236. Essential Autumn Garden Prep: Bulbs & Late Colour, by Gone Tropical on YouTube. 11 min 29 s.
- Video length
- 11 min 29 s
- Time to do it
- 45 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Pick a sunny or partly shaded spot with soil that drains well. Dig over the top few inches and pull out weeds so the bulbs have loose ground to root into.
Plant daffodil bulbs about three times their own depth, so roughly 10 to 15 cm deep. Set them pointy end up and space them about 10 cm apart.
Firm the soil over each bulb and water lightly. Mark the spot so you do not dig it up later or plant something else on top.
Choose a cyclamen with healthy leaves and plenty of buds, not just open flowers. Water it well the day before planting.
Plant cyclamen at the same depth it grew in its pot, with the top of the tuber just at soil level. Do not bury the crown or it may rot.
Water the cyclamen in and add a light mulch of leaf mould or compost around it, keeping it clear of the stems.
Move tender plants like geraniums into an unheated greenhouse before the first frost. Water them less and check them for pests.
Plant snowdrop bulbs in small groups in damp, shaded spots. Set them about 5 cm deep and water them in.
Tips and common mistakes
Plant daffodil bulbs before the ground freezes, ideally from September to November.
Never plant bulbs into waterlogged soil, as they rot instead of rooting.
Cyclamen sulk in deep shade and wet soil, so pick a spot with light and good drainage.
Label your bulb groups so you know what is coming up in spring.
Questions
How deep should I plant daffodil bulbs?
Set them about three times their own height deep, which is roughly 10 to 15 cm for most garden daffodils. Plant them pointy end up and firm the soil over them.
Can I plant cyclamen and daffodils together?
Yes. Cyclamen give colour in autumn and winter while the daffodils are dormant, then the daffodils flower in spring. Just leave space so you do not dig up the bulbs.
Do I need to water bulbs after planting?
Water them in once after planting to settle the soil. After that, normal autumn rain is usually enough unless the weather stays dry.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
