How to choose a bulb planter
Before choosing your bulb planter, consider the following points
K Which type is best?
For planting a few bulbs in beds and borders a simple, handheld planter is ideal, although if you have larger hands check the width of the handles as they do vary.
If your soil is sticky or particularly crumbly look for one that has a trigger release as the core will stay put in the planter until released when it will fall easily back into the hole. If working on your knees is difficult or you have a lot of planting to do, particularly in lawns, then a long-handled planter will help you finish the job without straining your back.
If you have difficult or stony soil look for a planter that has a serrated base as this will make it enter the soil more easily.
K What’s it made from?
Most planters are made from stainless steel or carbon or boron steel, often with an additional coating that will prevent corrosion and rust, and also stop soil sticking to the planter, so it falls easily back into the planting hole. Metal is strong and long lasting and carbon steel planters can be sharpened to help keep the base sliding cleanly into the ground.
What are you planting?
Bulb planters come in a range of sizes, with some designed to suit particular bulbs. Most bulbs are planted between two and three times their depth and bear this in mind when planning your planting and choose a planter that will help you gauge the depth correctly. Once you’ve chosen your bulb you can plant by eye but if you find it hard to visualise, choose a planter with depth measurements on the side to help you.
How to use a bulb planter
Whether you’re planting in bare soil or the lawn, place the bulb planter over your chosen spot and push down, twisting and rocking as you go until you reach the right depth. Remove the soil, drop the bulb, tip up, into the hole and then replace the soil with the trigger release and firm. Long-handled planters are pushed into the ground with the foot and the soil core is either tapped out or, it pops out when you make the next hole. If soil is compacted or particularly hard and dry it may help to water the night before to loosen the ground.
Where to buy
K B&Q diy.com K Bulldog qualitygardentools.com K Burgon & Ball burgonandball.com K Darlac amazon.co.uk K DeWit crocus.co.uk K Draper drapertools.com K Fiskars amazon.co.uk K Gardena gardena.com/uk K Kent & Stowe marshallsgarden.com K Spear & Jackson spear-and-jackson.com K Wolf Garten wolfgarten-tools.co.uk