Whether you’re new to bulb gardening or something of an expert, if you’re planting a few bulbs in a container or in one section of your garden, it’s a pretty easy task. But what if you’re planning for a larger (and spectacular) bulb display? Planting 50 tulip bulbs can seem rather overwhelming and tedious if you don’t know some easy methods. Lucky for you, we know them all! Follow these tips to make your bulb planting as quick and easy — and enjoyable! — as possible.
3 Methods for Quick & Easy Bulb Planting
When you’re on the Easy to Grow bulbs site, you have the option to order 10 bulbs, 30 bulbs (like in our Tulip China Town Mix) or even 50 bulbs (check out the Fluffy Doubles Daffodil Mix). We just want to point out, though, that the more you buy, the more organized and streamlined you’ll need to be to get those bulbs in the ground easily.
Here are three methods that work well for mass bulb planting, beginning with the easiest for a few extra bulbs and ending with the method recommended for large quantities of bulbs.
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Dig a bigger hole. Planting a few more bulbs than usual? Instead of digging separate holes for each bulb, simple dig a bigger hole! Then place all of your bulb with the recommended spacing, top with soil and you’re done. This method works well for 10-20 bulbs as well as for large container plantings. Got more bulbs in mind? Keep reading!
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Layer your bulbs. If you’ve only got a certain amount of space but want more bulbs, or simply have a burning desire to have an explosion of blooming bulbs, the answer is to layer your bulb planting. Using this technique, you’d dig a hole or a trench (see the next tip), then plant your larger bulbs first. From there, you add a little soil on top, then plant your medium-sized bulbs. Repeat, ending with your smaller bulbs planted just below the soil surface. Want to learn more? Read “The Secret to Massively Increased Blooms in Same Space!” blog post — you’ll learn this technique with a visual graphic, and get some tips on how to select bulbs for layering.
- Dig a trench. Here’s a method that’s handy for when you’re planning the Motherload of Bulb Planting (and, by the way, we heartily encourage this activity). This is like “Dig a Bigger Hole,” only on steroids. To trench plant, you’ll use a shovel to dig out a large area to the depth recommended for your largest bulbs, then start placing bulbs with the pointy end facing up. Cover with soil and lightly water in. Using this method, it’s possible to plant several hundred bulbs in less than a couple of hours — though we’d recommend inviting a buddy to speed things up and keep it fun.
Bulb Collections for Inspired Planting
Okay, now that we’ve gotten you all fired up about planting lots of bulbs, how about some examples of great combos for bulb layering and mass planting?
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Narcissus and Muscari Serenity Collection: This collection gives you 30 cobalt blue muscari and 10 snow white daffodils to plant — and they’re striking varieties, breathtaking when planted en masse! Ideal for garden borders and container plantings.
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Narcissus Sweet Petite Mix: These daffodils come in packs of 30, perfect size if you want that big bloom. Small but mighty, this variety will definitely catch your eye! And with their long-blooming and easy-to-naturalize growth habit, you’ll have these perky flowers spreading out — and hanging around — for a long time!
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Baby Shower Tulip and Hyacinth Blend: Each collection includes 10 fringed tulip bulbs and 10 blue hyacinth bulbs — it’s a striking combo for a stunning mid-spring bloom!
- Gulf Coast Daffodil Collection: If you live in the Gulf Coast, this 30-bulb bag is for you! The collection features a lovely mix of two-toned, single, and double blooms that are made for that kind of unique weather.