Crocus tommasinianus "Ruby Giant" - This is a perennial ephemeroid plant that belongs to the Iris family. The largest-flowered variety among Tommasini crocuses! This is one of the cold-hardy crocuses! In the wild, it thrives in Hungary and the Balkan Peninsula.
Appearance
The 'Ruby Giant' variety differs from other varieties with its spectacular large flowers. They are wide-open, star-shaped, and of a rich purple-violet color. They consist of six narrow petals. The stigmas are yellow-orange. The perianth tube is light. The flower size is about 5 cm in diameter.
The leaves are glossy, narrow, dark green, about 7 cm long. They begin to grow from the bulb during flowering, and fully develop after blooming. The corms are oblong-spherical, slightly flattened. They usually produce about 3 flowers.
Planting. Soils for planting can be any, but they must be well-drained. Crocuses do not grow in acidic soils. Choose a sunny or semi-shady spot for planting. Crocuses look good in groups in borders, on rockeries, and on lawns. You can create intricate patterns from them. Crocus bulbs are planted from September to the end of December. Prepare the soil for planting in advance. Loosen it to a depth of 30 cm, then add compost. Since bulbous plants are too sensitive to moisture, they can be planted in sand. To do this, dig a hole with a flat bottom and a size, for example, 5 cm wide and 30 cm long. Then pour a thin layer of sand around the entire perimeter, no more than 2 cm high. Place the bulbs on top of the sand, with the pointed ends facing up. Then carefully fill the hole with earth, without compacting it. The planting depth should be equal to two bulb heights. The planting distance between bulbs is 3 to 10 cm.
Care. Crocuses are undemanding in care. They do not need to be watered. They get enough moisture from the soil after the snow melts. Fresh manure is contraindicated for crocuses. Every 4-5 years, crocus "nests" need to be divided. If necessary, flowering crocuses can be transplanted (with a clod of earth).