Question 1

How much water is required in the cultivation of Saffron?

Accepted Answer

Saffron requires only a moderate quantity of irrigation water. Saffron requires between 250 to 300 milimeter of water per year. Watering is only required during the growing season (end February to October). Saffron does not require any water during the dormant period (November to Mid-February). If you plant Saffron in a high rainfall area it is essential to have well-drained soil.

Question 2

Q: How does Afrisaff ensure the quality and dormancy of the saffron bulbs before planting?

Accepted Answer

A: Afrisaff carefully manages the harvesting process to maintain the highest quality of saffron bulbs. Each year, the bulbs are uprooted during dormancy following their natural growth cycle. After harvesting, the bulbs undergo a thorough washing and drying process to prepare them for storage. They then receive a specific temperature treatment designed to keep them in a dormant state, ensuring optimal vitality and readiness for planting. This meticulous handling preserves the bulbs' health and enhances their performance for both organic and cultivated saffron cultivation.

Question 3

When can I expect to get my frirst Saffron harvest?

Accepted Answer

Our Saffron bulbs are given a temperature treatment to keep the bulbs dormant until the South African (Southern Hemisphere) planting season which start in early March. Since this treatment lasts from August to December/January and the corms do dry out somewhat during this period, no or hardly any flowering can be expected in the first year of planting. The corms will continue to grow and multiply and produce the regular expected flower yield in the following year.

Question 4

Why do you list different bulb sizes?

Accepted Answer

When Saffron bulbs are harvested, the bulbs come in different sizes. The bulbs are then calibrated in different sizes, we order the size of bulb the customer requires. The bulbs range from size 7/8 to 11+, the larger bulbs produce more flowers per bulb then the smaller bulbs. Our customers get the bulb size they order and know how many flowers per bulb they can reasonably expect.

Question 5

What is the difference between the different bulb sizes?

Accepted Answer

The difference between the different bulbs sizes is that the bigger bulbs will bloom better and will give more flowers in the first year after planting. Also larger bulbs are developing better and multiply faster than smaller bulbs.
 
Bulbs of size 7/8 will give little or no flowering in the first year of planting, in the following season they will bloom better.
 
The flowering percentage of bulbs of size 8/9 lies between 40 and 80 percent.
 
Saffron bulbs of size 9/10 give 1 or 2 flowers per bulb in the first year, bulbs of size 10/11 about 2 to 3 flowers per bulb and bulbs of size 11/+, 3 or more flowers per bulb.
 
The flowering rate will increase in all bulb sizes in the following years due to their multiplication and growth.

Question 6

Does a bigger size mother corm produce more daughter corms than a smaller mother corm?

Accepted Answer

Normally yes.

Question 7

How many Saffron bulbs can I plant per square meter?

Accepted Answer

The quantity of bulbs that you can plant per m² depends on the bulb size.

* bulbs of size 7/8     60 to 70 bulbs per m²
* bulbs of size 8/9     50 to 60 bulbs per m² 
* bulbs of size 9/10   40 to 50 bulbs per m²
* bulbs of size 10/11 30 to 40 bulbs per m²
* bulbs of size 11/+   20 to 30 bulbs per m²

Question 8

When is the best time to plant your bulbs?

Accepted Answer

The best time to plant our Saffron bulbs is from mid-March to the end of April (Southern Hemisphere) planting season. Bulbs planted before the end of April will flower in late May / early June.

AFRISAFF - HOME OF THE SAFFRON BULB

Frequently asked questions