9 Mistakes You're Making When Planting Flower Bulbs—and How to Avoid Them

While planting bulbs is a simple way to grow a colorful garden, take care to avoid these mistakes that pros say are easy to make.

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Planting bulbs is an easy and fun way to liven up your garden with beautiful flowers. Bulbs bloom in the fall, spring, and summer, but you need to plant them well in advance (in the fall for spring-blooming flowers or in the spring for summer and fall-blooming varieties), unlike planting seedlings. Some common flowers that can bloom from bulbs include tulips, daffodils, lilies, and dahlias.

Whether you’re new to adding bulbs to your landscape or never miss a planting, there are some common mistakes that even a seasoned gardener might make. We spoke with experts about bulb planting and the most common mistakes to avoid to ensure your garden will have lush, beautiful blooms all season long.

Buying Bulbs That Are Too Small

Bulbs come in an array of sizes, and you might be tempted to purchase smaller bulbs if you’re buying a large quantity and are looking to keep your costs down. But even though they are more expensive, go for the larger bulbs. “‘Jumbo’ will cost more, but also gives a lot more ‘wow’ than a #1 or #2 graded bulb,” says Greg Niewold, owner of Power Planter Inc.

Ben Rotteveel, flower bulb specialist and co-operator of DutchGrown and co-owner at Rotteveel Bulb Company, agrees. “Always go for top-sized bulbs as larger bulbs are better because they have more energy stored to produce bigger and healthier plants,” he says. Not only do smaller bulbs produce smaller flowers, but you may need to buy more to create the same effect as larger bulbs, which means you’ll spend more money in the long run instead of saving, says Niewold.

Choosing Mediocre Bulbs

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The quality of the bulb will determine the success of your blooms. “If you’re looking to add bulbs to your garden, always choose the largest, hardest ones—those are the healthiest,” says Alfred Palomares, vice president of merchandising and resident plant dad at 1-800-Flowers.com. When choosing your bulbs, feel them to make sure they are hard and sturdy. “Bulbs that feel soft or have signs of mold on them have already started to decay and will not produce flowers,” he says.

Planting Too Early or Too Late

When to plant a bulb depends on its bloom time. Some bulbs bloom in the fall, while others bloom in the spring or summer. “Do not plant your fall bulbs until the soil is less than 60 degrees,” says Niewold. The cold soil temperature helps roots to grow.

“Spring flowering bulbs have to be planted in the fall because they require a sustained ‘dormant’ period of cold temperature to stimulate root development,” says Ben van der Veldt, director of Breck Holland B.V. Brecks. Prepare your bulbs about two months before you put them in the ground. “You need to store your bulbs at a cool 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit for a minimum of six to eight weeks before you plant them,” says Rotteveel.

Planting Too Deep or Too Shallow

Gardeners often wonder how deep they need to plant their bulbs. If you plant bulbs too shallow or too deep, you won’t have the results you anticipate. But, there is an easy rule of thumb to keep in mind that will help you figure out how deep to plant your bulbs. “A handy tip I always go by is to plant bulbs about two to three times their own size deep,” says Rotteveel.

Palomares agrees, saying, “I recommend planting large bulbs, like tulips, approximately 6 to 8 inches down in the soil, and small bulbs, like crocuses, about 1 to 2 inches down.” Another option is to check the plant label, which will state how deep and far apart to plant your bulbs.

Planting Bulbs Without the Correct Amount of Sunlight

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You may be tempted to buy the bulbs you love before considering if your garden space has the correct conditions for them to grow. “Some flower bulbs love the shade, and others love hours of sunshine,” says Rotteveel.

Knowing how much sunlight or shade a bulb needs is key to growing success. For example, daffodils need full sun for at least six hours a day, says Jay Hutchins, general manager of Brent and Becky’s and co-owner of  The Planting Co. LLC. “This max load of sunlight allows the daffodil to feed itself through photosynthesis [and] that energy is then stored in the bulb and is used to help create next year’s bloom,” he says.

So, be sure to check the bulbs’ sunlight requirements before planting. “If you have a shade-loving bulb, then plant it in [the] shade, or the sun may burn it and keep it from coming back again,” says Hutchins.

Planting in Poor Soil

As with growing any type of plant, soil quality is important for success with bulb planting. “Bulbs will thrive in well-drained soil that allows water to move through it quickly,” says Palomares.

Have soil with poor drainage? There’s an easy way to remedy that. “If you don’t have good drainage, try incorporating some sand and compost into the beds to help water escape,” says Hutchins. “Or try planting them into raised beds with a better quality potting soil or with straight compost.”

Not Using Compost

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Not only do bulbs need healthy, well-draining soil, they also need soil rich in nutrients. “Bulbs deplete soil nutrients, even through its first year,” says Hutchins. He recommends adding compost to the soil to boost the nutrient content. “Simply adding a couple of inches to the tops of your garden will be sufficient,” he says. “From fall through winter, the nutrients will slowly seep into the soil at the exact time the bulbs are creating their roots for next spring.”

Storing Bulbs Incorrectly

Some bulbs can stay in the ground after they bloom, while others need to be dug out after the growing season. “One common mistake I see plant parents make when storing bulbs is not researching which varieties can be left in the ground throughout the year and which bulbs should be dug up and stored,” says Palomares. “Hardy bulbs like crocus, daffodils, tulips, and hyacinth can be left in the ground year-round.”

There are steps to take before pulling bulbs out of the ground, though. “Let the plant wilt and fade naturally before cutting back the bulbs and removing them,” says Palomares. Dry the bulbs before storing them in a dry, dark space. “Be sure to check your bulbs periodically and remove any that may have decayed during storage,” he says.

Watering Bulbs When They Are Dormant

If they can stay in the ground, bulbs will go dormant after their blooming season. But, hold off on giving them too much water—it can actually be problematic and destroy them. “Bulbs that are dormant aren’t using the water and will rot,” says Hutchins. They can get a fungus if they sit in moist soil or soil with poor drainage.

Read the original article on Martha Stewart.