How to Plant Bulbs in Pots

Bulbs are one of the easiest plants to grow and give beautiful results with little effort. Most people associate bulbs with spring, but bulbs can flower throughout the year, so choose a selection that will keep you in color year-round.

Container gardening adds color and with proper selection, scent, to your windowsill, patio or garden. Pots and containers come in a wide variety of styles and colors, and can be moved around your garden or even sunk into garden beds to provide a variety of blooms throughout the year.

Things You'll Need

• Selection of bulbs
• Pots and containers
• Bulb or potting compost
• Small garden trowel
• Garden gloves (optional)

Instructions

Pots and Bulbs

1. Select the pots or containers in which to grow your bulbs. Almost any container can house bulbs, and "The Encyclopedia of Planting Combinations" by Tony Lord recommends growing bulbs in containers for good drainage and winter protection.

2. Use small pots of bulbs near doors and in window boxes to capture early spring color and fragrance. Consider using larger containers, even wheelbarrows, to house larger masses of flowers, including tulips, narcissus and lilies.

3. The Royal Horticultural Society's "Garden Plants and Flowers: An A-Z Guide to the Best Plants for Your Garden" recommends selecting containers that suit the size of the bulb, noting that lilies need a deep pot to balance their height when grown, while small bulbs can be grown in shallow bowls or pans.

4. For a good selection of bulbs, consider purchasing from Internet retailers or mail order garden suppliers. Purchase commercially raised bulbs that are certified to be disease free. Choose bulbs for color, height and the time of year in which they bloom.

5. Choose bulbs that are firm and plump, with no soft spots or mold. Avoid buying bulbs that show signs of growth. "The Complete Book of Garden Flowers: How to Grow over 300 of the Best Performing Varieties" recommends purchasing bulbs from garden centers as soon as the bulbs arrive to ensure freshness.

Arrangement of Bulbs

1. Plant several of one type of bulb in each container for dense masses of flowers.

2. Layer bulbs in pots for a succession of blooms, placing larger bulbs at the bottom of the container and smaller bulbs at the top.

3. Use containers indoors to force bulbs to bloom earlier than usual. "Garden Plants and Flowers" recommends planting bulbs in the autumn and keeping them moist in a cool, dark place for a few weeks. When the bulbs have grown about 2.5 cm (1 inch), bring them into the light.

How to Plant

1. If your container does not have drainage holes, place broken pottery or a layer of small stones in the bottom of the container.

2. To grow a single type of bulb, fill the pot about halfway with bulb or potting mix, firming gently the planting medium with your knuckles or the back of a garden trowel. Place your bulbs in a loose arrangement on top of the soil with their tips pointing upward. Cover the bulbs with potting soil to a depth of two to three times the bulb's height.

3. To grow bulbs in layers, fill the pot about a quarter of the way with bulb or potting compost, firming it gently into place. Place your first layer of bulbs on the compost with their tips pointing upward. Cover that layer of bulbs with more compost, again firming the compost gently over the bulbs. Place your next layer of bulbs on the firmed compost, and again cover them and firm the compost gently into place.

4. Keep the compost moist at all times, but avoid over-watering your bulbs.

Tips & Warnings

• Once the blooms fade, move containers to a less prominent area and allow the foliage to die down. Or, remove the bulbs from the pots and plant in a spare patch of your garden until the foliage dies. This frees the pots for other uses while allowing the bulbs to continue storing food for next year's growth. Wait to feed bulbs until after blooming, when they are storing food for next year's growth.

References

• The Encyclopedia of Planting Combinations; Tony Lord; 2003.
• The Royal Horticultural Society's Garden Plants and Flowers, An A-Z Guide to the Best Plants for Your Garden; Ian Spence; 2003.
• The Complete Book of Garden Flowers: How to Grow over 300 of the Best Performing Varieties; Graham Strong, Series Editor; 2000.

Resources

• University of Illinois Extension information on planting bulbs