Crocuses are a small beautiful flower and one of the earliest signs of spring. Most varieties include purple hues, bright yellows, or soft white blooms and are considered a hardy perennial. Most species are surrounded by a small tuft of green foliage with the flower seemingly sprouting directly from the ground. Plan ahead to plant crocus bulbs in late autumn around the end of October through early December. The bulbs can be purchased in bulk from Home Depot, Meijer, or other local garden supply stores. The following will provide the basics on how to plant Crocus bulbs.

Planting Crocus Bulbs in Five Easy Steps

Step 1: As with any planting, clear the area in your planting site to access the soil. Clear away mulch, leaves, sticks, and other debris. This will allow the gardener easy access for penetrating the soil. You may need a small rake, shovel or garden spade, and a bulb planter.

Step 2: Using a small garden shovel or spade, create a trench 2 inches deep according to the depth indicated on the planting guide.

Step 3: Place the bulbs tips up in the trench spacing 2 inches apart.

NOTE: Because Crocuses look nice in larger bunches, you can plant them in a large circular hole in a semi-symmetric pattern to obtain a “patch” of Crocus in the spring. This example shows the bulbs being planted in a circle around a tree.

Step 4: Carefully cover the bulbs with loose soil and lightly pack over the bulbs.

Step 5: Fertilize the bulbs with a bulb bloom booster after planting to obtain quality growth in the spring and cover the area with mulch.

Crocuses will typically bloom in early spring often before the last frost has fallen. You may even see the blooms peek through a late snow if you live in a more northern location. Take care of the area where you have planted the bulbs and provide the flowers with a early spring boost with another round of the fertilizer. You can use a bloom booster for bulb flowers such as Perfectly Natural Bulb & Bloom Booster Fertilizer when you plant your bulbs and in the early spring to help promote bright colors and blooms. Bloom boosters can be purchased at Home Depot, Meijer, or other local garden supply stores.