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Tuesday, October 13, 2020

October 13, 2020, selling some saffron

Hi gardeners

Quill or spoon mum 
After thunderstorms last night the morning turned blue and golden, a fine fall day. The trees are getting close to peak color here.  The redbud outside the window is a blaze of gold. We have more gold than red around here, I have tried to remedy that by planting sugar maples here and there, but they aren’t large yet.

The garden is getting a bit sad. Right now, some annuals are producing most of the color. The salvia Wendy’s Wish is going strong and the white buddleia is having a late bloom. There are still landscape roses blooming. But the mums in the front are finished, as are many other perennials. There are two huge red dinnerplate dahlias still blooming, they escaped the frost.

Later this week it is supposed to freeze several times and I suspect that will be the end of it all. I have bulbs coming this week and as I plant them I’ll tidy the garden up a bit, although I wait for spring to do most of the cleanup.

I didn’t get as many bulbs to plant as I usually do, since I expect the work on the roof will keep me out of the flower beds in front for a bit. But I had to get some, I love the early spring bloomers.

I think some of us are missing out on a good income source. I just saw 5-pound boxes of “handpicked dried mountain grass” on Chewy (online pet supplies) for $24.72. Can you believe that? Why are we gardeners composting weeds when we could be boxing them up as “hand pulled tasty weeds” and selling them for big bucks?

Speaking of making an income from the garden weeds let’s talk about a fall blooming crocus that could be a profitable sideline for gardeners.

Saffron could be your next side job

Saffron crocus (Crocus sativus) has pretty purple flowers with bright red stigmas and golden stamens in the center. It looks much like many of the crocus in your garden that bloom in spring but this crocus blooms in fall. Many gardeners have grown it as an ornamental, and some for herbal use. The spice saffron is used in many wonderful dishes of cultures around the world.  It comes from those tiny stigmas in the saffron crocus.

Saffron crocus bulbs are planted in late summer/ early fall, usually August/September. They don’t store well and if you purchase them you should be prepared to plant them as soon as you receive them. The bulbs will send up green grass-like leaves and then bloom about 6-10 weeks after planting. They then go dormant until spring, when plants will again produce leaves for a few short weeks but no flowers.

Outside in the ground saffron is only hardy to zone 6, with a heavy mulch in winter. It needs full sun and light, sandy, well-drained soil. It does not grow well in clay soil. It also likes very dry conditions in summer.

Gardeners can easily find saffron bulbs in many bulb catalogs. These may not be top quality but are fine for garden use. They are a little more expensive than other crocus species, but not terribly so. For herbal and spice use for a small family, gardeners should plant 150-200 bulbs.

Crocus sativus

Saffron as a cash crop

Saffron is not only a coveted and expensive spice, it has many medicinal benefits and modern medicine is studying it’s anticarcinogenic and immune stimulant properties. It is used as a dye and as a perfume ingredient. Studies in animals found saffron can enhance sexual performance. There are almost endless market opportunities for the plant.

Saffron is an important commercial crop in other areas of the world; Spain, Italy and Iran are some of the top producers. From ancient times until today saffron has always been one of the most expensive spices, the dried stamens are often worth even more than gold per pound. The United States imports about 16 million dollars’ worth of saffron every year and that amount is going up each year.

The Pennsylvania Dutch have been growing saffron since they settled in the US in their herb gardens but in most parts of the US saffron has been ignored as a cash crop. That is changing, however. Many land grant colleges (Extension agencies) are looking into saffron as a crop US farmers could use to bring in some much needed profits.  There are now commercial saffron farms in many states.

Saffron is not terribly hard to grow. It has few insect or disease problems. It does have rather specific growing needs. They like mild springs, hot dry summers, and moderately wet and mild fall seasons. Saffron is hardy only to about 10 degrees F. but they do need a cold period to induce bloom.  Voles and mice love the saffron corms and can decimate a crop. But the biggest drawback to saffron production is that it requires lots of hand labor, particularly in harvesting.

So that saffron can be grown in colder climates growers have experimented with using high tunnels and results are very promising. High tunnels that are used for other crops in spring and summer can successfully grow a fall crop of saffron that can bring more income than crops grown in other seasons. The high tunnels aren’t heated but produce just enough warmth to promote good saffron flowering, protect bulbs in the winter, and they provide protection from heavy fall rains.

Generally, growers are using milk crates and other box type planters to grow saffron in the high tunnels. They are lined with weed barrier or hardware cloth to prevent vole and mice damage. This allows the boxes/crates to be moved out of the way for other crops in the spring.

In warmer states some growers are using raised beds outside to grow saffron. These too must be protected from mice and voles. Gardeners in planting zones 7 and higher can plant the bulbs directly in the ground if they can protect them from critters and have suitable soil.

For most of the year labor on the crop is minimal. That changes with harvest. Once the crocus begins blooming, they must be harvested each morning. Every flower is picked by hand. The flowers are then taken to stations where the tiny red stigmas are plucked out by hand. In most operations the petals and stamens of the flowers are discarded but some growers have now developed markets for those parts also.

After the plants have all finished blooming the leaves are allowed to die back. Then the bulbs are harvested, separated, (new bulbs are produced each year) and immediately re-planted. A secondary crop of bulbs can be sold if the grower doesn’t want to keep all the new bulbs.

So- about the profit

Dried saffron stigmas

Every bulb produces 1 flower, once a year. Each flower has only 3 stigmas, which look like red threads when plucked. It takes about 450 stigmas to make one gram of dried saffron. The stigmas are air dried for about 48 hours or are dried in commercial dehydrators. They are then ready to sell.

It takes an acre of saffron to produce 3 pounds of dried stigmas, the most profitable part of the plant. Right now, high quality saffron spice is selling for about $13,000 a pound. There are few other crops that are that profitable. Saffron grown in high tunnels in crates is considered the most productive.

To determine quality 3 chemicals are measured in the dried stigmas, picrocrocin, crocins and safranal. For medical research use, an extracted milligram of picrocrocin is worth $300. There are about 7 milligrams in a gram of dried stigmas. There are about 453 grams in a pound. Do the math. But the medicinal research market takes a lot more work and equipment than growing for the spice.

In some growing operations additional profit is made from selling dried petals or stamens and excess bulbs produced each year. 

Labor costs are probably the biggest thing to consider when deciding to grow saffron. During harvest even an acre of production might require hired help. Those with large families willing to do the labor would have an advantage. And like with any crop, there can be crop failures in any year, weather might cause poor blooming or animals might devour the profits.

A small farmer might try selling organic saffron spice at farmers markets and would be able to ask a pretty decent price for it.  A lot of grocery store saffron is adulterated with a Mexican safflower and doesn’t taste as nice as pure saffron.

So, if you are considering a new garden crop to make a little money, you may want to think about growing saffron. If you work hard and have a little luck you could make a nice profit.

 More reading

 http://www.uvm.edu/~saffron/Resources/Presentations/SaffronGoldOppNov72016.pdf

https://lancaster.unl.edu/hort/articles/2013/SaffronCrocus.shtml

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/grow-saffron-profit-75770.html

https://thecounter.org/saffron-northeast-university-of-rhode-island-iran/

 

Tips for planting bulbs

In most parts of the country garden season is either winding down or has ended. But there is just one more thing gardener’s need to do. Plant bulbs!  If you want pretty daffodils and tulips in the spring, you need to plant them now. Even if you planted bulbs last fall and you had a nice spring show, it’s always wise to refresh your spring bulb collection in the fall.

Some bulbs are damaged by summer planting and weeding, others are eaten by animals. Some just don’t return well year after year. And while most gardeners are familiar with the common bulbs like tulips, crocus and daffodils why not try experimenting with some of the “minor” bulbs such as snowdrops, corydalis, English bluebells, Dutch iris, iris reticulata, anemones, winter aconite and other tiny treasures?  Try something different every year, and you’ll really be looking forward to spring.

Gardeners can also find things like lily bulbs, which bloom in summer, and ephemeral wildflowers like trilliums and trout lilies offered for fall planting.  Peonies and some other perennials may also be available. 

Daffodils

Here are some bulb planting tips.

Bulbs can be planted up to when the ground freezes and most will survive.  But it’s good to get your bulbs into the ground at least six weeks before the ground freezes in your area. This gives the bulbs time to grow a good root system.  

If you can, plant bulbs as soon as you get them, especially lilies.  If you can’t plant them right away store them in a cool, dark, dry place. Your refrigerator crisper is a good place. Don’t forget about them though!

Note: if you live in planting zone 8 or higher you will need to buy “pre-chilled” bulbs or chill them yourself.  Spring flowering bulbs need a cold period to bloom with soil temperatures around 35-40 degrees or lower.  Those in warmer climates can put bulbs in the refrigerator for 14 weeks before planting.

For the best results with bulbs buy top size or top grade or bulbs labeled jumbo and buy them from a reputable company. I recommend mail order catalogs unless you have a good garden shop nearby that sells bulbs.  Unfortunately, the bulbs you buy in packages in Walmart and other stores are usually not top grade and because they often sit for months in hot stores they shrivel or mold and are not going to perform well for you.

To prolong the season of bloom, start with early blooming bulbs like crocus and then blend tulips, narcissus and alliums that have early, mid-season and late blooms. If you choose carefully you can have bulbs in bloom from the moment the snow melts to late June and if you include lilies, through much of the summer.

Plant the small, earliest blooming bulbs near the house and in places where the snow melts first each spring.

Buy your bulbs in larger quantities. Most bulbs look better in drifts or groups of 25 or more bulbs of the same kind. A few rare or expensive bulbs can be bought in small quantities and used as spring garden focal points.

When buying bulbs in quantity they should be cheaper per bulb than when you buy only a few. But make sure you are getting bulbs listed as top size. Some bulbs sold in quantity are smaller, second grade bulbs and less likely to survive and bloom. These are often sold as “bargain bulbs.” Bargain bulbs are cheaper but not always a wise choice.

Since many tulips don’t return for a second spring, buying small tulip bulbs is a waste of money. You want large bulbs to give you a spectacular show. Some species or wild type tulips have naturally small bulbs but should be listed as top grade or number one grade. These are better at returning each year too.

Healthy bulbs are plump and firm. Bulbs that are dried up and shriveled looking are generally dead, although some less common bulbs may appear this way, most companies will warn you about these. Bulbs that are soft and look rotting should be discarded. A little blueish mold on bulbs that are still firm can be wiped off. If the papery skins on some bulbs fall off, they are still fine to plant.

Occasionally bulbs will appear to be sprouting already. This isn’t a good sign; it means they may have been stored improperly. But they can still be planted, and most will be ok. The green area does not need to be above the soil line, plant bulbs at the recommended depth.


Tulips

Here’s how many bulbs to plant per square foot to get the best display.  Large tulips 5, species tulips 9-12, large daffodils 5, species daffodils and narcissus 7-10, large hyacinths 6, large alliums like Globemaster 2, small alliums 6-8, large crocus 8, species crocus 10-12, Snowdrops, windflowers (Anemone blanda),Muscari ( grape hyacinths),winter aconite and scilla 15-16, Crown Imperial 1, dog tooth violet( Erythronium) 12, Foxtail lilies 2, Dutch iris and iris reticulata 12.

You can use a color scheme or use a cottage garden approach and blend all colors together. Some companies like ColorBlends put together beautiful blends of bulbs that take the guesswork out of choosing colors and make it easier to buy in quantity.

If you are planting a lot of bulbs in a spot where nothing is currently planted, you could excavate the whole site to the proper depth.  Many gardeners however, will be tucking the bulbs in among plants that are still growing.  This requires a small hole that won’t damage the roots of perennials in the bed. Use a tool called a bulb planter or a narrow blade trowel for making those holes among other plants.

If you are planting hundreds of bulbs an auger attachment is available that fits on an electric drill and makes hole digging quick and easy.

The rule of thumb is to put the bulb in the ground about three times as deep as it is high.  A bulb that is one-inch high would be planted three inches deep. Read the directions supplied to you with the bulbs and see if you have an exception to the rule. You may want to plant the bulbs a little deeper in very sandy soil and a little higher in heavy clay.

In most bulbs there is a narrow or pointed end and that end goes up. You may also see a cluster of fiber like projections on one end that was last seasons roots. This goes down.  

Some small bulbs are extremely difficult to determine which side goes up or down. As a last resort, plant them sideways. Some bulbs will grow and eventually right themselves if planted on the side.

If you dig up bulbs from the previous season when you plant new bulbs simply replant them. If they get cut in half or badly damaged, you’ll need to discard them. Take pictures in the spring of your blooming bulbs and refer to them in fall to see where bulbs are planted and what colors you have.

You can tuck bulbs under the outer edge of foliage of things like hosta and daylilies that are still standing in the fall. When the bulbs bloom in the spring the perennials usually aren’t big enough to hide them but later when the bulb foliage is dying and looking bad the perennial foliage will hide it.

Keeping your bulbs from animal damage

There are bulbs that animals do not like to eat but that doesn’t mean they won’t dig them up. Moles don’t eat bulbs but their tunneling sometimes lets bulbs fall down too deeply to grow well or bulbs are pushed out of the ground. Cats may also uncover bulbs when using the fresh turned soil as a toilet. Free range chickens will scratch them up.

The bulbs animals don’t like are narcissus, daffodils, Fritillaria species, hyacinths and alliums. These bulbs are poisonous though and should be kept out of reach of dogs, (dogs eat all kinds of poisonous things), which could die from them.  

To keep animals from digging up bulbs try to hide the signs of bulb planting, like disturbed soil. Cover your planting site in a light layer of chopped straw, dry leaves or other mulch. If you are planting into an established garden the existing plants may hide your new bulbs. You could use the stems and foliage you cut back from perennials to cover planting areas.

Don’t use bone meal or blood meal in bulb holes or around bulbs. While often recommended by older books, research has found that while they do contribute some nutrients they often attract pests like squirrels and mice, who will eat them and also eat the bulbs. Even dogs may dig out the bulbs if they smell bone or blood meal.

Red pepper, Epsom salts, human hair, cinnamon, soap, diatomaceous earth and all those folk remedies people are fond of sharing don’t really work to keep squirrels and other critters from eating the bulbs or digging them up. Some of these things even attract animals because they learn that the smell means a reward is hidden beneath them.

Fritillaria

You can buy a little bulb fertilizer to put in the holes as you plant if you like. Conventional fertilizers don’t attract animals like natural products. But most bulbs don’t need fertilizer in the fall.

If you are planting a bare area you may want to cover the area with some wire fencing to keep animals out. Lay it on the ground over the bulbs. Remove it in spring when the bulbs start coming up.

If you have left over bulbs you can plant some in pots and then put them outside in the garage or a shed, where they can get the cold treatment they need to bloom. Once there have been 6 weeks of temperatures around freezing or lower you can bring the pots inside to a sunny spot and start watering them. They should bloom 6-8 weeks later for early spring flowers inside.

Gardeners should plant bulbs as the early spring blooms help pollinators get off to a good start. And their cheerful colors perk up the gardener’s spirits and get us off to a good start too.

 Will wiping a pumpkin with bleach hurt wildlife?

If you want to make your pumpkins last a bit longer before they mold you can wipe them with a cloth dipped in a weak bleach solution, say ½ cup bleach to 3 cups water. Pay no attention to the meme going around social media imploring people not to treat their pumpkins with bleach solutions because it will harm any animals that eat it. Disregard this meme because it simply isn’t true.

First most pumpkins used for Jack O Lanterns or decoration really don’t get eaten by animals. There are places where squirrels or deer might eat them but in reality, this doesn’t happen that much. I live in deer country and they are in my yard regularly, but they have never eaten a pumpkin sitting on the porch. In your yard they might but don’t worry about it.

Second, even if some animal ate some of a bleach wiped pumpkin it wouldn’t harm it. The bleach solution is weak, only on the surface, and bleach quickly breaks down outside to harmless chemicals like salt and water. Its rinsed off by rain and dew.

Third, people and pets regularly drink water with bleach in it. Dishes in restaurants often get a rinse in a bleach solution. Some produce is washed in a weak bleach solution before it’s shipped. No one is harmed.


It would be nice if such a bleach solution kept animals from eating your pumpkin, but it won’t. It doesn’t even keep pumpkins from molding after a few weeks. And any pest animals or domestic animals that munch on a pumpkin wiped down with a weak bleach solution will not be harmed- at least by the bleach. Feel free to throw those pumpkins in the compost pile too, they will not kill any beneficial bacteria after a week or so of sitting outside.

In short, the warnings you are seeing about not using bleach on pumpkins are not based on science or even anecdotal evidence. They are based on irrational fears of chemicals some people have and people sitting around worrying about things they know little about.

Wiping a pumpkin with a mild bleach solution to prevent mold WILL NOT HARM WILDLIFE IF THEY EAT THE PUMPKIN. Spread the word.

 

“In the entire circle of the year there are no days so delightful as those of a fine October.”

-Alexander Smith

 

Kim Willis

All parts of this blog are copyrighted and may not be used without permission.

 

And So On….

 

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