To layer bulbs or not to layer bulbs?

Hi Jonathan well a way round it would be to plant say crocus and tulips or daffs. That way they could both be planted at their optimum depth. This year in the garden we've done exactly that as we expect the crocuses will have finished flowering before the tulips really start. I only planted a few containers and these all had only one layer of bulbs in them, but very tightly packed together.

hi jonathan I'm plagued by rabbits trying to burrow in my pots--never mind whats in there! this time ive tried to confound them ( its working at the moment!) Ive got some very large round pots and put a smaller one on the top then filled the small one with narssissi and violas and round the bottom of the pot daffs and pansies--- sort of like a wedding cake idea its confused the rabbits and looks quite nice for a change
moongrowers ideas sound nice too

I planted tulips, hyacinth and alium bulbs in a large pot and all have different recommended depths of 10, 15 and 20cm.

Yes - I plant big pots with masses of bulbs at different layers and so far so good! I put the tulips at the bottom and this appears to discourage the diseases that tulips are so prone to- as they get left there year after year...which is totally against best advice on tulips!! I then do the daffs or narcissus of what ever kind and then top it off with the smaller things like crocus or erythronium or grape hyacinth etc...and they all make it up to the top and flower fine. I just make sure that they are well fed after they have flowered and the bulbs seem to thrive and multiply as usual.

So some of you do just two layers, with the larger type of bulb beneath and the tiny bulbs like crocuses above, so as to make it two-tiered. And some of you attempt to plant your pots in a way which is three-tiered. I myself usually do the two-tiered arrangement like Moongrower has described. The thing you have to have in mind to avoid is something like some tulip leaves coming up tall and obscuring ability to see some narcissi flowers in bloom. That's the sort of thing that can sometimes go wrong with a multi-tiered planting.

Not if you put flowers that come on as others finish, like some flower in feb to march, others that flower from march to april etc. that way you get a continuous succession of flowers.

Well ours are species tulips so only about 6" in height. But in any case the crocus will be over before the tulips really get going. If it doesn't look right this time round there is always another year...

As you can see in the pic, I always line bulb pots with two layers of bubble packing, in case we have some penetrating winter weather, even here in the south ... And then bark mulch on top.

Well said MG !!

Thanks Alz xxx

The rule of thumb for any bulb is to plant it three times it's own depth. So, if a daff bulb is 3" tall, then it should be planted 9" deep. HOWEVER! obviously you can't keep to the rules when planting in containers - you are quite right. Bulbs that you have just bought at a garden centre built up their strength in their last growing season - spring 2009 - and the embryonic flower bud is already in there, tightly curled within your bulb. Such a bulb will flower even if you plant it very very shallowly or crouded in with lots of other bulbs. The problem arises when you want them to flower the following year. You can't really expect your container of layered bulbs to flower well a second time (2011) becuase they are the wrong depths and are crowded. I would recommend that you do the layering thing this time round, then feed them really well next year and once they died down, plant them out in teh garden at the correct depths/spacings, etc.

I totally agree Sid

You can fool some of the bulbs some of the time....

That's interesting to know Sid. Shouldn't be a problem for me though as I grow my bulbs mostly as annuals in pots. I am so lavish!

I layer mine - three layers - tulips at the bottom, then Narcissi, and small bulbs like crocus at the top - and to crown it all - pansies or other winter-flowering plants on the surface!!!

I freecycle my container bulbs, as I like a different colour scheme each year, and have no room to plant bulbs out in the garden. so everybody's happy!

And I remember how good yours look Spritzhenry. You did a lovely job. The picture's always stuck in my mind.

Thanks, Jonathan - what a lovely compliment! :-)) I'm going for orange, cream and white this time!