14 Must-Know Tips for Planting Bulbs to Ensure a Beautiful Display (2024)

Planting bulbs is a great way to add tons of seasonal color to garden beds and containers. With the right mix of bulbs, you could have something blooming from late winter into fall. These must-know tips for how and when to plant all types of bulbs will help you grow the most gorgeous display.

01of 14

Select Quality Bulbs

14 Must-Know Tips for Planting Bulbs to Ensure a Beautiful Display (1)

Bulb planting starts at the garden center with high-quality bulbs. Look for bulbs that are plump and firm. It's typically best to avoid any that are soft and mushy or have mold growing on them. Also, look for big bulbs; the bigger they are, the more they generally bloom compared to smaller bulbs of the same variety.

02of 14

Pick the Right Spot

14 Must-Know Tips for Planting Bulbs to Ensure a Beautiful Display (2)

Even healthy bulbs will fail if they're planted in the wrong spot. Most bulbs do best in full sun (at least 6 hours a day of direct sun) and well-drained soil. If you're unsure about where to plant bulbs, do a little research into the growing conditions the type of bulb you're planting needs.

03of 14

Plant Bulbs at the Right Time

14 Must-Know Tips for Planting Bulbs to Ensure a Beautiful Display (3)

When to plant bulbs depends on when they bloom. Spring-blooming bulbs, such as tulips and daffodils, should be planted in September or October when the soil temperatures have cooled. Summer-blooming beauties such as dahlia and gladiolus are best planted in the spring after all danger of frost has passed.

04of 14

Plant Bulbs Deep Enough

14 Must-Know Tips for Planting Bulbs to Ensure a Beautiful Display (4)

Not sure how deep to plant your bulbs? You're not alone—it's a very common question for gardeners. Generally, dig a hole two to three times deeper than the bulb is tall. So if you have a 3-inch-tall bulb, dig a hole 6 to 9 inches deep. Of course, there are always exceptions, so check the planting directions that come with the bulbs for more information.

05of 14

Place Them Pointy Side up

14 Must-Know Tips for Planting Bulbs to Ensure a Beautiful Display (5)

The next most common bulb-planting question is, "How do I know which side is up?" If the bulb has a pointed end, that's usually the side that faces up. If you don't see a pointy side, look for where the roots come out—that end goes down.

06of 14

Provide Good Soil

14 Must-Know Tips for Planting Bulbs to Ensure a Beautiful Display (6)

Like most plants, bulbs appreciate well-drained soil rich in organic matter. So mix compost into your bulbs' planting holes to ensure good blooming. This is especially important if you have heavy clay soil or ground that stays wet.

07of 14

Stop Weeds

14 Must-Know Tips for Planting Bulbs to Ensure a Beautiful Display (7)

Besides being just plain ugly, weeds steal nutrients from the soil and may attract insects or diseases. The easiest way to prevent weeds from being an issue is to spread 2 to 3 inches of mulch over the soil. Your bulbs will easily push up through it, but most weed seeds won't.

Water Well

14 Must-Know Tips for Planting Bulbs to Ensure a Beautiful Display (8)

Bulbs are plants, too, so they appreciate a good drink after you plant them. This will encourage them to send out roots and become established more quickly. A good watering will eliminate air pockets in the soil that could cause your bulbs to dry out, too.

09of 14

Protect Your Investment

14 Must-Know Tips for Planting Bulbs to Ensure a Beautiful Display (9)

Critters such as squirrels love digging up freshly planted bulbs like tulips. To keep animals away, spread a layer of mulch to hide your bulb holes. If that doesn't help, weigh down a piece of mesh or chicken wire over the soil to keep critters from digging. It should be safe to remove the protective mesh or wire after the bulbs start to sprout out of the ground.

12 Beautiful Bulbs Deer and Rabbits Won’t Eat

10of 14

Overwinter Tender Bulbs

14 Must-Know Tips for Planting Bulbs to Ensure a Beautiful Display (10)

If you live in a cold-winter climate where the ground freezes and you want to save your tender summer bulbs such as canna, you'll need to store them in a frost-free place over the winter. An easy way to do this is to plant the bulbs in containers, then sink those containers in the ground. Simply dig up the containers and store them in a garage, basem*nt, or shed that stays about 40 to 55°F at the end of the season.

11of 14

Plant in Groups

14 Must-Know Tips for Planting Bulbs to Ensure a Beautiful Display (11)

Most bulbs look best when planted in big, irregular groupings (the more bulbs, the more impressive the impact) instead of straight rows. So try tossing them onto the ground and plant them where they fall. It's fine if some bulbs are a little closer to each other than the recommended spacing—it adds to the natural look.

12of 14

Layer Perennial Bulbs

14 Must-Know Tips for Planting Bulbs to Ensure a Beautiful Display (12)

For a dramatic show of spring-flowering bulbs, plant smaller perennial species such as crocus or Siberian squill over larger bulbs such as daffodils, tulips, and lilies. That way, you'll get twice the color in the same space.

13of 14

Plant Bulbs in Containers

14 Must-Know Tips for Planting Bulbs to Ensure a Beautiful Display (13)

Most bulbs do just as well in containers as in the ground. Create pots of spring joy with your favorite tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths by sinking them in the ground so they avoid the winter chill. Or you can store the containers in a cold garage or storage shed. When the bulbs fade, replace them with warm-weather favorites such as callas, cannas, or caladiums for summer-long beauty.

How to Plant Bulbs in Pots to Add Splashes of Color Anywhere

14of 14

Naturalize Spring Bulbs

14 Must-Know Tips for Planting Bulbs to Ensure a Beautiful Display (14)

Naturalizing early spring bulbs in your lawn is a fun way to add a splash of color to your landscape. Siberian squill is one of the best bulbs to plant in lawns because they bloom early in the season and begin dying back before your lawn needs mowing. Just make sure to wait to mow until the bulb foliage has begun fading or you might not get many blooms the next year. And avoid using any lawn herbicides until the bulbs have gone completely dormant.