The Saffron Beds
Saffron seems reasonably easy to grow if you have the right conditions... but then, isn't that true for everything?
The trick is creating those conditions from scratch.
Canterbury and Southern NZ are actually world-class locations for Saffron. Our cold winters and hot summers mimic its Mediterranean origins, but we have a secret weapon: High UV intensity. This high UV exposure helps increase the Safranal levels—the compound responsible for saffron's distinct aroma and potency. It’s why New Zealand-grown saffron is often considered some of the best in the world.
The Loburn Challenge - Managing "Wet Feet"
Saffron’s biggest enemy is "wet feet" (rotting corms). While Loburn is beautiful, our flats can get quite damp in winter. As an insurance policy against changing weather patterns, I’ve decided to grow our crop in raised garden beds.
I’ve built the beds to sit 20cm above the ground. Since the corms are planted 10cm deep, this gives them a safe 10cm "buffer zone" above the surrounding ground level to ensure they stay dry and happy during a Canterbury downpour.
The Layout: By the Numbers
If my maths is correct, each bed should be a cozy home for 500 corms.
Bed Dimensions: 5.8m x 1.2m
Corm Spacing: 10cm apart to allow for future corm multiplication.
Bed Fill: 1.5m3 per bed.
Our Growing Philosophy
Gary and I are committed to natural, spray-free principles. While we aren’t pursuing formal organic certification yet (that’s a story for another day!), we are strictly chemical-free. Any fertilizers we use are Bio-Gro approved, and weeding will be done the old-fashioned way: by hand. We want our Saffron to be exactly as nature intended.
The Construction: Working with the Land
Because time was tight, I skipped the "black plastic" method for killing off the grass. Instead, I mowed the grass as low as possible and laid down a thick layer of clean cardboard before placing the frames. This should smother the grass and eventually break down into the soil.
For the frames themselves, we used untreated Macrocarpa—no nasty chemicals leaching into our "Red Gold."
Also I attached some short vertical posts that will be used to hang netting, to keep the Pukekos and Hares out.
The "Perfect" Mix?
I’ve gone for a custom soil blend:
60% Screened Topsoil
25% Coarse Sand / Fine Grit (for that vital drainage)
15% Mature Organic Compost
Was it too much topsoil and not enough grit? In the gardening world, time is the only true teacher.
However, I’ve just tested the pH level, and it’s sitting at 7.5. That is the "sweet spot" for Saffron, so we are off to a flying start!
Next up: The Planting.
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