Sublime spring-flowering bulbs like Tulips, Daffodils and Anemones dazzle us with their beautiful blooms and Jonquils, Hyacinths and Freesias fill the air with fragrance during late winter and spring. Whether you create swathes of gorgeous colour in garden beds or brighten an outdoor area with a pot packed with bulbs, autumn is the time to get planting.
There is a spectacular range of spring-flowering bulbs to choose from, as well as almost countless varieties with different flower types and colours. We're spoilt for choice! Some of the most popular spring flowering bulbs include Ranunculus, Tulips, Daffodils, Narcissus Daffodils (Jonquils), Dutch Iris, Crocus, Freesias, Snowflakes, Hyacinths, Anemones, Ixias, Grape Hyacinths, Bluebells and Sparaxis.
'Naturalising' is the term used when bulbs are planted under trees or in a lawn and left from one season to the next. Bluebells, Freesias, Daffodils, Jonquils, Sparaxis, Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum) and Ixias are some of the favourites used in this way. Flowers can be trimmed off as soon as they have finished but leaves must be allowed to die down naturally. When grown in a lawn, this means waiting until the leaves have turned brown before mowing. In climates where the lawn grows vigorously in spring it is challenging to have bulbs naturalised in the lawn, so planting them in a separate garden bed or in a mulched area under trees is best.
Alliums, relatives of the edible onion, are cold lovers, as are Fritillaries, Hyacinths, Jonquils, Tulips, Crocus, Daffodils and the true snowdrops (Galanthus spp). These are all most at home in climates with frosty winters.
If you're in an area with mild winters, you'll need to take a bit more care when choosing your spring-flowering bulbs. Bulbs such as Freesias, Spring stars (Ipheion spp.), Babiana, Chincherinchee, Sparaxis, Queen Fabiola (Triteleia laxa) and Star of Bethlehem do well in warmer climates.
It's best to wait until mid or late autumn to plant spring-flowering bulbs in warm areas. Planting bulbs a little deeper than is recommended can also help their performance in warmer areas. Keep the soil well mulched (which helps keep it cooler) and ensure the bulbs are well-watered throughout the growing and flowering seasons.
If you're desperate to try growing cold-climate bulbs like Tulips, put them in the fridge (not freezer!) for 4-6 weeks prior to planting, to trick them into thinking they've been through a cold winter. However, these bulbs are seldom successful for a second year in warm climates, so treat them as an annual.
Choose a spot in full sun or part-shade (receives at least three hours of direct sun a day) with well-drained soil. Check the tag of your chosen bulb to see the amount of sunshine it prefers.
Improving the soil before planting will help give your bulbs a great start. Soil improvement is as simple as mixing two handfuls of Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser into each square metre of soil. It's rich in organic matter to improve and nurture the soil, as well as attract earthworms and beneficial soil microorganisms.
Most bulbs are planted with the pointy end up (except for Anemones and Ranunculus). The general rule of thumb is to plant bulbs at a depth approximately twice their height. Check the bulb packet label for planting depth information.
As soon as you notice the bulb leaves poking up through the soil, apply a light scattering of Yates Snail & Slug Bait around the garden bed to control any Snails and Slugs.
Keep the soil moist but not wet and feed every 1-2 weeks with a high potassium fertiliser like Yates Thrive Roses & Flowers Liquid Plant Food. Keep feeding until the leaves start to yellow and die back in summer. Don't cut back the yellowing leaves! Feeding is important for both current bulb health and future flowers. The more nutrients the bulb can absorb this season, the better next year's flowering season will be.
There are many advantages of growing bulbs in pots. Small space, courtyard and balcony gardeners can still grow bulbs! Some of the best bulbs for pots include Hyacinths, Daffodils and Tulips. And with pots being movable, it can be easier to find the ideal amount of sun. An additional benefit of growing in pots is that when the bulbs are past their best, the pots can be moved to less prominent positions where they can be allowed to die down out of sight.
Find a spot that's in full sun or part shade (receives at least 3 hours of direct sun a day). Check the tag of your chosen bulb to see the amount of sunshine it prefers.
Choose a pot or bowl with good drainage holes and fill with a quality potting mix, such as Yates Premium Potting Mix with Dynamic Lifter.
Most bulbs are planted with the pointy end up (except for Anemones and Ranunculus). The general rule of thumb is to plant bulbs at a depth approximately twice their height. Check the bulb packet label for planting depth information.
Applying a layer of mulch over the top of the pot helps to keep the potting mix moist.
As soon as you notice the bulb leaves poking up through the potting mix, apply a light scattering of Yates Snail & Slug Bait to control any Snails and Slugs.
Keep the potting mix moist but not wet and feed every 1-2 weeks with a high potassium fertiliser like Yates Thrive Roses & Flowers Liquid Plant Food. Keep feeding until the leaves start to yellow and die back in summer. Don't cut back the yellowing leaves! Feeding is important for both current bulb health and future flowers. The more nutrients the bulb can absorb this season, the better next year's flowering season will be.
If your bulbs haven't been pre-chilled (some suppliers will have done this for you already), put them in the fridge crisper for 4-6 weeks to trick them into thinking they've been through a cool winter.
The leaves need to absorb as much sunshine as possible, which feeds nutrients back to the bulb. So it's important not to cut off the yellow leaves or tie or plait them up (which reduces their access to sunlight).
Bulbs do best in organic rich soil. To improve and prepare the soil before planting mix two handfuls of Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser into each square metre of soil.
A quality potting mix, like Yates Premium Potting Mix with Dynamic Lifter, is best for growing bulbs. It's boosted with nutrients plus added Dynamic Lifter organic fertiliser and has increased water holding capacity and wettability.
Yes, but it's important to continue watering and feeding until the leaves have died back. Then keep the pot in a cool protected spot during summer. Don't allow the pot to become waterlogged, as the bulbs can rot while they are dormant. It can be easier to dig the bulbs up and store them in a cool, dry spot for replanting next autumn.
Daffodils and Jonquils are amongst the easiest bulbs to grow and are great for beginner gardeners.
A complete fertiliser that's rich in flower-promoting potassium, like Yates Thrive Roses & Flowers Liquid Plant Food, is best for feeding bulbs. It helps promote healthy green leaf growth and lots of beautiful flowers.
In areas with well-drained soil, bulbs like Bluebells, Freesias, Daffodils, Jonquils, Sparaxis, Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum) and Ixias can be left in the ground to naturalise. Bulbs like Tulips and Hyacinths are best dug up (lifted) each year, stored and chilled before being replanted.
Potted bulbs can be grown more closely together than in the ground. And different types of bulbs can be grown together in the one pot. To layer bulbs, plant the largest bulbs deepest in the pot, add more potting mix, then plant smaller bulbs above. This will help create a wonderfully dense bulb display.
Yes! Hyacinth bulbs can be suspended over a vase or jar of water. Roots grow into the water and leaves and flowers then develop. Treat Hyacinths grown in this way as an annual display, as they are unlikely to do well if replanted the following year.
Rust is a fungal disease that causes orange pustules on the leaf surface and is commonly found on bulb leaves.
To reduce fungal diseases, improve the amount of light the plants get, water only in the morning, and avoid excessive mulching.
Spray at the earliest sign of Rust infection with Yates Rose Shield Concentrate.
Aphids are small sap-sucking insects that can cause bulb leaves to yellow. Aphids can be grey, black, green, brown or yellow. They often congregate on the bases of the leaves.
As soon as Aphids are noticed, spray plants thoroughly every 2 weeks with Yates Rose Shield Concentrate. It's important to spray all sides of the foliage and down in amongst the leaf bases.
Bulbs can be prone to rotting diseases when the soil is heavy or poorly drained and during extended periods of wet weather. To help reduce the incidence of rot, plant bulbs in well-drained soil (or grow bulbs in pots) and only plant clean disease-free bulbs each year. There is no spray to control rot.
Short flower stems on Hyacinths are an indication of a lack of cold temperatures. Hyacinth bulbs should be chilled in the fridge for 4-6 weeks prior to planting. If you live in a warm area or are growing Hyacinths in pots, the best practice is to lift the bulbs each year and store in a cool dry spot. Refrigerate before planting next autumn.
