Growing Saffron at Home is So Easy a Child Can Do It

Gardeners and amateur chefs take note, you can grow the most expensive spice on the planet without much effort at all. Saffron runs about $44 an ounce, yes I said an ounce! It is one of the most spectacular and irreplaceable spices around (yes you can use turmeric but it doesn’t do much more than add a bright yellow hue). So what makes it so expensive? Well, simply put, harvesting the spice is extremely labor intensive as the crop is ultra time sensitive.

Saffron Crocus

Saffron is the stigma of a special variety of fall blooming crocus. The exact variety is Crocus Sativus. It is usually sold under the name Saffron Crocus but be sure that you check to see that it is the Sativus variety as some vendors also sell Colchicum autumnale under this name (this plant will not have the tasty stigma you are looking for). Crocus are very small plants and require only a 5cm pot to grow in. I prefer using larger pots (3 or 5 gallon) and planting several in one container.

Easy to Grow Saffron

How easy is it to grow this extravagant spice? So easy a child can do it. This particular Crocus is a fall bloomer so it needs to be planted either during a dormant period (spring to early summer) or a blooming period (early to mid fall) so that it can grow strong roots and establish itself. The first year it is planted it most likely won’t bloom but as a perennial it will grow back every year, each year a bit stronger.

The crocus needs minimal water, a light watering every other day during the growing season will suffice. It is imperative that the plant not be watered during the dormant period. If it sits in water for any length of time it will quickly rot away. The soil that is used in the container must be quick draining (self watering containers are not recommended as they keep the soil too damp for propagation of saffron crocus).

Growing Saffron in a Container

Although the saffron crocus is hardy to USDA Zone 6 according to White Flower Farm it should be grown in a container simply to control the moisture it receives. One heavy downpour and the entire crop of plants could die if directly sowed into the garden. A set of easily moveable containers (and an eye on the weather) is really all that is needed to keep these guys going.

Harvesting Saffron

Now this is the tricky part, the part that makes saffron so expensive, the harvesting of the stigma. The crocus flower only opens for a few days a year and dies off quickly. It is important to harvest the stigma on the first day the flower opens so that the maximum flavor is captured. To do this I recommend clipping the flower and bringing it inside to work with. The stigma are quite light and apt to blow away in the breeze. Bring the flower in and remove the bright red orange stigma with a pair of tweezers (they will be about an inch long and wiry thin). Dry them out before placing them in an air tight container, something small like a test tube or small jar.

How Many Saffron Crocus to Plant

How many crocus you plant will depend on how many strands of saffron you use during the year. Typically one entrée for one person seasoned with saffron will require three strands. So do the quick math. Each flower has three stigma so calculate one flower for each place setting. Because saffron can only be harvested once per year the entire yearly consumption has to be taken into account. For a family of four eating four saffron flavored meals a year the planting requirements would be 4×4 or 16 bulbs. Have fun growing these little gems, they are a great addition to any herb/spice garden.