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Flower Bulb Care

How to care for Flower Bulbs

Most important is having decent drainable soil. From the moment the plants are actively growing, the soil should be kept moist, but never soggy. Bulbs do not need feeding before they flower but they you can give some care every now and then. If your garden has poor soil the bulbs should be fed after blooming, when they are storing food for the following season’s growth. Feed the plants with a liquid or granular balanced fertilizer and continue to water in dry conditions until the leaves begin to die off naturally. This may take about two or three months.

After flowers have finished, cut off the spent flower stems but do not cut back the foliage. If you cut off the leaves before they died down naturally, the bulb will not have the reserves to grow and flower the following season.

Some bulbs are not winter hardy, hence in cold climates those bulbs should be lifted and stored to be used the next season. For more help on storing bulbs please see our blog: FlowerBulbCrazy. You should store them in a dark, cool and dry place that is well ventilated. They cannot be kept for months like seeds; they will rot or dry out.

Fertilizers

We offer a 3.5 lb bag of fertilizer specifically flower bulbs: Bulb Food. Bone meal is a slow acting, long-lasting source of the phosphorus that bulbs need to build good root systems. Apply it at a rate of 5 to 6 pounds per 100 square feet, if you plant them in beds.

Another excellent fertilizer for bulbs is dry cow manure and of course compost.