Ranging from $500 to $5,000 per kilogram, saffron, or the Red Gold as it is commonly referred to, takes a total of about 150,000 flowers to produce just one kilogram! Now you know why it would be a great idea to have its plant at home!
Saffron is known for its sweet scent and bitter taste, with subtle metallic notes that are unique in flavor and fragrance. It is loaded with antioxidants and has multiple health benefits, including weight loss. Saffron threads are used for seasoning, dye, aroma, and medicine.
There are several kinds of Saffron, with four main varieties, each with its distinct quality. The four kinds are Super Negin, Sargol, Negin, and Poshal. “Negin” is usually the best quality of the saffron threads, which means “The Diamond on a Ring.” It bears the thread length and volume similar to Poshal and the color vibrancy of Sargol.
USDA Zones: 6-9
Difficulty: Moderate to Hard
Botanical Name: Crocus sativus
Other Names: Saffron Crocus, ya Faran (Thailand), keshar/kesar (India), fan hong Hua (China), zafferano (Italy), Safran (France, Germany).
Growing saffron via seeds is a complicated process, but growing it via bulbs is much easier and faster. The best time to plant saffron is late summer or early fall.
Buy a big and mature bulb that will lead to production in the first year itself in just 7-8 weeks from planting. Don’t get fresh or small corms, as they will only yield saffron for 2-3 years.
Once you have the corms, plant them 2-4 inches deep in a container, and don’t pack them up closely. Keep them 3-5 inches apart – make sure the pointed end faces up (getting slightly exposed, a few mm, to the air) and the flat side is down.
The potting soil should have excellent drainage and also a good layer of compost. Keep it
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