Plant Bulbs in Pots
You can plant bulbs in pots or containers for a gorgeous spring display in your garden, on your patio, or back deck! It is easy and you get early blooms to enjoy before the rest of your garden wakes up.
Planting your Spring blooms in pots and containers instead of in the ground has many benefits. Today we will talk about how and why you should consider planting your bulbs in pots.
What bulbs can you plant bulbs in pots?
With proper care, you can plant just about any bulb in a pot or container.
I must plant my tulips, alliums, Dutch Iris, and Asiatic lilies in pots because I have issues with gophers eating them through the winter. The only exception is daffodils, they leave those alone.
Why plant bulbs in containers and pots?
The first one I already mentioned but another good reason is you can move them around and place the containers or pots in spots you couldn’t normally plant the bulbs.
Also, they can bring a spot of Spring color to your porch, patio, or deck.
Or, if like me, you have late snow storms in Spring you can protect the blooms by moving the containers to cover, like a porch or under some kind of shelter, so the flowers don’t get crushed.
When to plant bulbs in pots.
Plant bulbs in pots or containers at the same time you would put them in the ground. That can depend upon your local climate.
I live in Zone 8a and it can stay very mild up into November or we can be buried in snow by then, it changes.
My method is I wait until the nights are in the 30’s so it will keep the bulbs dormant until it warms up in the Spring.
If I planted mine earlier then we could get premature sprouting and that can lead to many problems.
If I buy bulbs earlier (many places start selling bulbs in late Summer/early Autumn) I just pop them in the refrigerator or my very cool basement to keep them chilled until time to plant.
Most fall-planted bulbs, including tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and crocus, need to be chilled for 8 to 12 weeks before they will produce fully-formed flowers.
If it is cold enough this chilling period can be done outside, the soil temperature should be at 35 to 45°F; consistently cold, but above freezing.
Though daffodils will tolerate being frozen for short periods of time, tulips, hyacinths, and most other bulbs usually will not.
Pots and Container options for bulb planting
Just about any type of container or pot will work as long as there are good drainage holes in the bottom and enough room for the bulbs.
Terracotta pots always look good with spring bulbs. Plain old nursery pots also work well and if you want to dress them up just paint the pots or pop them into a more decorative container (making sure it has drainage too).
How to plant bulbs in containers
Drainage
This is important so I am saying it again. Start by making sure you have plenty of drainage in your pot or containers. Bulbs will rot if sitting in water.
With the galvanized tubs I drilled plenty of holes.
Planting Mix for Bulbs in Containers
Bulbs will do best in well-draining potting soil. Many good brands do drain well or you can add amendments to improve it.
I use my DIY mix with some added rough sand and/or rice hulls.
See my DIY potting mix article for how to make it. (it is cheaper and easier to fill many containers than lots of plastic bags)
Fill potting soil to the desired depth. This depends upon the size of your container and how deep you are planting your bulbs.
Planting the bulbs
Follow the directions on the packaging for planting the bulbs. Different bulbs require different depths for planting.
Are you going to layer bulbs? Layering involves planting different bulbs together to bloom over a longer period of time.
I have a video here where I show how I layered bulbs in a pot last year. Layering bulbs for a fun filled container.
Many bulbs, like tulips are treated like an annual. If you are going for a thick display then you can plant your bulbs closely together and a little shallower than recommended on the package.
Just make sure you have at least 2 inches of soil depth for the roots.
You will typically have more than 2 inches but that is the shallowest soil you can have for bulbs.
Cover the bulbs with your planting mix. Planting the bulbs to the depth recommended on the package helps the stems be sturdier.
But you can plant them shallower when in pots and containers.
Plant on top
Where I live I can leave my containers outside all winter long. And I like topping off my potted bulbs.
I plant some Pansies or Violas to enjoy before the bulbs begin to peek out. They may look a bit sad on the coldest of days but when the warmth arrives they shine!
And that leads me to how to overwinter your containers…
Overwintering bulbs in pots
Finding a good place to keep the containers during the winter months can be the trickiest part of the process. The bulbs need to be cold, but should not freeze solid.
Daffodils and some of the smaller bulbs can tolerate being frozen for a brief time, but hyacinths and tulips typically won’t.
In zones 3 – 6, you may be able to insulate the containers by putting them in a cold frame, placing them up against your home, wrapping them with burlap, burying them, or wrapping them with bubble wrap. (terra cotta pots can crack and break so this only applies to plastic or metal)
I admit to not ever living in zones under 6 so if you have any words of wisdom for pots and containers with bulbs please do share!
Containers filled with bulbs can also be stored in an unheated garage or basement as long as it’s warm enough to keep the soil from freezing.
In growing zones 7 and 8, you should be able to simply leave the containers outdoors. But be aware that if your winters are very wet, the pots may need to be covered to keep the soil from getting overly soggy. (or like at my house I get late heavy snows and need to protect mine from being smashed)
If you live in growing zones 9-10, it helps to pre-chill your bulbs in the fridge as I spoke about before planting.
When I lived in the San Joaquin Valley, zone 9, my bulbs came up in February and March. If you wish them to come up later you will need to keep the containers chilled somehow. I didn’t bother, I love having flowers in late winter.
Plant bulbs in raised beds
This is another option I am testing this year to protect my bulbs from being eaten. Raised beds with hardware cloth lining the bottom!
The raised beds in the vegetable garden that I lined with hardware cloth worked great at keeping my plants from being eaten by the gophers and voles. So this year I am putting in more for my bulbs and tubers.
I planted some in half wine barrels.
In this video I share how I planted bulbs in with some roses I have in some half-wine barrels.
So don’t be afraid to plant bulbs in pots and containers. Even the humblest of pots can be beautifully filled with flowering bulbs in Spring.
Happy Gardening!
