A Quick Guide to Choosing and Planting Bulbs
Bulbs are the fleshy underground protuberances of leaves, stems or roots. Actually,
"bulb" is a generic term, and some of these underground protuberances, all of
which will grow into full plants, are more correctly called "corms" or "tubers."
Tubers are thickened stem sections, covered with modified buds; corms are also
underground stem sections, but without the bud.
Some of the loveliest flowers are bulbs, and gardeners rely on them heavily because
they bloom in such profusion with little care or cultivation. They are among the
first blooms of early spring, with the diminutive snowdrop, for example, appearing
in early March.
Planting Bulbs
Bulbs should be planted from 3 to 6 inches deep, and, as a rule of thumb, the
larger the bulb, the deeper it should be planted. (Both tubers and corms are treated
similar to bulbs.) Using a spade, a slice is dug in the soil to the required depth,
the bulbs placed in the hole and the sod replaced. If the soil is poor, a sprinkling
of bone meal is added and mixed with the soil at the bottom of the hole.
Each spring, flowering bulbs should be well-fertilized. (Use manure and chemical
fertilizer.) Care must be taken to keep fresh manure away from the roots or the
bulb or tuber itself. The fertilizer should be worked well into the soil. The
soil itself should be cultivated to a depth of 3 to 4 inches each week. During
the blooming season, it is a good idea to cut off most of the buds to get bigger
and showier flowers. Watering regularly is essential, and when the soil gets too
dry, punching a few holes in it around the plant will help get the much-needed
moisture down near the roots.
Bulbs that produce flower in the spring
Among the important spring flowering bulbs are a number of the tulip types, some
blossoming as early as April. These early tulips include albion, coleur cardinal
and pink beauty. Double and Darwin tulips flower slightly later in the spring
than some other varieties. Other spring-flowering bulbs include the varieties
of narcissus, grape hyacinth, snowdrop, crocus, winter aconite iris and trumpet
jonquil (or daffodils).
Bulbs that produce flower in summer
Summer-flowering bulbs require the same planting procedure as the earlier varieties.
Some typical summer-flowering species include:
- Autumn crocus
- Gladiolus
- Cluster amaryllis
- Lilies
- Bearded iris
- Dahlia
- Peonies
- Summer hyacinth
- Calla lily
- Mariposa
For more information on planting bulbs, choosing flower blub, or other house plant information visit the
related links below.
