The special thing about the flowers of the saffron root
The visually striking, spiked inflorescences of the turmeric plant sit on a false stem that is formed from the leaf sheaths of the green leaves. For the Multiplication and the Cultivation of the plants, the flowers are not very relevant, as dividing and planting the bulbous rhizomes is the simpler variant of propagation. The actual flowers of the saffron root are relatively inconspicuous. The optically more dominant part of the flowers, which appear in different colors depending on the variety, consists of colored bracts that tower above the actual flowers.
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Flowering time and duration of flowering turmeric
When planted out in the garden and indoors, blooms from spring turmeric usually in the summer months from June to August. However, other flowering periods can also be achieved with a culture on the windowsill. An inflorescence can bloom for up to three weeks before it dies on its own. If dead flowers are cut off relatively quickly, several inflorescences can be formed in a row over a period of about three months.
This is how you handle the plants after flowering
The above-ground parts of the plant are cut off in autumn at the latest, when they have withered. Then the tubers are dug up well before the first frost and at around 15 degrees Celsius room temperature, dry and dark in the house overwintered.
When wintering in a pot, the following should be used advices be taken into account:
- from September no longer fertilize
- Pour only extremely sparingly or not at all
- overwinter in the dark (at around 15 degrees Celsius in the house)
- activate the new growth by moving to a warmer place (around 22 to 24 degrees Celsius)
Tips
The inflorescences of turmeric are often used as cut flowers. Alternatively, you can easily cultivate the plant in a pot on the windowsill or in the winter garden.