It is easy to create a stunning display that will burst into bloom in the spring if you do a little planning in September and October. Here is what you need to know about buying, planting and caring for flowers that grow from bulbs.

  • The size of the bulb correlates directly to the size of the flower. The bigger the bulb the bigger the flower.
  • Look for healthy bulbs with no signs of mechanical damage or mold.
  • Bulbs prefer full sun and well-drained soil.
  • Consider early, middle, and late spring blooming bulbs so you have color the whole season.
  • Plant bulbs in groups of three, five, seven or nine with like colors planted in a mass.
  • Planting in September and October ensures that bulbs become well rooted before the ground freezes.
  • The general rule is that bulbs are planted four to five times the height of the bulb measuring between the tip of the bulb and the top of the soil. See chart below for planting depths from the tip of bulb to top of soil.
  • Add organic matter such as bone meal and a balanced (10-10-10) fertilizer to the excavated area for planting to ensure the roots have nutrients.
  • Water in well and mulch up to three inches to keep them from freezing.
Flowering BulbRecommended Planting Depth (inches)Minimum Spacing (inches)Bloom Time
Snowdrops (Galanthus)3-43Early Spring
Windflower (Anemone)2-32-4Early Spring
Crocus44Early Spring
Scilla44Early Spring
Tulips (early)66-8Early Spring
Daffodils6-76-8Spring
Grape Hyacinth43-4Spring
Tulips56-8Spring
Fritillaria36-8Spring
Hyacinth46-8Spring
Tulips (late)76-8Late spring
Dutch Iris44-5Late spring
Allium1-26-8Late spring/summer
Giant Allium2-312-18Late spring/summer

Bulbs can thrive in pots due to better drainage and protection from gophers and other critters.                             

  • You can put a single species of bulbs in a pot but it creates greater interest if you mix them up. Tulips and daffodils along with narcissus and crocus can be planted in the same pot for a long season of bloom.
  • Fill the container halfway with potting soil and place large bulbs (like narcissus) leaving only a ½ inch space between them. Continue adding soil and bulbs alternatively, placing the smallest bulbs (like crocus) at the top.
  • A pot that is 14 to 20 inches across can easily hold up to 30 bulbs or more.
  • Potting soil makes a perfect planting medium for bulbs. If you are reusing potting soil, be sure to provide fertilizer so the roots will develop.
  • Leave the pot outside for the best results. The bulbs need to have a cold period to stimulate growth and flowering. Bring the pot inside if the temperatures dip below about 28 to 30 degrees.
  • After the bulbs have bloomed, allow the foliage to die back on its own. You can remove them from the pot and plant them in the soil or leave them in the pot to bloom next season.

Go Underground with Bulbs for Colorful Spring Bloom: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/go-underground-bulbs-colorful-spring-bloom-1

Pot Up some bulbs and dream of spring: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/pot-some-bulbs-dream-spring-0

Click here for a printable pdf of this article. Written by Cheryl Borden, August 2024. Photo courtesy of Pixabay. Table adapted from OSU Extension