Bulb Problems

To make it easy to find and deal with the pests that usually a a problem for flower bulbs, I've listed them each pest with its own control page right here.

Pests that bother our bulbs in the ground

Squirrels are a major predator of both bulbs and flower buds. Here's how to control them for both problems. I note you may not like one of the solutions.

Pests that bother flowers

Red lily beetle is a pest of lily flowers as it will eat an entire plant to the ground if left uncontrolled. Control methods that work are described in this article.

Earwigs are one of the creepy-crawly pests that thrive on decaying organic matter.

Thrips are tiny flies, hard to see but they leave leaf streaks and unopened flowers behind. Here's the control.

Rabbits are eating my crocus! A Question answered in the newsletter.

General Problems Growing Bulbs

Why aren't my bulbs blooming? is the number one problem in the spring.

Summer Bulbs

exclamation points in any garden. Who can be ignore clumps of gladiola with their rainbow colours or lilies with their amazing fragrance and garden presence? Who would want to? The summer flower bulbs listed below all bloom during the summer and you can access further information by clicking on the specific name 

General Care Tips

In general though, summer bulbs want full sunshine. The odd exception is noted. 

Summer flower bulbs also want decent soil for the most part. 

While spring flowering bulbs will thrive in poor soil, no fertility to speak of and terrible conditions of heat and cold, summer bulbs are a little more precise in their requirements. 

Good soil with compost added every spring is an excellent starting point for good summer bulbs. 

And do remember that many of these bulbs have to be dug up and stored for the winter in cold climates. 

These bulbs almost uniformly want excellent drainage. No bulb does really well in heavy clay soils or soils that hold moisture. The bulb rots. (I note that when a bulb rots, the gnashing and wailing from the gardener increases proportionally to the level of bulb death.) 

Summer Flower Bulb List

Achimenes is one of the small bulbs with lots of flowers. Not used nearly enough in container gardens or in shadier situations. 

Acidenthera 

Agapanthus 


My agapanthus won't bloom. Why?

Amaryllis belladonna is the real amaryllis, the winter flower is a Hippeastrum. Go figure. 

Anemone coronaria or windflower is a tender summer flowering bulb in reds, blues, pinks and whites. 

Babiana or Baboon Flower is a tender South African native. Here's the answer to whether you can grow it. 

Begonia are gorgeous but love the warmth (not sun) 

Bletilla striata is a member of the orchid family and a real beauty in the part shade. 

Calla lilies (Calla palustris) are superb and hardy flowering plants that will delight the bog garden grower for many years. 

Camassia are one of the most underused perennial bulbs in the garden. 

Cannas Flower Bulbs are showy tropicals you definitely want in containers or in your big beds. 

Colocasia or Elephant Ear Bulbs are spectacular tropical tubers that put on a massive foliage display and are well worth growing. Here's how to grow and overwinter them. 

Crinum or Swamp lily is a fun little bulb that is excellent for balcony gardening or bulb container gardening. 

Crocosmia are wonderful bulbs with flaming flowers. Put a few of these together in a garden bed and watch the visitors flock there in late summer. 

Dahlia are one of the four top summer blooming bulbs by the number of bulbs sold. 

Planting dahlia information here or 

Storing dahlia bulbs information here Even though they're actually a tuber and not a bulb.:-) 

Eremurus is a tuberous rooted member of the lily family that blooms in early summer but is one of the most stunning plants for the early summer garden. 

Eucomis or Pineapple Lily is a bulb that more folks should consider growing. Looks like a pineapple. Fun. 

Freesia are a gardener's dream and here's the tricks to growing them. 

Galtonia candicans has nodding, white, fragrant flowers in mid-summer. What else do you need to know? (click the link to find out) 

Gladiolus are wonderfully huge flowering and easy to grow 

Gloriosa or Flame Lily is a tender vine with a glorious flower. 
Hemerocallis or Daylilies aren't really lilies but they are easy to grow and bloom for a very long time if you follow the suggestions in this article. 

Hymenocallis or Summer Daffodil is a tender Peruvian bulb that makes an excellent mid-summer show in the garden or containers. 

Liatris or Gayfeather is a plant that should be grown much more often. There's one for every full, hot sunny garden with decent soils. 

Lilium or lilies are delightful bulbs and so easy to grow it is sinful. One of the most historic of flower bulbs. 

Ornithogalum or Chincherinchees are white summer bloomers with a funny name. Grow in shade and damp soils. 

Oxalis is one of those wonderful small bulbs for containers or the front of the perennial border. Here are the details of growing the tender species. 

Ranunculus make excellent cut flowers for summer bouquets. 
Q&A - when can I transplant my ranuncuuls

Sparaxis corms are great for containers. 

Tigridia or Mexican Tiger Flower demands specific care and attention if you want to succeed. 

Zantedeschia is also called Calla Lily and you'll want to grow this plant for sure. 
You definitely want to get some tips on calla lily garden design 

Zephyranthes are a small flowering bulb but one you can easily start and increase from seed. 

Caring For Flower Bulbs

THEN YOU HAVE TO GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT

Bulbs want full sunshine.

While there are a few that will tolerate shade for the most part, you’re going to find that a minimum of six full hot sun hours a day is the minimum to grow a great bulb. That’s always assuming you want them to live for years; if you only want a single season’s show, you can plant them anywhere.
 

Bulbs demand superb drainage.

The fastest way to kill most bulbs is to overwater them. Many bulbs are native to areas where summer rains are almost non-existent (tulips for example) and when we keep them well-watered in our summer gardens, they tend to rot away. 

Bulbs require a period of growing their leaves after blooming.

So cutting off leaves before they go brown naturally is a surefire way to stop your bulbs from thriving. Similarly, tying up the leaves to get them out of the way is only marginally better. I’ll repeat this advice throughout the articles. You have to let those leaves produce enough energy so the bulb can develop a flower bud for the following season. Without that sunshine being stored up, there will be no flowers the next year. 


Alliums for cut flowers being harvested

Feeding Bulbs

Most bulbs do quite well with a yearly feeding of compost. They are not overly greedy feeders. 

COMMON BULB PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS

Sometimes your bulbs just don't bloom. 

Growing organic flower bulbs here and this will expand as questions come in on this topic. For now, it has two basic tips. (that's all you really need I suspect) :-) 

Storing Flower Bulbs

Storing flower bulbs always gets questions and here's the basic guidelines. While the easiest way is to store them in the ground, sometimes winter gets in the way.

Carnation Flower

About Carnation Flower and Plant

The single flowers of the Carnations species, Dianthus caryophyllus have 5 petals and vary from white to pink to purple in color. Border Carnation cultivars may have double flowers with as many as 40 petals.
When grown in gardens, Carnations grow to between 6 and 8.5 cm in diameter. Petals on Carnations are generally clawed or serrated.
Carnations are bisexual flowers and bloom simply or in a branched or forked cluster. The stamens on Carnations can occur in one or two whorls, in equal number or twice the number of the petals.
The Carnation leaves are narrow and stalkless and their colour varies from green to grey-blue or purple. Carnations grow big, full blooms on strong, straight stems.

Types of Carnations

Carnation cultivars are mainly of three types:

• Large flowered Carnations - one large flower per stem.
• Spray Carnations (Mini Carnations) - with lots of smaller flowers .
• Dwarf flowered Carnations - several small flowers on one stem.

Growing Carnations

• Carnations grow readily from cuttings made of the suckers that form around the base of the stem, the side shoots of the flowering stem, or the main shoots before they show flower-buds.
• The cuttings from the base make the best plants in most cases.
• These cuttings may be taken from a plant at any time through the fall or winter, rooted in sand and potted up.
• They may be put in pots until the planting out time in the spring, which is usually in April, or any time when the ground is ready to handle.
• The soil should be deep friable and sandy loam.

Carnation Plant Care

• Carnations need some hours of full sun each day and should be kept moist.
• Avoid over-watering as it may tend to turn the foliage yellow.
• Spent flowers should be removed promptly to promote continued blooming.
• Quality of the bloom rests on the soil and irrigation aspects for growing carnations.
• Those who grow carnations should know the importance of pinching, stopping and disbudding.
• At the time of plucking the carnations, leave three to four nodes at the base and remove the stem.
• The plant foliage should not be exposed to the direct heat of a stove or the sun.