When to plant spring bulbs for the best blooms

Bulbous plants are stunning, with their flowers in spring. To enjoy a burst of colours, you need to know when to plant the bulbs in the ground. What does the gardening calendar tell us?

Bulbous plants provided we take into account a few valuable tips, are not overly complicated to grow. Before planting the bulbs in the ground, remember to remove weeds from the soil, dig the earth to a depth of about 12 inches, and level the area where you want to plant the flowers. It's also worth adding fertiliser, deacidified peat, or compost to the soil.

All these activities should be done 2-3 weeks before the planned planting. When do we plant the bulbs of individual plants?

The best time to plant bulbous plants is late summer and early autumn. However, the planting dates of individual species differ and may change if weather conditions are unfavourable.

Let’s start with September. This is the month when snowdrop bulbs are best planted (place them in the ground at a depth of 2 inches). Another "September" species is hyacinths; in their case, bury the bulbs at a depth of 3-6 inches.

Plant tulip bulbs (depth of 3-5 inches) and squills (depth of 3 inches) in late September and early October. In October, plant decorative garlic (place the bulbs at a depth of 6 inches).

It turns out that not all bulbous plants should be planted in autumn. Mid-April is the ideal time to place crocosmia bulbs in the ground (depth of 2-3 inches). Later, in late April and early May, plant gladioli, montbretia (4 inches), and lilies (4-6 inches). Canna lilies, whose bulbs should be placed at a depth of 2 inches, are planted in mid-May, when the risk of frost, which is dangerous for the plant, is significantly lower.