There’s nothing like watching brilliant crocus flowers bloom through a field of snow.
But what if you spend time planting crocuses in the fall and wait eagerly all winter… only to see a blank field staring back at you in February, March, April, and well into May?
Or maybe your crocuses bloomed perfectly the first year, but now they’re struggling to bud and flower.
Even worse, perhaps the corms pushed spiky green leaves out of the ground but buds never joined them.
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Any of these situations can be frustrating, but I’ve pinpointed nine possible reasons that might be keeping your crocuses from blooming.
1. The SoilWhen you think about it, crocuses are pretty impressive. They muscle through newly thawed earth, poking leaves and buds into crisp late-winter air.
The thing is, the hardy bulbs need loose, well-draining soil in order to get through the three- to four-inch layer you planted them in last fall.
It’s possible that you were so excited to plant the corms that you forgot to make sure the soil wasn’t too heavy and sandy, or too thick and clay-like.
Or perhaps wet, heavy snows – or even something as simple as your dog’s favorite route through the lawn – has compacted the earth and your crocus leaves and buds are having a hard time poking through.
Here’s how to help:
In a bucket or other mid-sized container, mix a 50/50 blend of topsoil and compost from your composter, if you have one.
Or get this premade worm casting compost in 1 pound, 5 pound, or even 1 cubic foot bags from Arbico Organics.
Worm Casting Compost
Ideally, if you know your soil is heavy or compacted, you should work this
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