Bulbs in containers

[Tomato Head]

I'm not sure where to begin with this. I'm new to gardening of all types so know next to nothing (best thing is to pretend you are talking to a 5 year old when advising me). I want to plant some bulbs for the spring. Have to be in containers as I have no garden. I have heard bulbs are best planted "in the green" but I have some bulbs I have bought and want to plant them in the hope that I will get some flowers in the spring. What I really want to know is how do I do it all?! I think I want 3 main containers - one with snowdrops and nothing else. I love snowdrops and am depressed about the lack of snowdrops around here so am hoping for a container full of them. Another one with crocuses (and maybe something else mixed in there but I don't know what). Finally, I have a wooden barrel planter that I want to fill with tulips.

So - what do I do?

when do I plant them? instructions say things like plant between september and december. so when do I plant them? now? october? november?... if I plant them now will they come up earlier than if I plant them later? If I have bought bulbs am I best of just getting them planted rather than storing them? I don't have much room outside at the moment due to all my tomato plants.

what compost do I use? I have seen something called bulb compost - do I need that? will multi purpose compost do?

when they're planted and put outside do they need to be covered, wrapped in fleece or anything like that? or can I just leave them? do I need to water them or just leave them to the elements? I think I will need some anti squirrel measures as they are the bane of my gardening life.

I've heard of layering bulbs - do I have to space them out a bit more if I'm layering them?

I did say I know nothing Please help! I haven't got everything I want yet but I have been buying a few here and there over the past few weeks and now I need to think seriously about actually doing something with them.

[WendyC]

I tend to do a lot of bulbs in pots too. Only snowdrops need to be planted in the green. I think it's because they are small and tend to dry out. If you've already bought some dry ones then plant them, def won't grow in the packet! However don't be disappointed if nothing appears. Instead visit a garden centre in early Spring and they'll have some growing which should gradually increase over the years.
As for compost multi purpose will do. I tend to mix in some perlite to improve drainage. I would get on and plant them, except for tulips which are best left til later as they can get a disease - fire blight- I think. You can layer in a pot, basically the biggest at the bottom tThere's a good article on bulbs in pots in the September issue of Gardeners' World magazine which is out now. No I don't work for them! I have planted a layered pot of bulbs for a relative which I'm going to give for Christmas.

[Tomato Head]

Thanks. I have some perlite as I've started mixing in varying amounts to most of my pots to help with drainage. I'll just get them planted then and see whether anything comes up. Do I need to water the snowdrops if they have a tendency to dry out? I do plan to sneak a few into the communal gardens around here too.

There's a good article on bulbs in pots in the September issue of Gardeners' World magazine which is out now.

Bought it yesterday!

[WendyC]

Snowdrops are best planted in the green as the bulbs themselves tend to dry out. Getting them to regrow is the tricky bit. Whether soaking them for 24 hrs before planting would help I don't know. Could try half soaked and half not and see what happens.

[bend1pa]

I can't help with snowdrops as I haven't grown those. If you are growing in containers then tulips are essential but go for the smaller height tulips, eg Kauhmanniana, (flowering early to mid March) and Griegeii types (flowering late March to mid April). They are the best. Stresa is a popular 'Kauf' early tulip, 20cm tall as is Johann Strauss.

Griegeii tulips are equally stunning with the pastel coloured Fur Elise and Chopin, or the vivid scarlet Red Riding Hood being firm favourites. All these combine well with violet crocuses.

If choosing daffodils again go for the smaller 'Narcissi' types for containers. Minnow and Tete A Tete about 20cm tall with multi-headed flowers are 2 favourites.

If you buy crocuses get the violet ones as you may already have enough yellow with daffs or tulips.

The last bulb I'd stromgly suggest is Pushkinia which have masses of very light blue flowers in colour which last a long time and are about 15cm tall. They bloom from late March and throughout April.

With the exception of tulips, all the bulbs mentioned can be planted anytime in October. The general rule is that depth of planting should be at least twice the depth of the bulb. Eg daffs need to be planted in a hole 10 - 15 cm deep. Fork the bottom of the hole before allowing the bulb to sit on it, so that any excess water will drain through. Tulips should be planted late Oct to mid Nov just before the frosts arrive. Plant in a hole 12 cm - 15 cm deep, again forkimg the bottom of the hole. Tulips need more sun than the other bulbs so don't plant them where they will sit in deep shade the whole day. Daffs, and the other bulbs can tolerate a certain amount of shade. Don't forget to water all bulbs in unless persistent rain is forecast. All the bulbs mentioned can be re-used, ie left in the containers and do mot need protection from frost once planted.

[Tomato Head]

Thanks for that reply bend1pa - some great suggestions there. I'll look into all of them.

I have some triumph tulips that I bought at the tatton flower show in the summer (on impulse and without having a clue whether they were suitable or not) so I am hoping to layer them and have tulips coming up at different times. I am planning on putting them in a half barrel type container.

[tamsin]

I think there was a bit on layering bulbs on the last but one gardners world: BBC Two - Gardeners' World, 2012/2013, Episode 23

[bend1pa]

Triumph tulips are a bit tall for containers, 45cm - 60cm high. depending on variety. They flower mid to end April. They tend to bloom just for one season and don't do well after that so normally they are dug up and replaced the next year. Gregeii and Kaufmaninnia tulips on the other hand blloom well in successive years as long as they are looked after and fed.

Layering is to do with mixing different bulb types in a container whose depth will vary according to bulb size. So all your 'Triumphs' should be planted at the same depth. If you plant a bulb too shallow it's unlikely to do well in future years, which is why there are recommended planting depths for tulips, daffs etc. As crocuses, muscaria, pushkinnia are smaller bulbs they planted at less depth than tulips or daffs so are good for layering with them. It's also a myth that planting 2 bulbs of the same variety at different depths will mean one wil flower before the other. The shallower planted bulb will show its leaves before the deeper one, but it's light, soil temperature as well as its natural blooming period that determine the flowering time for a particular bulb