General Bulb Planting Notes
General Notes
General
- Bloom seasons are always approximate due to weather variations. E = Early EM = Early to Mid-season, M = Mid-season, ML = Mid to Late, L = Late
- Almost all Tulips and Narcissus are packaged 5 bulbs per bag. See label for all other bulbs, for bulb-count per bag.
- Always remove spent flowers from Narcissus and Tulips, but not the whole stem as stems also feed next year’s bulbs.
- Feed all bulbs with a bulb food or vegetable food, or a balance of NPK like 5/10/10 when tulips are up about 2-3”. This will feed next year’s bulbs well.
- Most bulbs should be planted as deep as 3X the diameter of the bulb, although it can be shallower if mulched after planting.
- Plant small bulbs first, then Narcissus and Tulips last (they root the fastest). It is best to plant no later than November 1st.
- If bulbs are rooted well, they will not be damaged by freezing.
- The last Narcissus to bloom is Pipit.
- Narcissus class Jonquilla tend to get about 5” taller than labeled, in the PNW.
- Narcissus colors are listed perianth / cup.
- The last Tulips to bloom are the Lily-flowered and Viridiflora.
- Tulips form a new bulb or bulbs each year and need full sun and heavy feeding to grow a bulb up to flowering size. Usually they form 2 or 3 undersize bulbs in pots or in the garden. Most who get tulips to Perennialize have a dry summer garden in full sun. The species will perennialize easily, but must have these conditions.
- Dutch crocus are the large flowered crocus. Do not mix yellow with the other colors as they are a bit weedier when planted en-masse.
- To plant crocus, plant them about 2-3” deep, mulch, water in well, and cover with mesh or boards for about 3 weeks. The squirrels cannot smell them as easily if they have begun to root.
Narcissus
Tulip
Crocus
Comments are closed.