Summer Planting Bulbs for Shade

How To Plant And Grow Bulbs

Flowers that grow from bulbs are one of the easiest plants to grow demanding very little attention. Here are some tips to get your bulbs planted and blooming next spring.

Choose an area that is either sunny or in partial shade for your bulbs. The instructions that come with your bulbs will tell you which area is best for the variety chosen.

Plant bulbs from the middle of September until the end of October. In zones where it doesn't freeze they can be planted all the way into December.

Most bulbs prefer soil with good drainage. Heavy soil should be loosened and compost or humus added.

Bulbs can be planted in rows, or strips, geometric patterns or in a more natural setting by simply planting them in a random pattern. Mark where the bulbs are planted with labeled stakes.

Plant at a depth that is three times the diameter of the bulb. Cover with light soil.

Water deeply to promote stronger roots. They will rot if they are let to stand in a constantly wet bed. But never let bulbs dry out completely.

Leave the foliage after the flower has bloomed. The bulb needs this to produce food for the bulb for next years blooms.

While it's not necessary a little fertilizer can be scratched into the soil around the bulb after the blooming. But if left alone the plant will store it's own food for the next season. For individual plantings use one tablespoonful per plant or follow the instructions of the fertilizer manufacturer.

Summer Planting Bulbs for Shade