How to grow bulbs

Bulbs are brilliant. Once they’re in the ground or container, they’ll happily lay low until it’s time for them to emerge with their beautiful flowers. Garden staples like daffodils, tulips, and snowdrops are all grown from bulbs, and they’ll keep coming back year after year with almost no input from you. What’s not to love?

When to plant bulbs

Bulbs are normally packed in perforated bags, which are labelled with the variety and planting depth. You should plant your bulbs as soon as you can, but if you can’t plant them straight away, keep them in a cool, dark, moisture-free place and they’ll keep for up to 4 weeks. Any longer than that and you may get a smaller chance of success, which is no fun.

Depending on the bulb, they’ll need to be planted at different times so they can establish themselves in their new home: your garden.

Because of their time-sensitivity, you probably won’t be able to buy certain bulbs until specific times of the year, so keep checking back if your favourite bulbs aren’t in stock just yet!

Quick clarification on the names of bulbs: Autumn bulbs, i.e. those planted in Autumn, are often referred to as ‘spring-flowering’ as that’s when they tend to bloom. Spring bulbs flower in late summer or early Autumn.

The term ‘bulbs’ these days also refers to things such as tubers & corms. They’re slightly different root systems, but you plant them in much the same way – unless the packet says otherwise!

Autumn bulbs

Popular Autumn bulbs include crocus, hyacinth, tulips, and daffodils.

Spring-flowering bulbs are planted in autumn, usually between September and October depending on the bulb. Ideally, you want to get these in the ground a few weeks before your projected first frost date, so they have time to get comfy before the big chill of winter – don’t leave it too late.

Most other plants hate frost, but Autumn bulbs need the chill to enter dormancy and start flowering next season. They’re like us, in a way: staying snug and not moving much over winter, then getting a new lease of life in summer. Maybe we’re all part-daffodil?

There are exceptions to the rule – there always are. Daffodils can go in the ground as early as August if you feel like it, whereas tulips prefer to go underground in November. We asked them why, but they can’t talk, so we asked a gardener, and they said it’s because they prefer the cooler temperatures.

That makes one of us!

Spring bulbs

Bulbs planted in spring can flower from summer through to Autumn, and include dahlias, begonias, and a few kinds of lilies.

‘In The Green’ bulbs

Most bulbs arrive without any stems or greenery, but you may find certain bulbs like snowdrops delivered ‘in the green’, with leaves still on the plants. You’ll find they establish themselves much faster than dry bulbs, so there’s no doubt you’ll get the full flowering display the season after planting!

If it’s late in the season, they may arrive looking a little sorry for themselves with yellowing leaves. Don’t worry about this; the leaves will die back to the bulb and will reappear bigger and better next year.

How deep to plant bulbs

The general rule of thumb is that you should plant bulbs at a depth of 2-3 times their height. For example, a bulb measuring 5cm should be planted 10-15cm deep.

Lilies form roots from the stem above the bulb, so these should go in at a depth of around 15cm for good luck.

How to plant bulbs

Planting bulbs couldn’t be easier. Bulbs can be planted directly into the ground or in containers, so you can enjoy their colours year after year no matter the size of your outdoor space! Make sure you follow the recommended planting time on the packet for a successful bloom.

For bulbs going straight into the ground, plant them in a sunny spot in your garden with well-draining soil.

For containers, fill your chosen pot or container with well-draining potting mix – adding in something like perlite can be helpful with this, and make sure your container has drainage holes underneath.

Lovingly nestle your bulbs in the soil with the shoot (or ‘nose’) facing upwards. Bulbs look extra-impressive when they’re planted in clusters, so don’t afraid to plant several – just make sure they’re spaced at least twice the bulb’s width apart.

Whilst all the energy that the bulb needs is stored within the bulb itself, they’ll do even better if they’re fed with a good quality plant feed when they’re in active green growth. Remember that the soil in pots will dry out faster than garden beds, so give them a light watering every now and again.

At the end of the growing season, your bulbs will die back – but don’t be sad. This isn’t the end! Leave them in the soil and they’ll come back again next year, bigger and better than ever!

Layer planting: how to make a bulb lasagne

If you’ve got a nice, big pot, you can treat yourself to extended blooms with a bulb lasagne – no oven required!

The idea behind layer planting is mixing different bulbs in the same container for varying splashes of colour and overlapping flowering times, so your pot will keep pushing out bountiful blooms for months on end!

For example, you could have some daffodils which spring into action in March, then tulips arrive to save the day in late April and May. Have some fun with it!

To create your lasagne, pop a small amount of soil in the bottom of your pot and add in your largest bulbs before covering with another layer of soil. Next, your medium sized bulbs and another layer of soil. Finally, your smaller bulbs go on top, followed by a final layer of soil.

You want a densely packed pot, but don’t go rogue and space your bulbs any closer than one bulb’s width apart, or you’ll hamper their progress.