14 Must-Know Tips for Planting Bulbs

It ’s easy to plant light bulb , but the veracious timing and technique are key to create a beautiful exhibit .

plant incandescent lamp is a great style to bring tons of seasonal color to garden bed and container . With the proper mixture of bulbs , you may have something bloom from late wintertime into fall .

While plant bulb is easy , doing it at the correct sentence and watch over the correct method are fundamental success factors . Whether you are plantingspring - flower bulbs , summertime or fall bloomers , we have put together the best practices for you .

Person planting multiple bulbs in soil

Credit: Jacob Fox

The terminal figure " bulbs " is widely used not only for plants with actual bulbs ( crocus , daffodils , tulips , etc . ) but also for plant life with other kinds of fleshy beginning , such as corms , rhizome , Tuber ( calla lily , canna , dahlia , gladiolus , tuberous begonias , etc . ) .

Select Quality Bulbs

Bulb planting starts with gamey - calibre bulbs . Look for bulbs that are plump and firm . Bulbs that are easy , schmalzy , or moldy are inferior and not deserving planting . Also , size matters . The bigger the bulbs , the better they flower compared to smaller bulbs of the same diversity .

Pick the Right Spot for Planting Bulbs

Even the healthiest bulbs will fail if placed in the incorrect spot . Most bulbs do best in full sunlight ( at least 6 hours a day of unmediated sun ) andwell - enfeeble soil . blot where water pools during the wintertime will cause the incandescent lamp to rot .

If you ’re unsure where to plant bulbs , research the grow condition of the type of light bulb you ’re plant .

Amend the Soil

Like most flora , bulb treasure well - run out land rich in constitutional affair . Before planting , work compost into the soil . This gain any case of soil , but it ’s especially important if your soil isheavy clayor has poor drainage .

It is not urge to tote up fertilizer to the hole at planting time . Unlike compost that is worked into the stain , fertilizer may damage the incandescent lamp . The high denseness of common salt in the fertilizer draws wet from the bulb and risks burn it .

Plant Bulbs at the Right Time

The planting meter depends on the bloom time . Spring - blooming bulbs , such astulipsand daffodils , are planted between September and . November when the soil temperature have cool down . summertime - blossom beauty such asdahliasandgladiolusare establish in the springiness after all danger of frost has passed .

Plant Bulbs Deep Enough

How mysterious a hole you require to dig is a very common horticulture question . more often than not , the hole should be two to three time deep than the bulb is marvellous . So if you have a 3 - in - tall bulb , grok a hole 6 to 9 inches deep . Of course , there are always exception , so check the planting charge that come with the bulb for more info .

Place Them Pointy Side up

For most bulbs , it ’s easy to tell which side should be planted facing up : the pointed death . However , not all bulbs have a discernible top . In those case , look for the solution ( sometimes the roots are very thin , almost hair - like ) . That is the bottom side that pass down .

Plant in Groups

Most bulbs bet best when plant in big , atypical groupings ( the more bulb , the more impressive the wallop ) instead of straight rows . So try tossing them onto the ground and plant them where they lessen . It ’s OK if some bulbs are a little stuffy to each other than the recommended spacing — it add to the natural look .

Layer Perennial Bulbs

For a spectacular show of spring - flowering incandescent lamp , plant smaller repeated species , such ascrocusor Siberian sea squill , over big bulb such as daffodils , tulip , andlilies . That fashion , you ’ll get twice the color in the same space .

Mulch to Suppress Weeds

Besides being just plain ugly , smoke steal nutrients from the soil and may attract insects or diseases . The comfortable way to prevent weeds from becoming an way out is to diffuse 2 to 3 inches ofmulch over the grime . Your bulbs will easily push up through it , but most weed seeds wo n’t .

Water Well

If there is no pelting , irrigate the bulbs after set to encourage root ontogeny and get them established more quickly . A good watering also eliminates melodic phrase pockets in the soil that could cause your bulbs to dry out out .

Protect Bulbs Against Critters

Critters such as squirrels love cut into up new planted bulbs like tulip . To keep animals aside , spread a level of mulch to hide your bulb holes . If that does n’t help , weigh down a musical composition of meshwork or Gallus gallus telegram over the filth to keep critters from digging . get out it in place until the electric light start to sprout ; it is normally safe to remove it at that point .

Overwinter Tender Bulbs

If you live on in a mood where the footing freeze in the winter , tender summer bulbs such ascanna , necessitate to be overwintered in a frost - free shoes . or else of digging up the bulbs in the fall and storing them on their own , an easier way is to implant them in container from the start and sink the containers in the ground during the growing time of year . Once the temperature overleap in the fall , excavate up the containers and stack away them in an unheated service department , basement , or shed where temperature stay between 35ºF and 45ºF.

Bury Potted Bulbs During the Winter

It is potential togrow medulla in containers , not just forforcing bulbs indoorsbut also outdoors . However , during the wintertime , potted tulip , daffodils , jacinth , and other bulbs are open to freeze - and - thaw cycle and are not sufficiently isolate from the winter frigidity . A workaround is to sink the pots in the ground over the winter or store the container in an unheated garage or storage shed until the bound .

Let Spring Bulbs Naturalize

Naturalizing former spring bulbs in your lawn is a fun agency to add people of color to your landscape . Siberian squillis one of the honorable bulbs to plant in lawn because they bloom early on in the season and begin dying back before your lawn needs mowing . Make indisputable not to mow until the incandescent lamp leafage has break back , otherwise , you might not get many blooms the next twelvemonth . Also , deflect using any lawn herbicides until the bulbs have gone wholly inactive .

assorted bulbs on wood deck