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Bulbs, Tubers, and Roots
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Planting Bulbs in Containers
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Steps:
1: Choose a pot deep enough to allow for root growth. The larger the bulb, the deeper the pot.
Cover the drainage hole with a piece of screening or broken pottery. This allows drainage without loss
of potting soil. Example: Tulips at least 14-16 in. deep.
2: Using Roger's Potting Soil, add a bottom layer of soil in pot. Use enough soil so that when
the bulbs rest on the soil, they are at the recommended depth by growers. Example: Daffodils 5-6 in. deep.
3: Fertilize. Thoroughly mix Roger's Soil Activator into the top 2 in. of potting soil.
4: Which end is up? The pointed end of the bulb is up, and in most cases the flat end is the
rooting end. There are two exceptions, however: Ranunculus and Anemones. Plant them with their
toes down.
5: Place bulbs gently into the soil, shoulder to shoulder (but not touching), so they nest firmly
into the potting soil.
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6: Cover bulbs with potting soil. Make sure that soil just covers the tips of the bulbs.
7: Using a low pressure, water slowly and thoroughly. If soil sinks down , add more soil. Water again.
Lightly water top 1 or 2 in. of soil until sprouts appear, then deep soak once a week (according
to weather conditions).
8: Set pots out in full sun.
9: Once bulbs are established and showing lots of foliage — BEFORE flowering — fertilize a
second time. Using 1 rounded tablespoon per 12-inch pot, lightly cultivate Roger's Soil Activator into
the top 1/2 of soil. Water thoroughly.
10: Some bulbs do very well from year to year when left in the pots, or when dug up, stored
and repotted the following year. However, for the Southern California garden, top bulb
growers recommended that many bulbs be treated as annuals.
To treat bulbs as annuals: When bulbs are finished flowering, continue to water as long as
foliage looks attractive. When foliage begins to fade, pull bulbs out and discard. Clean the containers.
11: If you plan to use your bulbs again for the next year, it is very important that you keep the
foliage growing as long as possible. It is at this stage that the bulbs are taking in food and storing it for
the next year's growth.
Continue to water bulbs after flowering. Once foliage begins to fade, ease off on watering —
then stop completely. Remove the leaves when they are brown and lift away from the bulbs easily
like tissue paper.
12: Bulbs can can be left in the containers or dug up and stored. In either case, store bulbs in a
cool, dry and dark location where they can be protected from heat and, most importantly, moisture.
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13: For bulbs left in their pot, you will need to water bulbs next fall to activate the growing cycle
once again. Water very slowly and thoroughly. Place a hose on the container and have water coming
out at a very slow stream. Leave water running into the container for as long as it takes for the soil
to become thoroughly saturated. Then follow steps 7 through 11.
For bulbs that were taken out of the containers and stored, follow steps 1 through 11.
Her is a list of the bulbs that naturalize well: freesias, ixias, leucojum, lycoris, narcissus,
orinthogalum, oxalis, sparaxis, species-tulip, scilla, daffodils, and watsonia.
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