5/6. Bulbs, corms and tubers Flashcards
Uses for Bulbs
- Formal bedding displays with spring flowering plants
- Mixed borders where they can be used to provide colour in spring and summer
- Herbaceous borders where they can provide colour before the herbaceous plants start to flower
- Naturalised in woodland, meadows and in shrub borders and winter gardens
- Most woodland bulbs come into flower early in the year before the leaf canopy emerges so they are useful at providing late winter/early spring colour
- Rock gardens where many smaller bulbs that require very sharp drainage can be grown
- Pots, window-boxes and other containers - any bulb that doesn’t grow too tall
- Cut flowers
Considerations for Bulbs
- Include all bulbous plants including bulbs, corms, tubers and rhizomes
- These plants have a swollen underground storage organ that enables the plant to survive when dormant or when conditions are unfavourable
- Bulbs can provide colour at times when there are few other flowers out such as late winter and early spring
- Many bulbs come from countries with a Mediterranean style climate so require well-drained soil and sun (there are bulbs that will grow in almost anywhere, except deep shade)
- Bulbs look best when planted in drifts of the same species
Crocus tommasinianus
Bulb - winter/spring
Description:
- This is a corm. In late winter – early spring it produces 1 or 2 slender flowers with long white perianth tubes
- Flowers vary in colour from pale silvery lilac to shades of reddish -purple
Uses:
-Naturalise in short turf or at the front of a mixed or herbaceous border
Narcisiss ‘February gold’
Bulb - winter/spring
Description:
- Produces single yellow flowers in early spring
- Darker trumpet shaped centre
- Reflexed petals
Uses:
- Naturalise in grass
- Use at the front of a mixed or shrub boarder
Galanthus nivalis (snowdrop) Bulb - winter/spring
Description:
- This is a bulb with narrow glaucous leaves
- In winter it produces small, pendent, pear-shaped white flowers with green markings on the inner 3 tepals in winter
Uses:
- Naturalise in light woodland or grass
- Grow at the front of a lightly shady border
Allium cristophii
Bulb - summer/autumn
Description:
- A bulb that produces strappy grey-green leaves that wither
as the flower comes out
- The flowers are umbels made up of 50 star-shaped, pinkish- purple flowers with a metallic sheen. They appear in early summer
Uses:
-Use in a herbaceous or mixed border between the herbaceous foliage which help to prop the large flower heads up
Cyclamen hederifolium
Bulb - summer/autumn
- Large flattened tubers and clumps of variable triangular or heart-shaped leaves with silvery markings
- In late summer, early autumn it produces small flowers with reflexed petals, in shades of pink with deep maroon markings at the base
Uses:
-Naturalise under trees and shrubs
Bulbs for Naturalising
Galantus nivalis
Crocus tommasiniannus
Fritillaria melagris
Narcissus ‘February gold’
How to naturalise bulbs in grass
- Plan - Cut grass as low as possible
- Pest/disease -
- Water - N/A
- Setting out - Scatter bulbs over the grass randomly and plant where they land (at least 1 bulb width apart)
- Plant - Dig holes with trowel or bulb planter, Insert and replace soil/turf
- Food - Fork bonemeal into the soil
- Water – Soil
Maintenance of naturalised bulbs in grass
- Do not mow for 6 weeks
- Apply potassium sulphate
- Avoid lawn fertiliser - High in nitrogen
- Water in dry weather
Planting of bulbs in a boarder or bed
- Plan - Prepare soil (If sandy add organic matter, if clay add organic matter and sand/grit)
- Pest/disease - Check for stem eelworm
- Water - N/A
- Setting out - Plant width of 2-3 bulb apart
- Plant - Plant bulbs as soon as possible after purchase, Dig a large hole and
- Food - Add bone meal to planting hole, hand fork into the soil. Plant 2-3 times the depth of the bulb. Re-cover with soil ensuring any large lumps are broken up apart. Firm soil gently to remove air gaps
- Water – Thoroughly
Maintenance of bulbs in a boarder or bed
- Weed - Hand weed regularly
- Water - If soil becomes dry/hot weather
- Feed - Before leaves die fertilise with potassium (to promote flowering next year)
- Support - Lift and divide if required as bulbs die back
- Pest/disease - Stem eelworm
- Prune - Remove dead flower heads, Allow leaves to die naturally
Maintenance of bulbs in a container
- Weed - Hand weed as needed
- Water - Do not let soil dry out
- Feed - Slow release
- Support - After foliage naturally dies back lift bulbs and store in a cool dry place, Replant at required time
- Pest/disease - Monitor
- Prune - Dead head
Control of Stem eelworms
- Check bulbs for signs before planting (swollen areas)
- Remove any infected material from the bed/container, treat in warm water for 3hrs, replant in a different area (leave infected area free for 3 years)
- Remove hosts weeds
Symptoms/Control of Basal rot
Fungal
- Affects Narcissus
- Rots base of the bulb often during winter storage
- If planted, growth is stunted, leaves are yellow and unlikely to flower
- Rotate crop, especially if symptoms have been seen on previous crop
- Discard soft/damaged bulbs and do not store with healthy ones
- Resistant cultivars e.g ‘Golden harvest’
