Nothing brightens up an entryway, patio, balcony or rooftop quite like big, beautiful planters of brightly colored bulbs! They can be clustered and arranged in groups to create attractive, changeable displays in so many settings and are a great way to beautify and soften the look of any bare spot, no matter where you may live.
Add a punch of color anywhere – from balcony to back door – with a beautiful container of bulbs!
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Bulbs are the perfect option for dressing up a stairway to an apartment or urban home’s entrance. Try using several matching containers of red or pink tulips.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
The best part about planting bulbs in containers is that it’s easy – you just need to know a few tricks.
For starters, you need to pick the right pot – and not just one that looks pretty or matches your outdoor décor. You need to consider size, insulation and drainage, too. So when shopping for your containers, keep these things in mind:
Size
Bulbs need enough space for their roots to grow and for soil to support their stems. Pick large, deep containers that are able to accommodate your bulbs at their proper planting depth, with room to spare.
Porosity
Porous terra-cotta allows plant roots to breath while still offering some insulation. Thin, plastic pots, on the other hand, can overheat in sunlight, so limit their use – or slip them inside decorative ceramic pots that will insulate them. If using a porous pot, paint the interior with a breathable latex sealant. Dry the sealant-painted pot overnight before planting, and soak terra-cotta pots in water before use.
Drainage
Bulbs need good drainage to avoid fungal diseases, so choose containers with drain holes – or drill them yourself. Then add a layer of porous landscape fabric, pea gravel or pottery shards to the pot’s bottom to keep soil and roots from clogging the drains.
Once your containers are ready, it’s time for the bulbs! The best spring-blooming bulbs for containers are anemone, crocus, daffodil, hyacinth and tulip. Good choices for containerized summer bloomers include tuberous begonia, caladium, dwarf dahlia varieties and lily. For blooms later in the year, try autumn autumn crocus, cyclamen and meadow saffron.
Single-species bulb plantings (no matter when they bloom), are somewhat easier to plant than mixed species, so sticking with one kind of bulb for your first containerized bulb planting is a great way to learn.
To plant a single type of bulb, first note its recommended planting depth (typically 3-4 times the bulb’s height). Then partially fill your container with loose potting soil, compacting it until the distance from the soil’s surface to the rim of the container equals the required planting depth, plus an additional inch (so the container isn’t filled to the brim with soil).
Next, arrange your bulbs in the container, spacing them closely together. (Containerized bulbs can be planted closer together than what’s recommended for outdoor gardens.) Finally, cover the bulbs with soil and water them in.
Once you’ve mastered single-species bulb planting, consider putting on an even more outstanding display by using different types of bulbs in one container. By using bulbs that bloom at different times, not only can you extend the length of your flower display, you can really change the look of your container! The name for this kind of bulb planting is “layering” – and it’s simply the technique of stacking different bulb types that require varying planting depths vertically in the soil. Here’s how to do it:
Bulb Layering
Bulb Layering - Step 1
Line the container bottom with pea gravel or porous landscape fabric to collect moisture below the soil and allow water to drain.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Bulb Layering - Step 2
Fill the container with about 3 inches of potting soil, then compact it with your hands. Next, add your large, deeply planted bulbs so their pointed ends face upward. Slightly crowd them in the container, but keep them evenly spaced.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Bulb Layering - Step 3
Cover your bulbs with a layer of potting soil. Measure the depth, and add or remove soil as necessary.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Bulb Layering - Step 4
Add a second layer of bulbs, spacing them evenly. Cover them with soil, and repeat with other bulb types for third and fourth layers (as desired).
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Bulb Layering - Step 5
Fill the rest of the container with potting soil and level it to about 1 inch below the pot’s rim. Water thoroughly to help your planting settle, then allow the container to drain before storing.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Just double the number of bulbs you would use for a single-species planting. Then plant the deep, late-blooming species on the bottom (covering them with soil), followed by shallower types above them. A mix of tulips and crocus is one popular combination, but there are lots of other striking options to try. When you’re finished and all your bulbs are covered with soil, water thoroughly.
The most colorful pots of bulbs are packed with several species to create a layered effect of different plant heights.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Allow your containers to fully drain before placing them in storage until sprouts emerge. A cool, dry location safe from freezing temps is appropriate for spring-blooming bulbs. (If you live in a cold-winter region, do not leave terra-cotta pots outside. The freeze/thaw temps will crack or break your pots.) The best locations are sheltered, unheated garages and sheds that maintain a temperature around 35-40 degrees F. If it gets colder in your region, unheated basements are ideal for winter storage. If you’ve planted summer- or fall-blooming bulbs, a sheltered outdoor area with filtered sunlight is best. Whenever the soil feels dry to the touch, add water.
When the time comes to set out your container plantings (once the flower buds have formed), it’s important to properly fertilize. Container plantings quickly deplete potting soil of nutrients. You can keep your bulbs healthy after their shoots emerge from the soil by applying an organic liquid 10-5-5 fertilizer at half the package-recommended rate each time you water (usually weekly or semiweekly). Foliar fertilizer is another option: Just spray it onto the growing plants, and it’ll be absorbed directly through the bulbs’ leaves. Stop fertilizing just before your bulbs flower.
The hardest part about bulb plantings is waiting for the show to start. But if you can “contain” yourself for a few months, you’ll find that the wait is bloomin’ well-worth it!
