You’re back home after a trip to the local garden center. You have bags and boxes of bulbs in front of you: tulip bulbs, daffodil bulbs, hyacinth bulbs, etc. What to do now?
In fact, growing bulbs is one of the most “obvious” activities in gardening. Give a complete novice some bulbs and they will manage to plant them properly without any further explanation. But to get the best possible results, here are a few tips:
A Suitable Location
Bulbs are very adaptable plants that can thrive in almost any environment, at least for their first bloom. And why not, after all, since the bulb already contains next spring’s flowers when you buy it? So, it’s mainly to ensure flowering in subsequent years that it’s best to find a good location.
Bulbs prefer rich, well-drained soil that is slightly acidic or neutral. If your soil is very acidic (a pH of less than 5.5), it may be wise to add lime to the soil when planting. Clay soil often remains moist for a long time, whereas bulbs prefer to dry out between waterings, especially in summer. If puddles form on your flower beds after rain, the soil is probably too clayey for bulbs. Ideally, you should raise the soil by 20 cm/8 inches (simply add a few bags of garden soil on top of the clay) before planting. Problem solved!
Bulbs enjoy full sun (6 hours a day), but only need it in the spring when their leaves are present. They are indifferent to summer exposure, as they are dormant during this season. So you can plant them under deciduous trees, even if the location is very shady in summer, as they will let the sun’s rays through at the beginning of the year.
If your flower bed is already well established with perennials and shrubs everywhere, simply plant the bulbs in the spaces between two plants. This way, your garden will be full of flowers in the spring when the bulbs are in bloom, and when the foliage of the bulbs begins to turn yellow, the foliage of the perennials and shrubs will hide their unsightly decline from view.
When to Plant Them
It’s easy: bulbs can be planted between the time they arrive in stores in mid-September until the ground freezes, which is usually in November. However, there are some exceptions, such as anemones (Anemone) and winter aconites (Eranthis), which prefer to be planted earlier. Plant these bulbs in September or early October.
The Right Depth
The basic rule for planting bulbs is to dig a hole about three times the height of the bulb. For tulips, however, double that: they prefer to be planted deep. For the largest tulip bulbs, this means a planting hole 20 to 30 cm (8-12 inches) deep.
Proper Spacing
Plant bulbs at a spacing approximately three times wider than the bulb itself. This rule applies to all bulbs.
Fertilize Well
Bulbs do not need any fertilizer to bloom for the first time. In fact, they will not even absorb fertilizer until their leaves appear in the spring. There is therefore no need to apply a standard fast-release fertilizer such as 15-30-15. Apply compost, which releases minerals over a long period of time. Avoid bone meal (bone powder): it attracts animals that dig up the bulbs!
Bulb Position
Most bulbs resemble a drop of water in shape: pointed at the top, rounded in the middle, and flattened at the base. The roots emerge from the base of the bulb, the flattened part called the plate. Logically, therefore, you would plant bulbs with the plate facing down and the tip facing up. In reality, however, even if you plant a bulb on its side or even upside down, it will still grow and flower. This is good to know, because some less common bulbs do not have the expected shape: the shriveled and misshapen tubers of anemones and winter aconites, for example, give no indication of which side is up. Soak these odd-looking “bulbs” in water for 2 to 4 hours before planting to make them swell a little… and then plant them in any position.
Group Planting
Bulb plants produce less foliage than other plants and appear quite bare when planted alone. So don’t plant them in rows, which only highlights this flaw, but in groups. Planting 15 tulip or daffodil bulbs in a staggered pattern, or 25 or more small bulbs such as crocuses, snowdrops, and squills, will create a stunning effect.
Complete the Planting
Complete the planting by filling the hole with soil and watering thoroughly. You can add a 7 to 10 cm (3-4 inches) layer of mulch to the soil surface to moderate temperature fluctuations, but this is not mandatory.
Protection Against Squirrels
Many gardeners rightly fear the damage squirrels can cause to freshly planted bulbs, but here’s something to keep in mind: squirrels are only interested in two types of bulbs, tulips and crocuses. So there’s no need to protect the others (daffodils, hyacinths, squills, etc.). What’s more, if you’ve planted your tulip bulbs deep, as recommended above, squirrels won’t touch them: digging too deep tires them out.
As for crocuses, planting them only 10 to 12 cm (4-5 inches) deep (because these small bulbs are planted at three times the height of the bulb) puts them right in the squirrels’ zone of interest. Cover the planting area with blood meal or chicken manure, two natural fertilizers that give off a smell that confuses squirrels.
Planting bulbs properly at this time of year ensures a massive and spectacular bloom in the spring: it’s up to you to do what it takes to make it happen!
Larry Hodgson has published thousands of articles and 65 books during his career, in both French and English. His son, Mathieu, has made it his mission to make his father’s writings accessible to the public. This text was originally published in Le Soleil on September 29, 2012.
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