Chandra this is great!
I have always bypassed saffron becasue of the price. Looks like yours is doing well. Cute pics of kids too!
justsaymo

FINALLY my saffron is rising from the soil and the little orange strings are bright and orange!
You are the only other person I know growing saffron, so I must put you through the Q and A.
1. At what stage do you pick the threads? Partially open, nicely open, or when they are hanging below the petals?
2. How do you dry yours? They are so tiny.
3. How long do you dry them?

And congratuations on your successful tour! I am certain it was awesome. If there is ever a chance to attend one of your lectures locally, I'll be there!

Luva, glad to know that your saffron are blooming!
here are my answers for your 3 questions;
1. We pull the those three crimson stigma (saffron!) after flowers opens nicely.
2. Dry them in shade (kitchen counter top) spreading thin layer in a flat;
3. for about a week, then store them in airtight spice bottle in refrigerator.
We also use fresh saffron for cooking or making smoothies or most commonly is sweet saffron milk for kids!

Chandra:

Growing your own saffron - what a good idea! It's funny - we grow other herbs and spices. Saffron is so expensive but growing my own never occurred to me. And thanks for answering Luva's questions - I saved this info on Evernote.

I was looking for a source of Crocus sativus (corms? (bulbs?), and found an article about how to grow and harvest saffron on a garden blog. The blogger has a sense of humor - this is how she began her article:

"There are times when I feel my love of gardening stretches my family's patience a bit thin. Yesterday was one of those days. As we were trooping out to the car to get lunch, everybody starving and cranky, I passed my container of Crocus sativus and seeing that one was in bloom, literally dropped everything and shouted, 'WAIT!!'"

Here is a link that might be useful: Crocus sativus on Hedgerow Rose

EXACTLY!!!!!

Thanks so much for the good info; and the kid pics are really cute! Have been looking for info on growing saffron, as I'm an avid cook and love growing my own herbs. This is my first time growing saffron and was wondering if planting this late will actually get a harvest now or will it be in the spring? Thanks again!

patti24,
Saffron is a fall planted and fall blooming crocus. The leaves will still be there in the early spring, but no flowers. The first year I planted mine, I had mostly leaves, but the second year, it was a good harvest.

Thanks for quick reply!

Patti24,
I failed to mention, and I apologize, please protect them from gophers and voles. I had to restart my entire patch this year. out of 75 little bulbs, 5 were left untouched. so please, please protect those little babies.

Thanks so much for warning and will be sure and protect!

Where did you get your bulbs?

My sis will be so envious.. if I manage to grow them. :)

Moni

I got my bulbs online from Michigan Bulb. I was so excited to see them, as I have never seen saffron bulbs anywhere before, but I see others here who have posted other places to buy them as well.

K & K Nursery between OKC and Norman has saffron plants for sale. They just posted it on Facebook last week. I had never thought to plant it. Love the idea! I love to cook!

I found some at Breck online, and bought some other bulbs too. ;)

Moni

when did you plant them?

Ezz, they haven't arrived here yet.

Ugh, mine haven't arrived yet either! Supposed to be here around 18th, and I understand am supposed to plant immediately.

I am serious taking a quick trip up the road to K&K and see if they still have some.

What did you find? Do they still have it in stock?

I didn't make it down there as I don't have the bed ready yet for them to go in to, but I sure am going this weekend.

Moni, if you don't mind me asking, How'd yours do? I still wish I had some, but they're not on my priority list.

I'm sure Chandra is missing his large beautiful garden. They still grow a few things in a tiny space.

Sorry to hear that. I suppose it happens, sometimes. I might just order a couple bulbs for a planter this fall. I'd sure love to get some started. So pretty. So edible.

I never saw mine flower last year. Not sure why... or I wasn't spending enough time out there, to catch them in bloom. I also was off by 24 inches, on where I thought I had planted them. As I posted earlier, I found them. I am very excited. Will harvest the strings later today, when the plants aren't wet anymore.

Thanks for the update, Moni. I wonder sometimes. I never did start any.

bon

bon, it is NEVER to late to start anything. ;)

Moni

I found bulbs at marcums in okc yesterday. Of course I got a few! Will sativus divide or reseed?

Scott, I seem to have about 4 times as many bulbs as I planted. I may dig them up and spread them about a bit more in the spring.

Did anybody plant theirs in large pots? Mine have been in the same large pots since last fall, and are dormant right now. It is so hot and dry in the pots, I am afraid the bulbs will wither in the soil. Should a tiny bit of water be added to the pots just to keep the soil from being bone dry? Had beautiful leaves all last winter ;-)

I don't grow it, but I do have dormant rhubarb in large pots and have had the same concern about the plants getting too dry (no rain here in a month now), so I water them lightly occasionally. I'd do the same thing with saffron if I grew it.

Thank you, Dawn.

You're welcome.

Yikes, now you remind me... what I should have dug up I guess.... Mine are gone for me now. Guess, I have to buy some new ones, when I get the new to me house.

Wouldn't yours be dormant in the soil? I didn't think Chandra had dug his up every summer?

Moni, If the folks who bought your house aren't gardeners, maybe they'd let you come dig it up? It might not hurt to ask. You're still OklaMoni? Not FloMoni? If so, welcome home! If not, I'm glad you dropped in to visit.

Dawn

Dawn, and all, Florida did not work out. I am back in Oklahoma. I am house hunting. My former OKC house is still unoccupied.. but it did sell.

Oh Moni, I am so sorry that Florida did not work out. I know that must have been very disappointing, but I know that you are very resilient and I know you will make the best of the situation. So, welcome home and good luck house hunting.

Just think of all the fun you'll have taking a new home and a new yard and making it your own! I am reminded of the words of Helen Keller who said "Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all." I'm glad you pursued the adventure and moved to Florida even if things did not work out the way you had hoped and planned. I hope you will continue to have more daring adventures too. They add spice to our lives.

Dawn

Hi Dawn

I know, I could take this private... but all the others would miss out. LOL

I am pendaling between the Tulsa and the OKC area at the moment.. but do house hunting back in the OKC area, in areas I would prefer to live, or my old neighborhood, as I would REALLY prefer to be back in my house. But some things are not possible, no matter how much we want them.

I have another "new to me" house to look at on Friday, when I go back to stay with my daughter for a while.

It was a heck of an adventure for sure... but coming back was really nice too.

Now, almost all my possessions are in Mel's barn, and I am living out of a suit case...

Yes, more adventures ahead. :)

Moni

Moni, I am glad you shared it here so everyone would know you are back home! Good luck with the house hunting. It's too bad you cannot get your old house back, but maybe you can find a similar house in your old neighborhood. I know that whatever house you find, you'll make it your home, indoors and out, just like you did with your last home.

I am trying to look at this in the most positive way, even tbough your Florida adventure didn't pan out as planned/anticipated. I bet your daughter here is thrilled to have you back, and you're a lot closer, geographically, to your darling grandchildren now that you are here in OK than you were when you were in Florida.

I'm glad you're back here and ready for more adventures. I wouldn't expect you to live your life in any other way! Somehow, in my heart, I knew you were pedaling somewhere. You wouldn't be Moni if you weren't pedaling.

Dawn

Welcome back Moni!

Welcome back, Moni. If you want them, I've a bag of saffron bulbs from the garden store that I didn't plant this last month. They arrived at garden store later than expected. To my surprise and pleasure, my two ten gallon pots of saffron sprouted this last month sometime. I had given up and hadn't even looked for them. Thought I had killed them.

Merry that is ssooooooo sweet of you. Let's exchange info.

We did. Thanks again, Merry

Moni

Moni, sent you a test email.

I was looking at a picture of saffron in flower. It looks like the few white stalks that my saffron bulbs produced around August could have been flower stalks that never did anything. For those of you who have gotten saffron to bloom after you have had it a while, did it bloom before the green leaves sprouted, or after, please?

as far as I remember, the bloom shoot came up after the leaves were up.