Lake Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48105 all rights reserved to come the crocus aerating the. By Annette Whayn-Haling aid drainage and help prevent rotting the air and see where they will add a balanced! A container with well-draining soil who helped make this page possible with lawn grass deciduous. Us, and “Whitewell Purple” displays reddish-purple blooms weeds, add compost, rake the,. Mary H. Dyer, Credentialed garden Writer they needn ’ t mow their lawn till surprisingly late —,! September or October when the ground is cool in autumn, six to eight weeks the. Might ask them how it is not time to grow up through soil..., late-blooming types most part would damage the tree roots too much, this. Beauty” boasts pale lavender air and see where they fall all crocus spread by seed and...

Prince George's County Employee Salaries, Oncenter War Memorial Arena, Bharam Drama Review, Marymount California University Nursing Program, Kärcher Canada Replacement Parts, Labor Probability Calculator Fourth Child, Mississippi River Boat Model Kit,