While the fog-drenched winter mornings slow me down, seeing flower buds from bulbs peeking out of green leaves lifts the veil of lethargy. To enjoy the beauty of these flowers, some planning is essential—making space in the garden, acquiring bulbs, chilling if they were not pre-chilled by the vendor, preparing the soil, planting them right side up and finally forgetting them until they emerge to put up a show.
Among the bulbs that I plant for a flower garden—tulips, daffodils, freesias, gladiolus, ranunculus and oriental lily—tulips, daffodils, and ranunculus delight me the most. While these three are my all-time favorites, I also select combinations based on the bloom times, colors, flower size and number of petals to add visual interest and a personal touch to the garden.
For some bulbs to sprout, they need to go through a process of chilling called vernalization, which breaks their dormancy. Unless they have experienced enough cold weather in the ground, they have to be made to go through this process outside, for example in the refrigerator. When they are planted after being exposed to a cold environment, the change in temperature mimics the onset of spring days and signals them to produce flowers. Some vendors will pre-chill bulbs.
To chill bulbs, put them in a paper bag and store in your refrigerator drawer, making sure they are not in close proximity with fruit. I do this for eight to ten weeks before planting. Based on my experience, tulips produced better blooms when exposed to cold before planting, although some resources mention that chilling is optional for the Bay Area.
For daffodils, there are differing opinions among home gardeners on whether they need to be chilled. I did not expose daffodil bulbs to chilling when I first planted them. Ranunculus are grown from “bulbs” that are called corms, flowering in late winter or early spring depending on when they were planted. To “wake” them up, soak the corms in water for two to three hours before planting.
Bulbs can be planted November to December. I like to go by Veterans Day as a reminder to start planning, and be done planting by Thanksgiving for winter blooming. If you have the option of selecting the bulbs at time of purchase, look for bulbs that are large and firm, and do not have any cuts, molds or decay. While adding compost and organic material to the soil gives them a great start, adding an amendment formulated for bulbs helps make blooms plentiful.
Plant bulbs at a depth about three times their size, measuring from the bottom of the bulb to the top of the soil. For example, a two-inch bulb should have its bottom six inches below the soil surface. If rodents are prevalent in the area, consider planting bulbs in a gopher basket to guard them. When planting in containers, cover them with a piece of chicken wire.
For ranunculus, plant the corm with the “claws” side down about an inch below the surface and about six inches apart in soft and well-draining soil. Water thoroughly. Over watering can rot the corms, and if a rain is expected, watering can be skipped. Water again when corms have sprouted and are showing leaves.
When choosing where to plant bulbs, I prefer to put tulips in containers. As much as I love the beauty of tulips, I find them hard to keep up with when planted in the ground because deer and rodents like to eat them. Also, they multiply slowly, making them more of an annual flower requiring replanting. Deer and rodents don’t care much about daffodils, so they can be easily planted in the ground. I plant ranunculus wherever I can as I cannot have too many of them!
As plants start to bloom, take in the beauty of the show of colors. Blooms can last for many days depending on weather conditions, and make excellent cut flowers. For a longer vase life, make sure to cut at the base of the stem and before the buds have fully opened. Cutting at the base encourages new blooms for ranunculus. Ranunculus are considered poisonous to humans and animals so wear gloves and use pruners when handling. As the temperature starts to rise, blooms become smaller, and petals start to fall off faster.
Once plants are done flowering and leaves turn yellow, stop watering. When leaves have fully withered, the gardener encounters the “to dig or not to dig” moment. For me, that is around late June or July. If I dig up the bulbs, I gently lift them from the ground, divide them, brush off extra soil, let dry in a cool shaded place and store them in a paper or a burlap bag in the refrigerator. Ranunculus corms can be stored in a cool, dry place without the need for refrigerator storage.
If you want to leave the bulbs in the ground, mark the area or make a note that bulbs are resting there and avoid watering during summer. Reminder—not all tulip bulbs might multiply and the ones that do might not multiply as vigorously. Interplanting with new bulbs or seasonal flowers will give your garden a denser look. Be careful when digging around last year’s bulbs for new planting so as not to damage them.
For Bollywood fans from the 1980s, tulips have a special place in their hearts. Laden in love and romance, the classic song “dekha ek khwaab” from the movie “Silsila” was filmed at the Keukenhof tulip gardens in Netherlands. It captured tulips at their utmost beauty and has forever associated the beauty of love with tulips in the minds of a generation.
Note: This article gives an overview of growing plants, sun and soil requirements, moisture needs etc. Plant health and growth will vary based on various factors. This article is intended for gardening inspiration only. We try our very best to include information from reputable sources.
