3rd October 2011

Todays Top Ten Bulb Planting Tips

1. Plant with the nose up!  (The bulbs nose not yours) The bottom of the bulb is where there is a bit of dried root.
2. Put a marker in the ground to show where you have planted the bulb. I sometimes use some light coloured grit.
3. Most bulbs already contain the ungrown flower inside the bulb so a bigger bulb should perform better. Choose firm healthy looking stock not dried out damaged bulbs.
4. Plant your bulbs twice as deep as the bulb is large.  i.e.5cm bulb 10cm deep
5. Pick a colour scheme and build a theme around that. Pinks and purples of crocus, tulips and hyacinths may work together.
6. Alliums or ornamental onions can be planted in November or if frost free in December.
7. Daffodils need longer in the soil to develop their root systems so get them in now.
8. Plant bulbs in containers with good drainage holes and crocks in the bottom.
9. Snowdrops, aconites, grape Hyacinths and crocus should naturalise well in your garden flowering year after year.
10. After the bulbs have flowered deadhead then to channel energy into the bulb not into seed production. Leave the leaves to die back naturally.