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How To for Planting Bulbs in Containers for Spring Bloom

13 years ago

I am enjoying the Fine Gardening eletter I rcve wkly. This article on container bulb planting for different regions is particularly helpful with its specific recs for # of bulbs for different sized containers., and how to overwinter the containers. Hope you find it useful too.

best,

mindy

http://www.finegardening.com/design/articles/planting-spring-bulbs-containers.aspx

Here is a link that might be useful: Fine Gardening eletter on Container Bulb Planting

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Comments (6)

MissMyGardens
13 years ago
Thanks for the link, Mindy.

2007/2008 I had Darwin Hybrids, Hyacinths & Daffs do fine in containers.

2008/2009 almost all bulbs rotted in containers. They were Triumphs which I read were more suited to container planting. Some had started to grow roots but don't know what happened to them. Same Tulip varieties rotted in ground also.

I can't blame it on the bulbs since I didn't plunge pots and/or cover with any mulch. Another Tulip variety did grow and bloom in ground.

I went back to Darwin Hybrids this year since my father is old fashioned and just wants the Red and Yellow combo with black/blue inner base he always planted years ago.

I'm trying to figure out how I can stash bulb planted nursery pots in my father's attached garage. I think that's a safer bet than rolling the dice under the overhang up on the deck even with bags of leaves around for protection.

Besides, that way my decorative containers will be cleaner and free to plant annuals earlier than if they had bulbs planted directly inside them.

I over winter perennials in pots along south facing house foundation with bags of leaves over/around them. They did fine last year but every year is different so I just cross my fingers.

It's hard gardening where it's barely tolerated let alone encouraged. I need a little storage shed of my own.

Better pick up more 'Ropels' spray. I spray bulbs before planting and the nanosecond foliage appears in Spring. Bambi herds and wascally wabbits! :)

Your garden of eden is gorgeous.

Leslie
diggerdee zone 6 CT
13 years ago
Good article. I plant mostly tulips in pots, because I treat them as annuals for the most part - they don't reliably return for me in the garden.

I was surprised at how many bulbs she put in one pot! So this year I will try putting more in.

One year, I had planted the pots up, and I usually leave them outside until it gets really cold. Well, we got hit with a cold spell earlier than expected, and the pots ended up getting covered in snow. When the snows receded in February, I went to move them into the garage. One plastic pot was frozen to the ground, which I found out when I went to lift it and half the pot broke off in my hand! So here is the pot, with the side ripped off, still frozen to the ground, with the bulbs hanging out! I figured it was a goner, but come spring, the darn things bloomed anyway! I was impressed with the hardiness of these bulbs!

Maybe this year I will try layering some minor bulbs in with the tulips.

:)
Dee
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Bulbs that need a chill period will bloom most vigorously if stored at temperatures between freezing & 45* F. It's possible that the temperature on the floor would be cool enough to supply adequate chilling, but I think you are sort of borderline. I plant many containers of bulbs each year for early spring displays. I plant the bulbs anytime after Oct 1, use a fast soil, and keep the containers on the floor of my unheated garage where I occasionally throw a shovel of light snow on them to prevent them from drying completely. The air temperature in the garage varies from the extreme low of around 0* when the door is open on very cold days to around 50* on warm days, but the fairly steady temperature of the floor moderates temperature extremes and prevents the bulbs from getting so cold that water inside plant cells freezes & rots the bulbs or so warm that proper stratification doesn't occur. When I'm sure night temperatures will no longer drop below 25* F., I put the containers outdoors & allow nature to take its course. I've never found reason to be dissatisfied with the results of using this easy method. Al
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Given decent soil (you did work it and add amendments and/or fertilizer?) and regular water, you should be seeing all the cannas within two or three weeks at the outside, of planting. They will grow and make foliage first and then start blooming in mid summer or so. Pretoria has such beautiful foliage you won't care if it blooms or not, but it should. Cannas like manure (if you didn't add some to their holes, spread about an inch around the plants now) and lots of water. As Dottie said, crocosmias can be slow to establish. I too saw very little life in mine until the second year. I do not know if this is because the bulbs take that long to come up or if only a few survived and those few multiplied. Nevertheless, the foliage will look something like iris foliage, but true green. They don't bloom until late summer. If they come up, keep them watered and be patient with them. Gloriosas are such a joy! If it's up, that's all you need to know for now, assuming it's in decent soil and gets semi regular water. It will bloom in late summer to early fall. Be sure to mulch it heavily with straw before frost next fall, OR dig it up and store it inside. Mine have overwintered for a number of years in the ground, but I am on the line of zones 7 and 8. If you're further north, you might want to dig it up. Wait until the foliage dies back. Also, if it is not near a trellis or a bush, you will want to provide it with something to climb on. I have personally had very poor luck with dahlias (except Bishop of Llandaff). They don't seem to like my high heat and humidity. If it comes up, give it fertilizer (like Plant Tone, for instance) every few weeks through the growing season. It will need to be dug and stored over the winter. So you made a rookie mistake....we all do it. If/when the bulbs do come up, consider it a happy surprise, and mark them then so you will know where they are henceforward.
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MissMyGardens
13 years ago
Dee, sometimes you can't get them to survive if your life depended on it and, as you experienced, they can survive some trauma.

I laughed picturing you standing out there in the freezing cold with half a planter in your hand...LOL.

Last year I went to check pots for moisture and they were frozen solid. I didn't really see any point putting water on top of frozen soil. Maybe that was my problem!

I've repeatedly seen the P. Allen Smith "Garden Home" show with him potting up bulbs and he packs them in too. He's also in Zone 7. Zone envy is a terrible thing.

Leslie
diggerdee zone 6 CT
13 years ago
"I laughed picturing you standing out there in the freezing cold with half a planter in your hand..."

Yes, Leslie, I was quite surprised and it took me a moment to realize what happened, lol. My first thought was "what am I going to do now?", but since that sucker was frozen solid to the ground, I really had no choice but to leave the pot there, lol.

I just finished potting up some bulbs for indoor forcing this afternoon. I'm still waiting on my shipment of bulbs for the outdoor containers. After all this talk I'm wishing I had bought more....

:)
Dee
arbo_retum
Original Author
13 years ago
gee newbie, couldn't those pots be stacked in the corner of his garage? i guess i'm going to put my planted big glazed pots on the screen porch w/ blankets on top.
best,
mindy
arbo_retum
Original Author
13 years ago
I'm actually feeling really relieved to learn about this coontainer planting idea. I order my bulbs when I can see the ground and all the appointed spots are visible and look easily digable. THEN Oct.comes; Wild and Wooly sets in ; leaves fall; and those spots all disappear under the morass. So now I have an option for easier placement of some of those thousands of bulbs. Hoorah! Relief for the overwhelmed!
best,
Mindy

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