Great Plant Escape - All About Bulbs (2024)

FAQs

Do all bulb plants come back every year? ›

There are two types of flower bulbs, annual and perennials. Annuals only bloom one season long, and you'll have to buy new bulbs every year. Perennials, however, are in it for the long haul and once you've planted them, they will bloom season after season. Some of them, the so-called naturalizers, will even multiply.

Short-lived bulbs: Most properly planted and cared-for bulbs will flower well for 3-5 years and beyond, but some thrive only for a couple of years or even one season before needing to be replaced.

This means, under the right conditions – good drainage and some sun during the day – you can leave the bulbs in the ground and they will bloom year after year, and multiply in numbers. Be aware though, if the bulbs get too wet, either through excessive rainfall or over-watering, they may rot.

Many bulbs readily multiply by producing offsets without any help from the gardener. But as well as taking advantage of this, it is quite simple to grow more of your favourite bulbs using just a few other techniques, including scaling, bulbils, seed and division.

Most people leave their spring bulbs in the ground after blooming, and only pull out the ones that they plan to replace next fall. If you want to move or divide the bulbs in your garden and replant them next fall, you can do so once the foliage has begun to yellow.

Many spring bulbs do best in full sun. The sunlight's warmth plays an important role in triggering growth, as well as providing energy to the leaves so they can manufacture enough food to prepare for next years' growth cycle.

If you do plant your tulips bulbs late then this may results in smaller blooms. Can you leave tulip bulbs in the ground all year? There is no real reason to dig up tulips bulbs each year, or at all. Most gardeners leave their bulbs in the ground where they were originally planted, and, are left to rebloom.

Bulbs usually begin to soften and rot or may actually sprout before they get planted. Even under ideal storage conditions, the bulbs will lose some of their food reserves through the natural plant process of respiration.

When your bulbs start sprouting in the spring, begin feeding them with a plant food such as Miracle Gro® Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food. After flowering, continue watering and feeding your daffodils until the leaves turn yellow to replenish the bulbs for next year's blooms.

You may keep the bulbs in pots after flowering, but it is a good idea to introduce some new soil with all its nutrients and fertilize again. Choose a sheltered location like a shed, basem*nt, or unheated garage to store them for winter in the pot.

Can you use Miracle-Gro on gladiolus? ›

At the 5th leaf stage you can now apply water soluble fertilizers like rapid grow, peters, miracle-gro (20-20-20) up until the spikes form. During the growing period glads require not less than one inch of water per week and considerably more during high temperatures.

“They are easy to grow and, most times, will flower the first year after planting in the fall,” she says. “Plant them four to five inches below the soil line in a border close to other perennials so the foliage is hidden when it dies down during and after flowering.

Once the plants have died back, it is then safe to dig for the bulbs and transplant them into their new growing locations.

If growing conditions are right, the bulbs will continue to spread on their own, coming up accidentally here and there.

Lack of sunlight. Most bulbs need at least six hours of sunlight a day to bloom well. Plant them in sunny locations or relocate them to a brighter spot if blooming is lacking. Poor soil nutrition.

The tulip as duly noted in horticultural texts is a perennial flower. This means that a tulip should be expected to return and bloom year after year.

No law requires gardeners to dig up tulip bulbs each year, or at all. In fact, most bulbs prefer to stay in the ground, and, left in place, rebloom the following year. Gardeners only dig up tulip bulbs when the plants seem less vigorous and offer fewer flowers, which can indicate overcrowding.

A great way to check bulb health is to use what's known as the “bucket test.” This simple method consists of putting about a half-dozen bulbs in a bucket of water. Healthy bulbs will sink. The bulbs that float are the ones that you should throw out.