Summer Flowering Bulbs General advice and Aftercare

Summer-Flowering Bulbs

Summer-flowering bulbs are perfect for filling gaps in beds and borders, creating vibrant displays. We offer these as bulbs, tubers, or corms, with a wide selection available—from Begonias to Freesias and Gladioli! Read on to explore the details.

General Advice

Plant from early spring, as the weather begins to warm, placing them in beds, borders, pots, or containers. It is advisable to plant tender summer-flowering bulbs in pots, as these can be lifted and brought indoors over winter. To store bulbs during the colder months, remove any loose soil and carefully take off any dead leaves. Allow the bulbs to dry overnight, then store them in a paper bag in a frost-free environment.

Planting Summer-Flowering Bulbs

A simple rule  to remember when planting bulbs is to place them at twice the depth of their height and four times their width apart. For example, a bulb measuring 5cm in height should be planted 10cm below the soil surface and 20cm apart from the next. However, you should always check the packaging for any specific planting instructions.

Bulbs can still be planted if they show some green growth—just ensure they receive a thorough watering at planting, and then only when the soil becomes dry. Once they have died back, leave them in the ground, as they will return stronger and more robust each year.

Although bulbs contain all the energy they need to grow, they will thrive with additional feeding during their active green growth phase.

Aftercare

While bulbs store sufficient energy for growth, they will benefit from feeding when  actively greowing. As the growing season ends, your bulbs will naturally die back. Leave them undisturbed in the ground, and they should return bigger and better each year!