Flower Bulb Cultivation

Overview

Using flower bulbs in your landscaping or in containers provides years of blooms and makes a good investment. Flowering bulbs are popular for your spring gardens but there are beautiful flower bulbs for summertime, too. Whenever you plan to have your bulbs bloom, cultivating or planting them correctly will make the difference between a garden full of glorious, colorful blossoms and a garden with bare spots.

Step 1

Select the largest, healthiest bulbs for your garden. The larger the bulb, the bigger the flower will be because the energy to produce a flower is stored in the bulb.

Step 2

Choose a location in your garden that is appropriate for the particular bulbs you are planting. Most bulbs prefer to be in sunlight, not shaded areas, with well draining soil. If your soil is high in clay, supplement the soil by mixing in a large quantity of compost and organic material to a depth of about 12 inches.

Step 3

Dig a hole for your bulb two to three times deeper than the height of the bulb. That means smaller bulbs will be planted closer to the soil surface than a larger bulb.

Step 4

Mix a handful of bonemeal or superphosphate into the soil at the bottom of the hole. The addition of bonemeal or superphosphate will encourage the root development of your bulb.

Step 5

Place your bulb in the bottom of the hole, fill the hole with soil, and water the bulb planting area to settle the soil and help the bulb begin to develop its roots. Be careful not to over-water, particularly immediately after planting, as this may result in bulb rot.