How to Grow Bulbs

Flower bulbs are beloved, in Canada and globally, for their easy care and vast variety. Whether planning an early spring garden with crocus and snowdrops, a classic array of tulips and daffodils, or a summer collection of hyacinths and gladiolus, you'll find yourself working with bulbous plants. Luckily, these are some of the lowest-maintenance plants in your garden. With just a little planning, you can enjoy years of flourishing bulbs—many species even naturalize and multiply.

When to Plant Bulbs

When should you plant flower bulbs? It depends upon their bloom time. In general, spring-blooming bulbs like tulips, daffodils, crocus, and muscari are planted in the fall, while summer-blooming bulbs like dahlias and gladiolus are planted in the spring.

Planting Fall-Planted Bulbs

Fall-planted bulbs perform best when planted early enough to establish a few roots before the ground freezes, but not so early that they'll sprout and suffer frostbite. The bulbs will have time to get established before the cold winter, then experience the warming period needed to get growing!

In very cold, northern zones, fall planting means planting in early September. After planting, cover your bulb garden with mulch or hay to protect tender bulbs or roots from injury from the cold. In a bitter winter without much snow cover, an extra layer of protection will go a long way in keeping your plants happy.

In Midwest and Southern zones, fall-planted bulbs should go into the ground in late October or November. If winter temperatures don't touch the single digits, mulching may not be necessary—although many gardeners like the look of a winter-time mulch application. For places that don't experience a freeze, planting can be done around New Year's Day, and the best bulbs are ones that are bred for warmer weather. In Zones 9-11, fall-planted bulbs can benefit from storage in the refrigerator for a few weeks before planting. Set your bulbs in a cool, dry area for six to eight weeks before planting, and keep them separate from produce in the fridge using boxes or paper bags.

Planting Spring-Planted Bulbs

Many spring-planted bulbs are actually rhizomes, not true bulbs. Begonias, lilies, cannas, and lots of other May-June-July bloomers fall into this category. Because they grow from rhizomes, these summer-blooming perennials do not need a cold period to begin the growing process—plant them in the spring, and they'll bloom in just a few months. Spring-planted bulbs can be planted after the last frost date in your zone.

How to Prepare Your Soil for Bulbs

Fall is the prime time for planting hardy, spring-flowering bulbs. Bulbs and perennials need plenty of water and good drainage. If water tends to stand in your planting area, you'll want to break up hard subsoil and put in a layer of drainage material such as coarse gravel, broken stone or sifted cinders below your surface soil.

Summer-blooming Dutch bulbs and perennials are not fussy about soil, provided it is not too heavy or sticky. If soil is heavy, loosen it with lots of humus, sand or gypsum. If very light, add moisture holders such as humus or peat moss. If you have soil with a high clay content, it can be improved by adding compost, peat moss or some other organic material. The organic material should be worked into at least the top 30 cm of soil and preferably the top 45 cm.

How to Fertilize Bulbs

While each plant is a complete "plant factory" in itself, with built-in nourishment, it is a good idea to mix a quantity of Breck's Food for Bulbs and Perennials with the loose soil at the bottom of your planting. This will provide additional food without any danger of "burning." Never apply fresh or half-rotted manure directly on bulbs and perennials. As soon as the shoots break through the ground in the spring, repeat the fertilizer application. Do not fertilize spring flowering bulbs after they have started flowering. This tends to encourage the development of bulb rot and sometimes shortens the life of the flowers. Summer and fall flowering bulbs should be fertilized monthly from shoot emergence until the plants reach full flower. The optimum pH range for bulbs is 6 to 7. A soil test of the planting area is necessary to determine if lime needs to be applied to adjust the soil pH. If needed, limestone should be worked into the soil. For good bud development, work Breck's Bulb and Perennials Food into the soil at planting.

How to Choose a Location for Planting Bulbs

Before selecting the location to plant bulbs in the landscape, consider the light requirements of the plant. Does the plant require full sunshine, partial shade or full shade? Since early spring bulbs bloom before most trees or shrubs leaf out, they can successfully be planted under trees and shrubs. Many summer blooming bulbs require full sun or partial shade. Spring bulbs planted on a south slope will bloom earlier than the same bulbs planted on a north slope. Spring bulbs planted on a hillside will bloom earlier than bulbs planted in a valley. Cold air is heavier than warm air and behaves like water. It flows down the slope, settling in the low areas.

Bulb Planting Depth

The general rule of thumb for planting spring bulbs is to plant two to three times as deep as the bulbs are tall. This means most large bulbs like tulips or daffodils will be planted about 15 cm deep, while smaller bulbs will be planted 8-10 cm deep. Planting depth should be measured from the surface level of the soil to the shoulders of bulbs, and to the eyes or crowns of perennials. Distance between plants is measured from their centres.

There are two basic methods of planting. One is to dig individual holes for each plant. This can be done with a garden trowel or one of the special hole-cutting tools called bulb augers. Dig the hole several centimetres deeper than the recommended planting depth and fill to base level with a mixture of loose soil and Breck's Food for Bulbs and Perennials. Then place your plant in the hole and cover it with loose soil. Using your fingers, gently push the soil into position around the plant, so there will be no air pockets where water can collect.

If you are planting a quantity of plants in a single area, you may want to dig an entire bed to planting depth. Then you can locate each plant just where you want it before covering with soil. Press the soil into position around each plant to eliminate air pockets.

Which End of the Flower Bulb is Up?

One of the most frequently asked questions about planting bulbs is, "Which end goes up?" Most true bulbs, such as Tulips and Daffodils, have pointed tips which should point upward. Corms, tubers and rhizomes usually show sprouts on their upper sides, and these should be on top when planted. Some of the smaller bulbs, such as Poppy Anemones, look like small dried peas or small stones and can be planted in any direction - their shoots will find their way toward the sun.

How Far Apart to Space Bulbs

Plant enough bulbs for a showy display. For best appearance, plant bulbs in masses. Space bulbs in bed according to the size of the bulb. As a rule, large bulbs such as tulips and daffodils should be spaced 8 to 15 cm apart. Small bulbs such as crocus and snowdrops should be spaced 3 to 5 cm apart. To find the exact measurements for your bulbs, visit our Planting Guide Chart.

How Often to Water Bulbs

Water the bulbs well following planting. This will help settle the soil in the planting bed plus provide needed moisture for the bulbs to start rooting. Fall-planted bulbs must root before cold weather. Avoid overwatering at planting time, since this can result in bulb rot.

Average spring conditions should provide enough moisture for your bulbs. However, if the weather is unusually hot and dry, a weekly deep soaking will produce larger, longer-lasting blooms. For both spring and summer bulbs, start watering when the flower buds first appear on the plant if the soil is dry. Remember that the bulbs may have been planted 15 to 20 cm deep, and the water needs to soak to that depth. Through the bud, bloom and early foliage stage, add about 2-3 cm of water per week, if this amount has not been supplied from rainfall. Water with a soaker hose to keep water off the bloom. Shallow-planted bulbs will rot quickly if overwatered in the heat of summer.

Foliage Care After Blooming

One of the visual problems with spring bulbs is the foliage that remains after bloom. The foliage can become unsightly after the beauty of the flower is gone. However, foliage should not be mowed off until it turns yellow and dies back naturally.

The foliage on the smaller bulbs such as snowdrops will die back rapidly and cause little problem. The foliage on the larger bulbs like Tulips and Daffodils will take several weeks to die back. Keep in mind that after flowering, the plant needs the green leaves to manufacture food (photosynthesis) that is stored in the bulb for next year's growth. If you mow or remove the foliage too early, the plant can no longer manufacture nutrient reserves for next year. This results in a small, weak bulb which will gradually decline and die out.

There are several ways to divert attention from the yellowing bulb foliage. Interplant the bulbs in the spring using one or two colours of annuals. Place bulbs behind the plants on the front edge of a border planting. Plant taller flowering bulbs behind lower growing foreground shrubs. Plant bulbs with groundcovers and perennials like hostas or daylilies. Use your imagination when it comes to planting your bulbs and you can get creative enough to hide the dying foliage.

Staking Flowers

Some summer-blooming bulbs like dahlias and tall, flowering glads occasionally need extra support to remain erect. A plant support ring is an easy way to bolster plants with weak stems. Stakes will also work for this purpose. A good practice is to put the stake in place at planting time to avoid accidental damage to bulbs or tubers. If you love glads but do not want to stake them, then you will want to plant our Glamini Glads Mixture, a selection of splashy glads that require no staking! Plant support hoops can also be a big help to peonies with big, heavy blooms that tend to fall to the ground.

Caring for Bulbs After Blooms Fade

Flowers should be removed when petals begin to fade, so they will not go to seed. If seed pods are allowed to remain, they will draw off the food needed to nourish your bulbs for next year's growth. All petals should be removed from the blooming area after they have fallen. Even where bulbs have been naturalized in a lawn, leaves should not be cut until they turn yellow and whither naturally. While they are still green, the leaves serve as a source of nourishment to the bulbs.

Mulching Tips for Bulbs

A year-round mulch of compost, leafmold, leaves or commercial types of mulch has a positive effect on your bulbs and other flowers by keeping the soil from drying out, maintaining a more even soil temperature and reducing weed growth. It also prevents soil from splashing onto the flowers and foliage

Other Helpful Tips

• A year-round mulch of compost, leaf mold, leaves or commercial types of mulch has a positive effect on your bulbs and other flowers by keeping the soil from drying out, maintaining a more even soil temperature and reducing weed growth. It also prevents soil from splashing onto the flowers and foliage.
• There are several ways to divert attention from the yellowing bulb foliage. Interplant the bulbs in the spring using one or two colors of annuals. Place bulbs behind the plants on the front edge of a border planting. Plant taller flowering bulbs behind lower growing foreground shrubs. Plant bulbs with groundcovers and perennials like hosta or daylilies. Use your imagination when it comes to planting your bulbs and you can get creative enough to hide the dying foliage.
• Over winter, bulbs can be susceptible to squirrels and other critters seeking food. If you have an issue with squirrels or mice digging up your bulbs, layer a piece of chicken wire over your planting location to protect your bulbs.
• Consider planting bulbs that bloom at different times, to extend the blooming season. With the right timing, you can keep the colorful show going from spring to fall.
• Bulbs do not require water during the dormant season. Water them in once when planting your bulbs, and keep them watered regularly during the growing season, but don't water them when they are in the ground.