Alan Titchmarsh says switch on to bulbs now for next spring
Hard as it is to believe, autumn isn’t far off. And if you want a good show of flowers come March or April, most spring bulbs are best planted in September. Snowdrops and daffodils start rooting early, so plant those as soon as possible (they should be on sale in most nurseries and garden centres by now). Hyacinths and tulips don’t start rooting until a little later in the season, however, so delay planting them until October to avoid any risk of them rotting or being eaten.
Choosing bulbs
Select large, plump, firm bulbs – snowdrops, scillas and daffodils do best in reasonably moistureretentive soil. They are happy in sun but they will tolerate light shade so can be planted around the base of deciduous trees and shrubs. Before planting, remove any weeds and fork in some well-rotted organic matter and a little bone meal or special bulb planting fertiliser.
Other spring bulbs, however, need well-drained soil and a sunny, sheltered spot. Before planting, work in some well-rotted organic matter – pre-used potting compost or leaf mould are ideal – plus a small dose of feed.
If you are putting in valuable bulbs, or those that rot easily, such as foxtail lily (eremurus) and crown imperial, it pays to place an inch of sand or grit at the base of the planting hole and sit the bulbs directly on this for better drainage. In a garden with heavy soil that stays wet in winter it’s best to grow bulbs like these in raised beds or containers.
Planting in borders
Bulbs need to be planted more deeply than most people realise. Ideally, they should be buried up to three times the depth of the bulb length, measured from base to tip.
Dig the planting hole rather deeper than that, though, to allow for forking in compost, then sit the bulbs in place in the hole and press them down firmly with a slight screwing motion so the base of the bulb makes good contact with the soil beneath. This is vital for good rooting.
For natural-looking displays, group uneven numbers of bulbs down each planting hole, spacing them several inches apart. If
naturalising large numbers, scatter the bulbs around by hand then dig a hole for each with a trowel (check first that they don’t end up in straight lines, which never looks natural).
Naturalising in grass
Some bulbs are brilliant for growing in lawns or rough grass. The best for this job include snowdrops, crocus, daffodils and snake’s head fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris). They look their prettiest planted in informal teardrop-shaped drifts on banks, or in patches around trees. Keep them in distinct areas to make it easier to mow round them when cutting the rest of the grass.
To plant small numbers, scatter bulbs randomly over the grass then use a proper bulb planter tool or a trowel to remove a core of turf. drop a single bulb down it before replacing the divot over the top. Sprinkle blood, fish and bone fertiliser over the area afterwards.
For larger numbers it is often easiest to strip off a section of turf, then fork the soil thoroughly and improve it with compost and grit and add feed. Then plant the bulbs as usual and re-lay the turf over the top.