Saffron Cultivation Tips: Site Selection, Sowing, and Later Pest and Disease Control

SummarySite selection: loose, fertile soil with good drainage and slightly alkaline, preferably gentle slopes or hillsides. Base fertilizer: 30 days before planting, apply 3000-4000 kg of farmyard manure and 200-300 kg of other fertilizers per mu, deep-plow the land to build fertility, then rake the soil level and form beds. Sowing: generally carried out in August-September, usually by drilling. Management: protect against freezing cold, clear weeds, remove excess side buds. Pests and diseases: prevent rot disease, fusarium wilt, etc.

1. Growing environment requirements

Saffron is a subtropical plant that likes to grow in warm, moist environments. It is cold-tolerant and tolerates partial shade, but fears heat and waterlogging. Areas where saffron is grown must have ample sunlight. Its suitable growing temperature is around 15°C, and its flowering temperature is 16-20°C.

2. Preparation before sowing

It is best to choose loose, fertile soil with good drainage and slightly alkaline soil for planting, preferably gentle slopes or hillsides; 30 days before planting, apply 3000-4000 kg of farmyard manure and 200-300 kg of other fertilizers per mu, deep-plow the land to build fertility, then rake the soil level and form beds.

3. Sowing

Saffron propagates by corms and is generally sown in August-September. Before sowing, remove the side buds from the corms; according to the size and weight of the corms, keep 1-3 terminal buds and remove the rest; then place the corms in a cool place to dry for 2-3 days to encourage wound healing. Sowing is generally done by drilling: open furrows about 5-8 cm wide on the bed surface, with row spacing controlled at about 15-20 cm. Water the soil, place the corms flat in the furrows with the terminal buds facing upward, then cover with soil. The usual planting density is 20,000 corms per mu.

4. Routine management

If the temperature after sowing is below 5°C, it will affect corm sprouting, so film should be applied promptly. This protects against freezing cold, raises soil temperature, and can also reduce weed growth; after the seedlings break through the soil, remove the film promptly so the seedlings are exposed outside the film and grow quickly. After the temperature rises in early spring the following year, remove the film promptly and carry out intertillage and weeding, but do not till too deeply to avoid damaging the plant roots; at the same time, apply topdressing to ensure the nutrients needed for corm swelling; after April, saffron enters the late growth stage, so check the field frequently and promptly remove excess side buds to avoid affecting corm growth.

5. Pest and disease control

From February to April, temperatures gradually rise. This is the peak growing season for saffron, but also the peak period for pests and diseases. To ensure that saffron yield and quality are not affected, pest and disease control must be done well. Saffron is very prone to rot disease, fusarium wilt, etc. If the disease is severe, it can cause large-scale plant death and great harm. After removing the film, promptly spray the plant roots with carbendazim for prevention and control to avoid the plants becoming diseased.

6. Harvesting

The harvest period for saffron is May. After saffron blooms, promptly pick the red styles and stigmas of the pistils. In mid-to-late May, the aboveground stems and leaves of saffron begin to gradually wither and turn yellow; at this point the corms can be harvested. When harvesting, dig out the corms together, remove the branches, leaves and residual roots, leave them in the field to dry for 2-3 days, then store them indoors in a ventilated, cool place, and plant them after August.