Blooming Marvellous – Bulbs!

“Its time to put on makeup, its time to dress up bright” …… sound familiar?
If you are not a fan of the Muppets or don’t know who they are, then it maybe not, but if you are, that tune will be in your mind for sure.
The Muppets certainly know how to put on a good show, and so do bulbs.

It is bulb planting time, as the days begin to close in, it’s time to think about adding colour and vibrancy to your garden to enjoy later on in the year.
Bulbs are one of be easiest ways of adding ‘Bling’ to your garden with only a small amount of effort required. Band for buck they are brilliant value, as you only need to plant them once and with a little care they will reappear year after year after year.

Literally choose what you want to plant, plant them and walk away until they appear in droves later in the year once mother nature gives them the thumbs up in late winter, spring and summer, depending on what you plant.

Bulbs require little effort or skill, meaning nearly anyone can successfully produce a colourful patch. The main trick to getting a spring show of bulbs is remembering to plant them before the ground gets too cold.
Once you see bulbs flowering in the spring it’s too late to plant. Garden centres have a huge range of bulbs available now, talk to the staff and let them help you choose a selection that suits your taste, personality and style. Or have fun using the internet visiting specialist mail-order bulb websites.

The most economical way to bulk buy bulbs in when they are dormant. They don’t do themselves any favours when dormant as they look shrivelled up and dead looking. But don’t let this fool you, as it’s the best time to plant, mainly because the shock to the bulb is minimal when they are not actively growing.

Once planted and the soil cools down and the autumn rains appear, this kick starts the bulb into growth, not that you will be able to see what’s happening to start with, as all the activity is below the surface (back stage so to speak) first they put down there roots, to secure themselves into the soil, seeking out food and water at the same time, then when they have enough energy and the temperatures are right they pop up through the ground and start to strut there stuff.

Growing Guide

• Select bulbs that are large and healthy, without marks or mouldy patches.
• Before planting loosen the soil, blend in loads of well rotted compost or better still Debco Bulb Mix. This stuff contains Saturaid for water absorption, calcium and has goodies in it to reduce risk of bulb diseases.
• Plant bulbs at least twice there height deep in the soil or pots. This is vital as bulbs planted to shallow, tend to fall over and fail to bloom. By planting deeply it helps the bulb anchor itself into the soil, so it can support the weight of its stems of flowers
• The trick is to plant loads, the more the better, so you can enjoy them both flowering in the garden and still have enough to pick for the vase.
• Water once planted and keep soil moist through dry periods.
• Once leaves appear a side dressing of Tui Bulb Food gives the bulbs a boost, particularly if bulbs are planted with lots of other plants that may be using the nutrients in the soil.
• After flowering bulbs naturally die down, the leaves naturally wilt and turn brown. Don’t panic, this is an important part of the life cycle.
• The Tui NZ Flower Garden has a big section on bulbs and lists over 20 different varieties to grow.  Or watch a how to grow bulb video to see how easy bulbs are to grow.

Growing bulbs is simple, simply prepare the area, plant, water and walk away. Enjoy!