Why don't crocuses freeze to death in the snow?
To answer this question, the gardener needs to know something about when and why the bulbous plants sprout in the first place. The following factors play a role:
- Cold phase
- Soil temperature
- Sun
- Cell protection
also read
- The best time to plant crocuses
- Crocuses require little maintenance
- Crocuses are hardly poisonous to humans
When do crocuses start sprouting again?
Like almost all spring bloomers, crocuses need a cold phase of several weeks before they can create new ones blossoms to drive. This is a protection of nature that prevents the plants from sprouting too early. The gardener calls this process "stratifying".
Crocuses sprout after the cold phase, when the ground slowly thaws and is no longer frozen. As soon as the days get longer and the sun warms the upper soil layers, this is the starting signal for the bulb plants to sprout.
In very mild winters with lots of sun, it can even happen that the The crocuses are in bloom starts in December or January.
Crocuses have their own frost protection
It often happens that winter returns for a short period of time and fresh snow falls to cover the ground.
Another cold snap is not a great danger for the crocuses. The delicate petals contain substances that act as natural frost protection. They protect the cells of the leaves from freezing.
The flowers just keep growing despite the new snowfall. The flowers develop a firm point at the top, with which they not only pierce the layers of earth but also the snow cover.
Crocuses bloom in the snow
Once the flowers have broken through the snow, they even begin to unfold to full bloom. The prerequisite is that the sun is shining or at least very bright and the ground is not frozen.
For many hobby gardeners, the sight of the colorful flowers in the snow is a special event. The shining ones Colours come into their own particularly well above the white blanket of snow.
Tips & Tricks
Never clear fresh snow from flower beds or lawns. This will damage the crocuses floating under the snow and prevent them from blooming at all.