BLOOMING BULBS:

Time to plant bulbs for spring enjoyment

December 06, 2019



PHOTO COURTESY OF HENRY HARTMAN/CREATIVE IMAGES

Ranunculuses are spring bulbs that need to be planted in early December, if not before.   They require well-drained soil and full sun for best results.  They should be planted with the roots or fingers as shown here pointed downward to a depth of 1 to 2 inches depending on the size of the bulb.  Plant Ranunculus in beds and borders, cutting gardens and containers.  The plants are good companions for other cool, spring flowers such as primroses, pansies and larkspur and the blooms on their long stems can be used for cut flowers.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HENRY HARTMAN/CREATIVE IMAGES

The Amaryllis is a popular bulbous plant for the holidays and makes a wonderful gift for indoors as it is one that can be forced to bloom near a kitchen window.  When planted outdoors in dirt in a bed or pot/container up to the base of the plant, it will bloom repeatedly and eventually can naturalize in the ground for repeat spring or Easter blooming.   Amaryllis comes in red, white, pink and colors in between, such as the Johnson's Red, Appleblossom and the Flamenco Queen variety.

Bulbs and planting times

Spring blooms (Begin planting in early December)

•  Anemones
•  Daffodils
•  Hyacinths
•  Fritillarias
•  Tulips
•  Late Squills
•  Ranunculuses
•  Ixias
•  Stars-of-Bethlehem
•  Erythroniums

Summer blooms (Begin planting January to March)

•  Alliums
•  Caladiums
•  Tuberous Begonias
•  Lilies
•  Cannas
•  Gladioluses
•  Callas
•  Tigridias
•  Tuberoses
•  Agapanthuses

Fall blooms (Begin planting in summer and fall)

•  Dahlias
•  Acidantheras
•  Lycorises
•  Haemanthuses (Blood lilies)
•  Fall Zephyranthes
•  Nerines (Guernsey Lily)
•  Cyclamens
•  Sternbergias
•  Autumn-Flowering Crocuses
•  Colchicums (Crocus)

Winter Blooms (Begin planting in fall)

•  Florists’ Cyclamens
•  Tazetta Narcissuses
•  Hippeastrums (Amaryllis)
•  Daffodils
•  Crocuses
•  Tulips
•  Hyacinths
•  Lilies of the Valley
•  Clivias
•  Gloxinias
•  Ranunculus

Forced planting of bulbs

•  Times for planting will vary with bulbs
•  Search for a reliable source for the actual date

More Information

•  Garden Bulbs for the South by Scott Ogden
•  Perennial Garden Color by William C. Welch
•  Bulbs by James Underwood Crockett and the Editors of TIME-LIFE BOOKS
•  Heirloom Gardening in the South by William C. Welch and Greg Grant
•  John Fossati of Four Seasons Garden Center, Victoria

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUZANNE LABRECQUE/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER

Narcissus (paperwhites) are traditionally planted to appear and bloom multiple small, fragrant, white flowers with tiny yellow centers three to four weeks after planting for the holidays and into the winter months in this growing area.  They can also be forced to bloom indoors planted in water.  Special heat-hardy flowering narcissus bulbs, shown here available from Southern Bulb Co. in Mineola, were recently ordered and received by Master Gardener Suzanne LaBrecque after hearing Chris Wiesinger, company president and owner, talk about them at the Texas Master Gardener State Conference held in Victoria in April. 

Have you ever had the experience of visiting a garden and seeing the beautiful tulips, crocuses, paper whites, and other spring blossoms and wishing you had them in your flowerbeds? Oops, you should have started wishing about four to six months earlier. Now is the time to plant those spring-blooming bulbs – and to plan for bulb planting during each season.

Fortunately, because we live in planting zone 9, there is still time to plant those bulbs that you will look forward to seeing their blooms in the spring. First, one must decide which flowers you would like to see in your garden. Warning: there are many to choose from for a lovely garden.

Information recorded on bulbs for many years

Flowers grown from bulbs have been in existence for thousands of years. Gardening authors have recorded information about bulbs for many years, including our own Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States and outstanding gardener.

Today, we have access to numerous books and the internet for the latest on bulbs, especially for our area. The Texas heat is not loved by many of the plants which sprout from bulbs, but please do not forget about bulbs in your garden or container settings. Some even do well indoors strategically placed near a window.

Various blooming bulbs bloom for our area

Jonquils, daffodils and narcissus are old plants that were identified as early as 1629 where Mr. Jefferson cultivated them at his Virginia home Monticello. Today these beauties with their white and yellow colors are found around old home sites or even in fields. These three plants can be grown in your garden, and they all begin with a bulb.

Other beauties include Lily of the Field, Aztec Lily, Oxblood Lily, Tiger Lily and the Summer Snowflake. Although we rarely have snow, there are Summer Snowflakes or Snow Drops, which could remind us of the white stuff.

Lilies are grown from bulbs, and many of us are familiar with Tiger lilies, the Madonna lily, the Philippine lilies and, of course, the Easter lily.

With your new knowledge about bulbs, you can have a beautiful bed of flowers for each season.

Refer to seasonal bulb blooming information printed alongside this article, which includes type and when to plant various bulbs.

Outstanding bulb plants for our area

• Amaryllis

The amaryllis is a favorite of nearly everyone, especially during the winter holidays when these plants are offered as gift suggestions. Johnson’s red amaryllis is always a favorite. One might also consider Appleblossom which is a favored pink amaryllis.

• Narcissus

Paperwhites or narcissus is another popular bulb and these do well along the Gulf Coast. Since it usually blooms in cooler weather, autumn would be the ideal planting time.

• Agapanthus

The agapanthus, a winter-hardy plant does quite well in our coastal area. Good soil preparation and ample moisture will produce beautiful blooms in the summer. January through March would be the best time to plant if this is your first adventure with the agapanthus bulbs.

• Gladiolus

Who has not appreciated the gladiolus blossoms in wedding arrangements at church? Or even the sprays at funerals? These should be planted between the middle of January to the middle of March, in two-week intervals. These popular garden flowers will grow in poor soil conditions, but the beauty of the blooms will increase with frequent watering and plant food. It is possible to keep some of the bulbs in one’s refrigerator to plant in the summer for autumn flowers.

A few hints for a successful bulb garden

A flower on the ground does not add to the garden. Often the plants which have been mentioned in this article will need support to show off their beauty.

• Stake perennials

As gardeners, we must carefully observe our perennials in our yards because plants should be staked before the need is apparent.

At one time, the use of long, slender sticks served as stakes in our gardens, but now we also have metal stakes covered with plastic. One may also use bamboo stakes arranged around a plant and attached with twine, or plastic covered wire tires.

• Care fosters bulb-flowering plants

A red gladiolus on the ground will attract the wrong attention. Watch out for aphids, spider mites, pill bugs, snails and slugs that will appreciate your plants in a different manner. These little visitors may be eliminated through the use of commercial products or even a heavy spray of water. Check with your County Extension Agent or a nursery near you.

Don’t forget to deadhead spent blooms, fertilize with blood or bone meal and water your beautiful bulb-flowering plants for many weeks and years of enjoyment.

The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com, or comment on this column at VictoriaAdvocate.com.