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.

How to Grow Delphinium

How to Grow Delphiniums

Delphiniums are tall, enchanting blooms with a unique form that come in many vibrant colours. They have become a permanent cottage fixture in England, and it is no wonder since they have been hand-pollinated and carefully selected for quality and flare in England since the early 20th Century. Another name for Delphinium is "Larkspur". These beautiful blooms add a touch of grace to any garden and make a wonderful bouquet of cut flowers that will last about seven days in a vase.

Delphiniums are often six to eight feet tall, but also come in dwarf varieties of about two feet tall. Dark green foliage is topped with upright, showy flowers. They have bold blooms of the three primary colours-red, blue, and yellow, as well as many blends and combinations. The flower itself has five sepals with three or four petals in the middle (commonly called "a bee"). Biennial and annual delphiniums are available, although perennials are the most common. Delphiniums prefer moist, cool places and blooming occurs in late spring.

Planting Delphiniums

Delphiniums grow best in full sun (six hours a day) away from wind, a like a lot of water in the summer. Be sure to plant in the spring. They can be grown in most soils with good drainage as long as it is fertile and nutrient rich.

Be careful when choosing a spot for delphiniums, as they are not easily moved.

Start with a good, fertile flowerbed and dig a hole twice the size of the plant pot and work in some bonemeal. Place the plant in the hole so the foliage is at ground level and recover with dirt, making sure the plant is positioned firmly. Water immediately and then daily until the plant has settled in.

Delphiniums should never be dry. Mulching may help retain water. Place delphiniums one to three feet apart.

Staking Delphiniums

You will need four bamboo cranes about four feet high for each plant, and some twine. You will find that many bamboo cranes will blend in with the colour of the stems. Make sure your delphiniums are thinned at least two feet high. Insert four bamboo cranes around the plant to form a square. Make the first tie about a foot off the ground to the stem of the plant. It is crucial to tie the stems, and not the tower of flowers. Make the second tie just below the flower spike, about two feet from the ground. If done properly, staking should not be obvious.

Delphinium Cultivation Tips

• Pitfalls of germinating seeds include soaking the soil too much, attempting to grow old seeds, and planting the seed too deeply.

• Thinning delphiniums annually is a must or the plant will exhaust itself blooming.
• Cut all foliage and stems to ground level in the fall.
• Slugs, snails and caterpillars love to feast on delphiniums. Try a bait, pick them off, or try sprinkling with cayenne pepper or cayenne pepper tea after every rainfall to deter them.
• Remove hollow staking canes over winter so that pests can't live in them until spring.
• Make sure your soil has good drainage because waterlogged soils will cause the crowns to rot away.
• In the spring, apply some well-rotted compost around the plant followed by a layer of mulch. Alternatively, simply apply a well-balanced fertilizer.
• After the first frost you may want to cut the stems back about two inches above ground level.
• Divide mature and established plants every three years in the springtime.
• Planting delphiniums in groups of three will be eye pleasing. Keep the groups two feet apart.