In August, I saw an email from Baker Creek Seeds for Saffron Crocus, and I finally gave in and ordered them. For a couple of years, I had seen ads on social media for the bulbs, but I always wondered whether they’d actually grow in western Washington, and passed them by. But with us in West Virginia, in grow zone 7a, I kept coming back to it, that maybe they would grow here.
At $22.50 for 25 bulbs, it wasn’t cheap, but I would call it an “affordable luxury,” and let’s be honest, I don’t seem to have the ability to say, “That plant is too pricey, Sarah.” I’ll wear clothing with holes, but I’m going to buy the plant if it calls to me.
On October 16th, I planted the bulbs. At least 2 weeks behind when I should have, but that is what I get for being wishy-washy and ordering so late. Saffron is a fall crop, planted in early fall. It blooms in 6 to 8 weeks, and your harvest time is very narrow.
I got busy and planted them as one does garlic—make a hole, drop the bulb in. The bulbs were ready to grow, with sprouts forming.
I covered them with a layer of shredded hay, then with dry maple leaves (small silver maple leaves). Then walked away.
And with only 3 weeks’ time…..but with good weather- sunlight and warmth – I came out to the garden this morning:
You must pick the stamens in the morning, on a dry day. I picked the stamens without disturbing the flowers. According to research, the flower is often cut off, and the stamens are removed afterward. I’d rather bend over and preserve the flower’s beauty. And enjoy it for a while.
The rest of the plant is toxic to humans. Only the red stamen is edible. Nothing else. This is a plant to warn children about. A “look only” flower.
Place your stamens somewhere dry and let them naturally dehydrate, then tuck them away in a glass mason jar. Keep them cool and in the dark to preserve the color.
And remember, you only need 500 stamens to make a gram 😉 Hence why saffron is so ridiculously expensive as a spice – each flower only provides 3 of them.
Next year, I will definitely buy another twenty-five. Fifty bulbs will fill an eight-by-four-foot raised bed perfectly.
~Sarah