Low yield of saffron in the first growing season is a main problem which is closely linked to poor soil physical properties and application of non-standard mother corms for planting. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of mother corm weight (<4 g or small sized, 4-8 g or medium-sized and 8-12 g or large-sized) and soil amendment ”heavy (HSA) and light (LSA) amendments using cow manure (CM), sand (S) and super-absorbent polymer (SAP)” on saffron flowering and its initial vegetative growth parameters. The amounts of CM, Sand SAP, in LSA and HSA were, 4.5 vs 9 kg m(2), 30 vs 60 kg m(-2) and 30 vs 60 kg ha(-1), respectively. Planting of large mother corms resulted in more replacement corms initiation as well as more root and replacement corm weight. The highest biomass production was obtained at large corms and HAS treatment, while its lowest was gained at small corm and LSA (2.49 vs 0.69 g per plant). Similar results were obtained about leaf number and dry weight. Combined treatment of large corm and HSA produced the highest amounts of number of flower (43.1 flower per m(-2)), flowering rate (12.27 day), flower yield (144.2 kg.ha(-1) and pistil yield (2.16 kg.ha(-1)) while there was no flowering in both combinations of small corms. Overall, it was concluded that planting of large corms in light soils is an appropriate strategy for reduction of gap yield of saffron at the first flowering period.

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