How to Choose the Perfect Flower Bulb
How to Choose the Perfect Flower Bulb!
With so many different bulbs to choose from and numerous bulb suppliers how do you know what to spend your hard earned cash on? Our guide will give you some handy hints on choosing the perfect bulb. The golden rule is the better the quality bulb you buy the more spectacular the results you will achieve.
Top tips on buying bulbs
- Always buy the largest bulbs that you can afford - the bigger the bulb the better the results
- Mixed packs of bulbs are often cheaper than buying single varieties
- Buying in bulk is cheaper
- If you don't know what to buy you can buy colour combinations that match the colours for you
- Garden Centres will usually run special offers and multi-buys on bulbs during the bulb season
- Some bulbs can be purchased loose so you can choose individual bulbs and mix and match. The most common loose bulbs are Daffodils or Narcissus. However you can also find Tulips and Allium. The other types of bulb you will find loose are prepared bulbs - Hyacinths and Narcissus such as Paperwhite and Bridal Crown. These prepared bulbs have been treated so they flower early, usually in time for Christmas
- Bulbs should feel firm when gently squeezed. Reject any that feel soft or squishy. Squishy bulbs have rotted in the packet. Soft bulbs will have dried out in a hot store. Buy early in the season and store somewhere cool.
- Do not buy bulbs that show any sign of mould. The mould on bulbs is usually a blue green colour
- Do not buy bulbs that have started to shoot /sprout
- If you can't see the bulbs in the packet, firstly make sure they feel firm by gently squeezing the bulbs, then compare the weight of the packets. Buy the packet that feels the heaviest
- Most spring flowering bulbs should be planted in September or October. The exception to this are Tulips that should be planted later. November is the ideal time for planting Tulip bulbs as there is less chance of them developing the disease, tulip fire
- If you are buying loose Hyacinth bulbs wear gloves. Hyacinth bulbs can irritate the skin causing itching, rashes and inflammation
- Snowdrops are best planted in the green and not from bulbs. Snowdrop bulbs are sensitive to drying out. If they dry out too much they wont grow and flower. Buying in the green means buying snowdrops just after they have flowered and are still in leaf, they establish in the garden much better this way. If you want to buy snowdrop bulbs, buy as early as you can so they haven't been sitting in a hot store drying out
Blue Mould on a Bulb
DO NOT BUY if you can see mould on the surface of the bulb.
Crocus Bulbs Sprouting
Avoid buying bulbs if they have started to sprout. If they have been reduced in price and the shoots are small they may be a bargain if you can plant quickly. If they have started to sprout in the packet and are still full price ask for a discount.
