Planting of flower bulbs
1. When to plant flower bulbs?
Depending on the type and timing of flowering, flower bulbs are planted in the fall or in the spring. Bulbs planted in the fall give flowers in the spring next year, while those planted in the spring bloom from early summer to late autumn. A number of species can be planted in the spring as they can be in the fall.The bulbs and tubers of following species: Begonia, Gloxinia, Dahlia, Freesia, Gladiolus, Ismene, Liatris, Calla are planted in the spring … While Fritillaria, Muscari, Crocus, Iris, Hyacinthys, Narcissus, Tulipa, are planted autumn… Bulbs such as Lilium, Anemone, Ranunculus, … can be planted in both spring and autumn.
2. How to prepare the soil for planting?
To avoid any eventual problems that may arise due to improper soil preparation for planting, it is best to buy land for flowers in the proper stores. If you prefer to prepare good soil for planting flower bulbs by yourself, the most important thing is that you know that a good root development requires transparent and moderately humid land, and one part must be mixed well with the partially pure sand. All flower types that grow from bulbs are „lovers“ of phosphorus and potassium, therefore it is desirable to add fertilizer N: P: K in combination with higher content of P and K in the preparation of land for planting.
3. What is the best place for planting?
All tubers and bulbs of flowers grow best in a sunny or half shady place. In any case completely shady and moist places should be avoided. Generally speaking, a half shady place is the most proper for all species in our climate.
4. What are the depths for planting bulbs?
First of all you should prepare a good soil for planting, as described above. The depth of planting and the spacing depends on the type of plant. The general rule for planting depth doesn’t exist, but mistakes could be avoided if the bulbs are planted at a depth that is three times larger than the diameter of those bulbs. Of course, there are plenty of exceptions, but our flower bulbs are sold in identifiable containers on which they have given details for each type separately, which ensures that from those bulbs will develop into beautiful and quality flowers.
5. How to plant in pots or planters?
In the absence of gardens, planting in pots and planters is the best way to enjoy the the beauty of flowers, by your own desire in your home or on the terrace. We should not forget that in every pot or planter we should first set a layer of coarse sand at the bottom, so that the excess water would not be collected and thus adversely affect the growth and development of the plant.
6. How to “force“ the plants from bulbs to bloom earlier?
A very popular way of producing flowers from bulbs and tubers is the so-called forcing. In this way the planted bulb gives flowering plants much earlier than in the natural conditions, so that the flowers appear from the late fall until the end of the winter, which depends on the time of planting. In countries where the production of flowers is highly developed (such as the Netherlands for example) in this way, for the needs of the market, flowers are produced indoors, throughout the year. For this way of production the most convenien following types are: Amaryllus, Crocus, Hyacinthus, Muscari, Narcissus, and some types of Tulips. Some can be produced in the clear water, in the specially made glass containers (Hyacinthus, Amaryllus, …) or in a pot with soil. In this case, the special attention should be paid to the depth of planting, because the bulbs are planted much shallower in the pots, and it is often enough to cover them with a very thin layer of soil, while some, such as Amaryllus, should stay half above the soil. In this way of production, it is essential that after planting, pots or containers with planted bulbs should be kept in a cool and dark place (an imitation of winter) for a certain time period, after which the plants would be transferred to a light and warm place on a room temperature (15 to 18 degrees Celsius), where the plant would soon begin to grow and give beautiful flowers.