How to plant bulbs in lawns

Planting flower bulbs on your lawn is a great way to ensure a beautiful display of spring color that looks casual and natural. While growing flower bulbs is easy, there are several factors to consider how to plant bulbs planning and caring for the flower bulbs that will be planted on your lawn

Complete guide to planting bulbs

Flower bulbs have two main planting seasons. Spring bulbs such as crocuses, daffodils, tulips, and alliums are planted in the fall and bloom the following spring. Then they die and go dormant in the summer. Plant summer bloomers like dahlias, lilies, and gladiolus in spring. They rest in winter.

When to plant bulbs

The usual rule of thumb is to plant spring bulbs in the fall, but the fall lasts 12 weeks and there are significant differences in temperature and soil conditions when the fall begins in late September and late November.

The best time to plant depends on the type of bulb and your region. Consult your local university extension service or a good local nursery for advice on when to plant a particular species. For example, Minnesota recommends planting daffodils in September, while Tennessee recommends waiting until late November. As a rule of thumb, plant tulips in November (before the ground freezes) so they don’t grow leaves prematurely.

September and October: Snowdrop, Iris, Crocus, Muscari, Narcissus, Hyacinth, Fritillaria Imperialis, Fritillaria meleagris, Leek, Camassia, Nectaroscordum

November: Snowdrop, Crocus Daffodil, Grape Hyacinth (Muscari), Tulip, Crown Imperial (Fitillary), Camassia

Where to plant bulbs

Most flower bulbs require a sunny location and well-drained soil. Some flower bulbs, such as snowdrops or daffodils, also grow in partial shade. Many flower bulbs look great grown in drifts between border perennials. Green onions look especially good when planted under deciduous shrubs on the border.

Most flower bulbs grow well in pots. You can also plant some bulbs in lawns, wildflower meadows, or around tree roots—they will naturalize over time and create a natural flourish.

Bulb planting depths

When planting flower bulbs, it’s important to plant them at the correct depth so you can enjoy the blooms. Bulbs that are planted too deeply may only produce leaves at the expense of flowers, or not at all. However, too deep is better than too shallow—bulbs are more likely to be accidentally dug up or eaten by squirrels with nutrient-rich bulbs.

In general, the rule of thumb is to plant bulbs three times as deep, but there are exceptions.

How to plant bulbs

Avoid onions that look wilted, fluffy, or moldy. In general, the larger the bulb, the larger the buds it produces. Smaller bulbs are usually cheaper but have smaller or fewer flowers

How to Grow Onions in the Ground

Most onions grow best in well-drained soil. If your soil is heavier, plant bulbs that grow best in moist soil, for example you can also add some garden gravel or sand to the bottom of each planting hole to improve drainage.

Step 1: Using a trowel or planter, dig a hole deep enough for your bulb. Plant most bulbs two to three times as deep.

Step 2: Place the bulb in the hole, tilting up (see bulb and tuber packaging instructions). Space the onions at least twice as much.

Step 3: Fill the planting hole again. You can mark the spot with a sticker or stick if you want.

Step 4: If you’re planting bulbs in the fall and the soil is already moist, you don’t need to water the bulbs — they’ll get a lot of moisture from rainfall over the next few months. If you are planting onions in the spring, water them after planting.

How to Grow Onions in Containers

In pots, bulbs can be planted deeper and more densely. You can grow different bulbs in different pots, which means you can rotate the display to make the bulbs at their peak stand out. Use peat-free all-purpose compost – you can add some garden sand for extra drainage. For the best display, it is best to replace the bulbs in the pots every year.

Step 1: Add some pots to the bottom of the pot for drainage.

Step 2: Add some compost to the bottom of the pot. If you are planting in a large pot, a depth of about 10 cm is ideal.

Step 3: Add the onions, tip side up, about 1-2 cm apart.

Step 4: Fill the pot with compost and water.

You can grow different bulbs in different pots, which means you can rotate the display to make the bulbs at their peak stand out. Alternatively, you can layer the bulbs for maximum impact and a constant flow of flowers.

10 Tips how to plant  Your Favorite Bulbs

Choose high-quality pears

Smart bulb planting starts with high-quality bulbs in the center of the garden. Look for plump, firm onions. It’s usually best to avoid soft, mushy, or moldy ones. Also look for large onions; in general, the larger they are, the more often they will bloom compared to smaller bulbs of the same variety.

Choose the right place

Even healthy bulbs can fail if planted in the wrong location. Most bulbs do best in full sun (at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day) and well-drained soil. If you’re not sure how to grow bulbs and what conditions your bulbs need to grow, check out our plant encyclopedia to learn more.

Seize the moment

When to plant bulbous flowers depends on when they bloom. Spring bloomers like tulips and daffodils should be planted in September or October when soil temperatures are cooler. Summer-blooming beauties like dahlias and gladiolus are best planted in spring after all danger of frost has passed.

Plant them deep enough

Not sure how deep to plant your bulbs? You are not alone – this is a very common question for gardeners. In general, dig a hole two to three times deeper than the height of the bulb. So if you have a 3″ bulb, dig a hole 6 to 9 inches deep. Of course, there are always exceptions, so read the planting instructions that came with the bulbs for more information.

Put them pointed side up

The second most common question when growing onions is, “How do I know which side is facing up?” If the end of an onion is pointed, that’s usually the side that is facing up. If you don’t see the pointed side, find out where the root comes from – that end is down.

Give them a good foundation

Like most plants, onions prefer well-drained, organic-rich soil. So mix compost into the bulb’s planting holes to ensure good blooms. This is especially important if you have heavy clay or keep soil moist.

Stop weeds

Besides being ugly, weeds steal nutrients from the soil and can attract insects or disease. The easiest way to keep weeds from becoming a problem is to cover the soil with 2 to 3 inches of mulch. Your bulbs go through easily, but most weed seeds won’t.

Spring

Onions are plants too, so they’ll love a nice drink after you plant them. This will encourage them to root and establish themselves faster. Good watering can get rid of air bubbles in the soil, which can also cause the bulbs to dry out.

Protect your investment

Small animals like squirrels love to dig up new bulbs. To keep animals away, spread a layer of mulch to hide your tuber holes. If that doesn’t help, press down a piece of barbed wire or barbed wire on the ground to stop the animals from digging. After the tubers have emerged from the ground, it should be safe to remove the protective screen or wires.

Overwintered tender onions

If you live in a cold winter climate with frozen ground, and you want to preserve tender summer bulbs like cannas, you’ll want to store them in a frost-free winter location. An easy way to do this is to plant bulbs in containers and sink those containers into the ground. Just dig out the containers and store them in a garage, basement or shed at around 40 to 55 degrees at the end of the season.