Top tips for getting the best from spring bulbs
Spring bulbs, other than tulips, can be planted in the ground or pots now ready for next year. remember that small bulbs dry out more quickly than big ones, so plant those first. Handle crocuses with special care, since their shoots or ‘noses’ are easy to snap off.
if any do break off, plant the damaged corms anyway.
They won’t flower next spring but will produce clusters of bloom in 2020.
plant your bulbs deeply. This applies particularly to dwarf irises such as Iris reticulata and the yellow I. danfordiae Make sure there’s at least five inches of soil above each bulb. Larger narcissus bulbs will store for longer, but are better off in the ground. They also benefit from deep planting and prefer soil which does not bake too dry in summer.
if you plan to naturalise narcissus in grass, a bulb planter will be useful. These act like giant apple corers which are pushed into the ground. The resulting plug of turf is easily removed.
Drop a bulb down into each hole, replace the turf plug and firm it gently.
Defer planting tulips until november. Late planting helps to prevent the fungal disease Tulip Fire from infecting the bulbs.