Bulb Planting Guide

Bulb Planting Guide

Published: 31st August 2020
Bulb Planting Guide

Planting bulbs can be a great cost effective way to fill your garden with blooms and if you plan ahead you can create continual colour from spring through until autumn. The colours available in bulb grown plants is incredible, with the likes of tulips for example that can be found in every hue from deep purple to hot reds through to sunshine yellows. 

Here we’ll share the best planting practising including techniques to make the most of limited space such as a container.

Bulb Types

True Bulb
A true bulb is what you would typically imagine when thinking of as a bulb. A true bulb is the resting stage of a plant  such as lily, onion, tulip, etc, that is usually formed underground and consists of a short stem base bearing one or more buds. The bulb is enclosed in overlapping membranous or fleshy leave.

Corm
A corm has a rounded thick modified underground stem base bearing membranous or scaly leaves and buds acting as a vegetative reproduction structure. 

Tuber
Tubers are a short fleshy, usually underground stem bearing minute scale leaves, each of which bears a bud in it’s axil and is potentially able to produce a new plant. Example of a tuber would be cyclamen, gloriosa, anemone and begonia.

Rhizome
Rhizomes are somewhat elongated, usually horizontal subterranean plant stem that is often thickened by deposits of reserve food material. The rhizome produces shoots above and roots below much like a true bulb, but unlike a true bulb root a rhizome possesses buds and nodes, typically covered in scale-like leaves. Examples of plants that grow from rhizomes include convallaria, canna, achimenes, and agapanthus. 

Tuberous Root
A tuberous root is thick and fleshy storage root similar to a tuber but lacks buds or scale-like leaves. Examples of plants that grow from tuberous roots include dahlia, eremurus, clivia, alstromeria and ranunuculus. 

Pseudobulb
Pseudobulbs are a solid, bulbous enlargement of the stem which are typically found on epiphytic plants (an organism that lives on the surface of another plant, gaining moisture and nutrients from the air and rain), such as orchids. Examples of a pseudo bulb would be bletilla and pleoine.

What to look for in a healthy bulb

  • It’s important to pick healthy bulbs before planting, so make sure to look out for the following:
  • No stem growth or root growth but a firm neck.
  • A few blemishes on a bulb is normal,  as is a little surface mould. If the mould rubs off then the bulb should be fine, if the mould does not rub off the bulb should be disposed of.
  • Bulbs of the same plant should have a similar weight, if one feels particularly light it could be dried out and should not be planted. This is likely from heat or being left in storage too long.
  • A bulb should always be firm, particularly at the basal plate where the roots sprout.
  • The papery or leathery outer layer called a tunic should be entirely intact, you should not plant a bulb without a tunic.

Planting Calendar

Spring is the time to plant your summer flowering bulbs, these would include dahlias, freesias, begonias and oriental lilies.

Autumn is the season for planting spring flowering bulbs such as daffodils, crocus, alliums and tulips. The only exception to this is colchicum bulbs which come into stock in autumn and will need to be planted straight away for flowering in late autumn – early winter.

Christmas time you will find gifting bulbs come into stock such as amaryllis and indoor narcissus and hyacinth. 

Planting inspiration

We all know the importance of planting for beneficial insects like bees. So to make planting for pollinators easier you will find selected bulb packs which will display the bee symbol to show that the variety of plant is great for encouraging beneficial insects to your garden. If you’re looking to fill a larger space for wildlife planting then we suggest picking up a wildlife themed multi-pack.

Knowing the area you’d like to fill is crucial before purchasing bulbs. A tub or container is limited with space, so consider the plants height, space needed and how the plant will behave year after year. Some plants will naturalise, meaning the plant will spread through seeds to create drifts. This can be particularly effective to create a woodland affect in lawns, borders and under trees. We suggest when growing in a lawn to choose early flowering bulbs as the leaves should die down before it’s time to start mowing the lawn.
   Plants which tend to naturalise include daffodils, crocus, snowdrops and cyclamen. Try planting among ferns, hellebores and primulas in dappled shade to recreate the beautiful woodland planting.

How to plant

Until you are ready to plant your bulbs, they should be stored in a a dry and well ventilated location. 

Choose the right plant for the right space. Generally plants will do best in full sun, enjoying 6 or more hours of sunlight a day. Even healthy bulbs can suffer from being planted in the wrong location. Each pack of bulbs will show the light levels the plant will need, how deep and far apart the bulbs need to be planted as well as when to plant. In some cases the pack may instruct you to soak the bulb for a few hours before planting.

A bulb planter will make light work of creating the holes needed in the soil for planting the bulbs. Simply squeeze the handle to open the tapered end to its fullest push into the soil and release the handle. The spring mechanism will create the tapered end again and then pull the bulb planter for a perfectly sized hole. If you do not have a bulb planter a trowel will otherwise do the job.

The basal point where the roots will grow will need to be planted face down, and the point of the bulb will be facing up.
Tuberous roots usually have a slight neck on them which should be facing up when planting. Rhizomes may have shoots which will need to face upwards. Tubers will naturally hang from a centre stem, the stem should face upwards when planting.

Planting Techniques

Lasagne planting is the name of the technique of creating layers of bulb planting for a dense and showy container of blooms that will bring wave after wave of flowers through the season.
   Plant the largest and latest flowering bulb the deepest working toward the top where you will want the smallest and earliest blooming bulbs. The bulbs planted at the very bottom will grow around the other bulbs as they grow towards the surface. 
  You will need to plant the bulbs slightly further apart than you would in a pot with a single layer of bulbs only, the aim is to plant about 1- 1.5 inches apart. Each layer will need a few inches of compost in between and the base level of bulbs should be planted 11-12 inches deep.

 

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