The insulation from the earth helps keep the corm cozy and moist, until temperatures warm back up just enough for the plant to quickly push its flowers and leaves up into chilly springtime lawns. The crocus keeps its tender new roots and shoots tucked in the ground all winter long, where the cold temperatures prompt the starches in the plant to break down into glucose.Īccording to an article from the Netherlands Bulb Council, published in Horticulture Update by Texas A&M University, this keeps the moisture inside the plant from freezing. Unlike hot weather, the freezing temperatures trigger a biochemical response in the plant that tells it to bloom in the spring. When the soil temperature drops to 35☏ or below, the corm enters a rest period, not to be confused with its summer dormancy. This is the beginning of its new life cycle. As soon as the soil temperature drops to 60☏, the corm wakes up and begins growing roots and shoots. Like the opposite of a bear who hibernates all winter, this corm then goes dormant during the hot summer. This happens in midwinter or early springtime. When the seed germinates, it grows just one spiky leaf and puts all its energy into producing the corm. While home gardeners almost always propagate crocuses from their corms, the plant originates from a seed that grows into a mature corm over several years.īecause the seeds take a long time to germinate, it’s easiest for home gardeners to propagate the blooms by buying corms.īut the life cycle of a crocus gives us a hint as to why it loves the cold. Here’s the reasoning behind their wintry needs, according to a paper published in 2015 by Helmut Kerndorff, Erich Pasche, and Dörte Harpke for the Austrian botanical journal, Stapfia: This will help keep them insulated throughout the winter chill.Ĭrocuses are patient, hardy flowers, and there’s no reward quite like watching them bloom through a layer of snow, heralding the arrival of spring. You can do something to help your crocuses stay warm if you live in Zone 3 or 4, though: plant your corms four inches deep in the soil instead of the usual three inches. Should it get that cold in your area, your bulbs will remain happily nestled in the soil until the earth warms up enough for them to bloom in early spring. In USDA Hardiness Zone 3, the extreme low is -40☏. The amazing thing about them is that temperatures can go way, way below 35☏ and the corms will be just fine. Can Crocuses Stay Alive Through Deep Freezes? Without this chilling period, they won’t bloom. You can even grow them in Zone 9 – if you put the corms in your refrigerator for at least four months before planting them out in the spring.Ĭrocuses are native to areas with chilly winter temperatures, so they actually need to stay cold – in soil 35☏ or below – for about four months in the wintertime. Most crocus corms need to go in the ground six to eight weeks before the first frost because – and here’s the really neat thing about them for gardeners who live in colder climates – they need the cold. Can Crocuses Stay Alive Through Deep Freezes?.This got me wondering, though: just how hardy are crocuses? Can you plant them in the winter? Do the buried corms stay alive in deep freezes? Which means I’ll be planting these showy members of the iris family, Iridaceae, all over my lawn come fall. You can grow both snow crocus, Crocus chrysanthus, and the larger Dutch crocus, C. I’m talking about the dainty yet tenacious crocus.Īll a crocus needs is sunlight, well-drained soil, and a healthy dose of cold in order to thrive. īut I’ve since learned that there’s a flower to satisfy my desire for something wild-looking.īest of all? It pairs well with grass, and you can plant these all over your lawn for a field of early spring or autumn blooms.Įven better, these particular flowers become established amazingly well, providing a flower-carpeted lawn once a year with little effort from you. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products.
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