Bulb Planting Top Tips:
Daffodil Bulb Planting Top Tips
- Daffodils should be planted in early autumn through to October.
- Daffodil bulbs should be planted 3 times the bulbs diameter in depth and 6 inches apart for normal daffodils and miniature at 4 – 6 inch spacing. If you are growing in pots or naturalising daffodils in a lawn you may want to leave less space between each.
- Add a layer of Bulb Planting Compost to prevent rotting. Loosen the soil at the bottom of the hole and set the bulb pointy end upwards giving it a gentle twist to secure it. Replace the soil and water thoroughly.
- Never remove the foliage, it must grow, mature and die back as they are needed to prepare the bulb for next spring. Straight after flowering feed the area with a good liquid feed.
- Remove all of the wilted flowers as soon as possible unless you are trying to naturalise your bulbs.
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Allium Bulb Planting Top Tips:
Plant your alliums in autumn in a sheltered, sunny position with good drainage. You can improve drainage by raking the top foot of the soil mixing in several inches of peat or compost.
Allium bulbs should be planted 4 times the bulbs depth, in groups, spacing them about 8 inches apart for larger varieties and 4 inches for smaller – double check on the bulb packet for exact spacing recommendations. Add a layer of Bulb Planting Compost to prevent rotting.
Feed with slow release plant feed regularly throughout the growing season. Make sure you dead-head before seeds disperse to preserve strength. Divide and replant overcrowded clumps after the foliage and flowers have died.
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Iris Bulb Planting Top Tips:
Plant your Iris bulbs in a full sun position, in well drained soil. You can improve drainage by raking the top foot of the soil mixing in several inches of peat or compost.
Iris bulbs should be planted after the summer but before frost – September is a prime time. Plant your irises 4 inches apart and 4 inches deep.
Try and avoid air pockets by making a mound of soil at the bottom of the hole and positioning the bulb with the point facing upwards.
Press the bulb down into the mound and then fill the rest of the hole. Water the area thoroughly.
When blooming is over leave the foliage alone as they will continue to nourish for next year. Foliage can be removed once the leaves have yellowed and died back.
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Crocus Bulb Planting Top Tips:
Plant your crocus bulbs in a full to partial sun position, in well drained soil in early autumn.
You can improve drainage by raking the top foot of the soil mixing in several inches of peat or compost.
Plant crocus bulbs 2 inches deep and 3 – 4 inches apart. Plant the bulb with the point facing upwards, you may want to add some bone meal or some Bulb Planting Compost at this time to help fertilise the soil.
Mice and squirrels love crocus bulbs so you may wish to cover them in wire netting when planting.
Leave the foliage after blooming until it yellows.
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Tulip Bulb Planting Top Tips:
Plant your tulip bulbs in October or November; you can still plant them in early December if the ground is not frozen.
Plant in well drained soil, you can improve drainage by raking the top foot of the soil mixing in several inches of peat or compost.
Plant the bulbs 4 inches deep and 5 – 6 inches apart.
Tulips are fairly disease resistant, however they may get affected with Tulip Fire (leaves go brown and wilt), particularly if they get too warm. If this occurs dig up the bulbs and destroy and don’t plant in the infected soil.
It is fine to dead head the flowers but allow the stems to die back naturally. It is important however to remove all dead foliage and petals and not compost them.
For more information on Tulips, click here to visit our Garden Library.
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Hyacinth Bulb Planting Top Tips:
Plant your hyacinth bulbs in the autumn in a sunny or partially shaded site in well drained soil. You can improve drainage by raking the top foot of the soil mixing in several inches of peat or compost.
Plant the bulbs 7-8 inches deep and spaced 6 inches apart with the pointed end facing upwards. After planting the bulbs water them thoroughly.
Don’t be afraid to cut the hyacinth flowers for small bouquets – this will not hurt the plant.
After blooming has finished do not remove the foliage.
Once the foliage has yellowed and fully died back it can then be removed.
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Muscari Bulb Planting Top Tips:
Plant your muscari bulbs in early autumn in a sunny or partially shaded site in well drained soil.
You can improve drainage by raking the top foot of the soil mixing in several inches of peat or Bulb Planting Compost.
Plant the bulbs 4 inches deep and 3 inches apart with the pointy end of the bulb facing up. Water slowly, only as fast as the soil can soak it up, but thoroughly.
Cover the planting bed with a few inches of mulch to retain water and keep the bulbs warm.
In early spring when the bulbs are growing cover with some bone meal or blood and bone.
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Bulb Planting Top Tips:
Grow bulbs in well drained soil, two to three times the length of the bulb deep and two bulb widths apart.
Make sure you plant your bulbs with the point facing upwards. Mix some bone meal or Bulb Planting Compost into the soil at the bottom of the hole.
Water the bulbs after planting thoroughly, to help them settle in and close any air pockets.
You may want to cover your newly planted bulbs with wire netting to prevent mice and squirrels digging them up.
When your bulbs have finished blooming, cut back the flower stalks to ground level but let the foliage dieback naturally.