Bulbs

Bulbs must be among the most popular of all flowering plants in the parks and gardens, and due to that are known and favored even by "non" gardeners.

They have been well known for their beauty, hardiness and variety for a long time.

There was a time when tulip bulbs in Holland (17th century were as good or even better than currency, changing hands for thousands of pounds

They are among the most interesting, most beautiful and easiest to grow of all flowers.


Do You Have A Favorite Bulb?

I suppose the 3 most common and well known bulbs in the UK would probably be

Snowdrops - impressive how those small delicate flowers stand being covered with all that snow?.

Daffodils - carpets of yellow or white catching the sun seem to be a sign that spring is at last here.

Tulips - brilliant colors and various shapes to enjoy (with careful succession planning throughout several months).

There are or course many more Crocus, Bluebells, Lillys, Nerines, Allium (Flowering onion), wild garlic, Aconites, Agapanthas, Dahlias, Irises etc etc etc


Bulb Types

Even though bulb based plants are collectively known as "bulbs", there are actually five distinct types of bulb.
True Bulb, Corm, Tuber, Rhizome and the Tuberous root.

The common denominator for all 5 types is that they grow from structures located under the ground and the structures provide the nutrients and energy the plants need to grow.


I was going to try to explain the difference between the 5 types myself but then i found this older article (which does a much better job than i could)

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published 2006 on Flowers & Garden.com


The True Bulb

The true bulb is in reality an underground stem base containing an embryonic plant. The embryonic plant contained within the steam base already contains the leaves, stems and flower buds, all ready to burst forth once optimal growing conditions are provided. This setup allows the plant to lie dormant during adverse conditions, and thus to survive droughts and other environmental challenges. The embryonic plant contained within the stem base is surrounded by scales (modified leaves that overlap in a manner reminiscent of reptile or fish scales). At the bottom of the bulb is a basal plate; this basal plate holds the scales together and produces the roots of the plant. Examples of true bulbs are such popular flower varieties as daffodils, tulips and lilies. True bulb varieties of plants are susceptible to dryness and must be handled carefully. When properly cared for, however, individual bulbs can live for many years without being planted.


The Corm

A corm, like a true bulb, also contains a stem base, but the tissue of the base is solid, and it lacks the scales seen in true bulbs. The roots grow from a basal plate which is located at the bottom of the corm, and the growth point is located at the top of the corm. Popular types of corms include gladiolas and crocus. Each corm lasts for a single season, and as the corm shrinks away after blooming, a new corm forms on top of it. In addition, small increases, called cormels, are produced around the base of the corm's basal plate.


The Tuber

Like corm and true bulbs, a tuber is actually an underground stem base. Unlike corms and a true bulbs, however, the tuber does not contain a basal plate. Instead, the roots of the tuber grow from both the base and from the sides. A tuber will have multiple growth points spread out over its top surface.


The Rhizome

The rhizome is actually a thickened stem that grows either partly or completely underneath the ground. The largest growth point on a rhizome is located at one end, and additional growth points are located along the sides. The most well known rhizome is the bearded iris.

Tuberous Roots

Unlike other types of bulbs, which are actually specially adapted stems, the tuberous root is not a true root. Instead, fibrous roots designed to absorb nutrients and water grow from the sides and the tip of the tuberous root. Most tuberous roots grow in a cluster, and swollen tuberous parts radiate out from a centralized point. The growth points of a tuberous root are found on the bases of the old stems and not on the roots themselves. Dahlias and daylilies are the best known examples of tuberous roots.

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Buying (True) Bulbs

Just about every flower gardener will work with bulb plants at one time or another, choosing the right bulbs, however, is one thing that many beginning gardeners have trouble with, don't worry though once you get your eye in you will be able to spot them from the other end of the garden center.

When choosing bulbs for your garden, it is important to choose the firmest and largest bulbs. The size of the bulb is important (if you remember the definitions from above, bulbs are flowers already, they are just waiting for the right conditions) so large bulbs are more likely to provide better blooms.
The firmness of the bulb is a good indication of its health, ignore bulbs that are soft or mushy, also it is important to look for cracks or scars, as these bulbs may have become too dry to bloom.
Likewise, any bulbs that have begun to spout roots should be avoided, as they are unlikely to bloom properly once planted.

Planting (True) Bulbs

How bulbs are planted in the garden is important. Most bulbs are best planted in the autumn, most commonly in early to mid October. The goal is to get the bulbs into the ground six weeks before the ground begins to freeze.


Bulbs should be planted in a well prepared soil. The layout is down to personal taste, uniform rows, scattered, sparse or
tightly packed (relatively).

Planting depths that come with the bulbs should be followed, but there used to be a common rule for the depth to plant bulbs -
cover with two and a half times as much soil as the height of the bulb - i.e. bulb is 5cm there should be 12.5 cm of soil on top so a 17.5 cm hole is needed - this being said if you are planting in grass you can increase that and if you are planting in pots this can be reduced so make of it what you will. Planting too deep will force the bulb to use up its stored energy reaching the surface while too shallow and the bulb might dry out, fall over or could be victim to mice etc.

At planting time take this opportunity to add fertilizer under the bulb then a little soil before the bulb to prevent burning. In general plant with the wider part at the bottom and the point upwards, of course some bulbs don't have points and wide parts - try looking for old roots or tiny bumps that will become shoots and plant accordingly. Lilies are susceptible to water damage so plant at 45% angle on half an inch of course sand/grit.

As you watch your bulbs start growing and you see your first bud breaking into flower start feeding the bed with fertilizer and continue at the specified interval (depending on the fert used) until six weeks after they have finished flowering, this is to feed the bulb so that it will provide for you next year.

Resist the temptation to cut off the leaves when you deadhead the flowers - yes please deadhead the flowers, the seeds they will try to produce will rob the bulb of next years growth as will the removal of the leaves before they brown off.

Taking care of the bulbs over the winter is important as well. Hardy bulbs can remain in the ground over winter. It is important, however, to remove tender bulbs such as dahlias and begonias. These bulbs should be dried and stored over the winter in a frost free, dry location.


Dividing Bulbs

One of the features of bulbs that make them so attractive is the ability for the gardener to divide their bulb plants to produce new growth, share with friends, or just plant in different areas of the landscape.

In addition, many bulb flowers become overgrown, and reducing the growth through dividing bulbs is the best way to get things back under control.
  It is generally easy to tell when a planting of bulbs needs to be divided. One sure sign is when a previously well blooming planting of bulbs has begun to provide only sparse blooms.
Most times the culprit is overcrowding (unless the plants have been cut down too soon in previous years), and the solution is to divide those bulbs.
 Properly dividing the bulbs will reduce the overcrowding and allow the remaining bulbs to bloom.

The techniques used to divide bulbs depend on the exact type of bulb to be divided.

(again copied from an article published 2006 on Flowers & Garden.com)
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True Bulb, you should begin by carefully separating the original bulb from the smaller bulb growing at its base. When dividing lily bulbs, you should be careful to first remove the outer scales from the basal plate. After the outer scales are removed, the ends of the bulb should be dipped in a rooting hormone, and the bulb should be planted immediately.

Corms, they renew their growth each season through the production of a new corm, and sometimes also small cormels growing on top of the original corm. To divide corms, the gardener should simply separate the healthy new corms, as well as any cormels, from the original corms.

Tubers, As tubers mature, they increase both their size and the number of growing points. However, most tubers do not form distinct increases. Therefore, to divide tubers, a large tuber should be cut into two or more sections, being sure that each section contains at least one growing point.

Rhizomes, The new growth on rhizomes is produced from growth points located at their sides. Rhizomes are divided by breaking the sections apart at the natural divisions between them, being sure that each of the new divisions has at least one growth point on it.

Tuberous roots, A tuberous root will contain several growing points. Some, like daylilies, form separate and distinct plants, which can simply be pulled apart. This type of sectioning is generally done in fall or summer while the plant is still in its growth stage. Other tuberous root plants, such as dahlias, are more difficult to separate. In order to separate more difficult plants like dahlias, you will need to cut the clumps apart so that each root has a growth bud from which to start. With these types of plants, it is best to separate them in early spring, before planting.

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With this small amount of information i hope you have the confidence to add bulbs into your garden plan, whether it's huge swaths of golden daffs at the far end of the front lawn or just a few hyacynths in their class holder on the window sill, they will cheer you up on gloomy days and radiate beauty on sunny days - it would be a shame to miss out on that.

Thanks for visiting