Planting
The soil should be sown and tilled and fine, with enough base fertilizer. Seed ball must choose a head large and full, no mildew disease spot robust ball, planting the plant row spacing of 10 cm × 15 cm, planting depth of about 5 cm; fall planting bulb, mulch 5-8 cm, growing period in a timely manner weeding, pay attention to the drainage after the rain, drought in autumn to loosen the soil watering to keep the soil moist in order to facilitate the birth of roots. blossom in October, flower, fertilizer after 1, conducive to the development of the bulb. After a planting can be a few years after the bulb crowded when digging out the planting. Bulb storage in 17 ℃ -23 ℃ dry room.
Irrigation
Saffron growing period is in the winter and spring of little rain, should pay special attention to irrigation. Seedling emergence about 20 days after planting, before the emergence of seedlings, irrigation once, in order to facilitate the emergence of seedlings. Before the winter irrigation of an antifreeze water to increase the ground temperature. watering once in mid-April to reduce the danger of dry hot wind.
Fertilization
Pre-planting should be applied to the composted organic fertilizer, such as cake fertilizer, stable fertilizer, fire soil, grass ash, chicken and duck manure, etc., should also be applied to some calcium superphosphate; from the rooting of the leaves, can be applied every 10 days to the nitrogen, phosphorus balanced thin liquid fertilizer, such as composted cake fertilizer liquid with the appropriate amount of potassium dihydrogen phosphate until the stalk of the flower pumped away, the buds are now color until the time. Never too much nitrogen fertilizer, too thick, otherwise it will cause the leaves to grow in vain, affecting the growth of flower buds; flush seedling and blossom end stage, per mu of human manure 1500 kilograms or an appropriate amount of fertilizer, to promote the early development of seedlings. In spring, depending on the growth of seedlings to determine the number of fertilizer. after flowering in October, should be reapplied 1 to 2 times nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium balanced fast-acting fertilizer, in order to facilitate the growth and development of the bulb, so that the bulb can be more flowers in the coming year, good flower storage of sufficient nutrients. in mid to late December in the border between the plants to sprinkle a layer of horse manure, and then a small amount of soil, to increase the fertilizer and heat insulation and frost.
Management
In order to ensure that the plant can bloom more and prosperous, when found on the plant too many side buds, can be part of the small buds broken off, in order to ensure that the main buds can be more flowers, bloom big flowers; in the process of the growth and development of saffron, must be drained of stagnant water in a timely manner, especially in the season of the autumn rains should not be ignored, or it will be easy to form the seedbed of the stagnant water, resulting in the bulb rot, resulting in undeserved economic losses; if the autumn drought, it will be necessary to remove the water, especially in the season of the rain can not be ignored. Economic losses; in case of drought in the fall, the seedbed should also be loosened and watered to keep the soil moist. Qi seedlings with a small bamboo knife inserted into the soil, remove the small side shoots of the outer ring of plants, each plant to retain the center of the 2-4 clusters of larger leaf clusters, in order to facilitate the next year's harvest of large bulbs. In February-April bulbs expand rapidly, the soil should be loosened in time, hoeing.
Harvest
Late April to early May, saffron above ground part of the branches and leaves gradually become yellow, can be used to rake from one end of the bed carefully start digging. After digging out, remove the branches and leaves of the residual roots, drying in the field for two days, and then stored indoors. Storage should be in accordance with the healthy disease, intact, the size of the standard for plant division, divided into different categories of storage. Storage room should be less light, cool, ventilated, the ground is best soil, indoor to keep dry. General bulbs can gain weight 3-5 times, 1 time priming 100 kg bulbs planted 1 mu saffron, mu collect bulbs 600-1000 kg.
Processing
The flowering period of saffron indoor and field are both in mid-October to early November, with the most blooming at 9-11 o'clock every day, and the flowers are brightly colored. Indoors is not affected by the weather, you can pick flowers throughout the day; outdoor flowers in the first day of opening 8-11 picking, picking late stigma easily stained stamen pollen affects the quality. After picking, peel off the petals, take out the pistil style and stigma, to three connected is better. Spread on white paper in a ventilated place in the shade, large quantities can be oven-dried, protected from light and closed storage for sale. Generally 80 flowers can be processed 1 gram of dried flowers, 1 mu can be collected 1-2 kg of dried flowers.
Concoction
Take the original herbs, remove impurities. Drinking tablets traits: saffron for the majority of stigma collection into a loose line, stigma three branches, about 30 mm long, dark red. The upper part is wider and slightly flattened, the edge of the apex is not neatly toothed, with a short cleft on the inner side, and a small yellow style sometimes remains at the lower end. The body is light, fluffy, moist and glossy, or lusterless and oily. Aroma peculiar, slightly irritating, taste slightly bitter. Stored in dry containers, airtight, placed in a cool dry place, keep away from light.