Choose the right variety.
Different varieties of different bulbs have different growing needs. Most need lots of sun, but some grow fine in shade, like scilla and grape hyacinths. Check the light requirements for the bulbs you wish to plant and choose bulbs suitable for your planting location.
The variety of bulb also makes a difference. For tulips, good choices if you are looking for a tulip with a classic look are the Darwin Hybrid and Triumph varieties. They have a single bloom on a sturdy, tall stem. Others are Species and Greigii varieties, which are shorter with a smaller lily-like bloom. Another variety to consider is Viridiflora whose petals are partly green, which increases the ability of the bloom and leaves to take up energy for next years bloom.
Choose the right location and soil conditions.
Bulbs do best in a sunny spot with rich, well drained soil. They don’t like having “wet feet” and are prone to rot if kept too moist. Adding compost will keep the soil from getting too compacted.
Plant deep!
Plant your bulbs on the deeper end of their planting depth range. Wait until there have been a few hard frosts, but the ground is not frozen yet. A good rule of thumb is to wait until after Thanksgiving. Planting can be done until the ground is frozen, which usually isn’t until December or later.
See our Planting Guide for more details on planting your bulbs.
Leave space between the bulbs
In the spring, the mother bulb will grow one or more bulbils (baby bulbs). These bulbils drain energy from the mother bulb and will compete for space, water and nutrients. Deeper planting discourages the production of bulbils. Additionally, planting your bulbs with lots of space between them will give baby bulbils room to spread and grow to full size.
Use the correct fertilizer.
At the time of planting, add compost if required to make soil less compact and fertilize with bone meal or another bulb fertilizer. Lawn fertilizer is too high in nitrogen, burn the bulb’s roots, and may encourage leaf growth rather than blooms.
Leave the leaves!
In the spring, enjoy the blooms in your garden and avoid the temptation to use them as cut flowers. Bulbs need the energy produced by the leaves and stem to re-energize the bulb. Clip off the bloom when it is almost spent. This will discourage the bulb from producing a seed pod and encourage energy to go to the bulb. Let the leaves die down naturally before removing.
Dig up if they are crowded.
After 3-5 years you may notice the blooms looking crowded or growing more leaves than blooms. This happens when the mother bulb and baby bulbils are getting crowded and competing for nutrients. If this happens, after the leaves have died, dig up the bulbs and store them in a cool, dry spot, then replant in the fall.
