can Crocus be grown in the house in containers

by Gayle
(Pagosa Springs, Colorado, USA)

I received some Crocus bulbs as a present and they are now coming up. I followed all the suggestions on the box and I am concerned because it says that I will have to plant them outside after they bloom. They were given to me because thought they would flourish in the house as I am disabled What is your advice?

Doug says that they will grow indoors but in order to flower again, they will require 14 weeks of cold treatment - an artificial winter next winter. You have to copy what it would get outdoors. If you can't provide that, then they will not rebloom.

So it can be done but not easily. It is far easier to plant outdoors or give the bulbs away and start again with fresh bulbs next year when you want the blooms.

A second note is that the bloom time on spring crocus isn't all that long so it's a lot of work for a brief period of bloom.

Instructions for forcing bulbs are here