There are bulbs for spring, summer and fall blooms, but they do require advance planning. The planning involves choosing an appropriate site, deciding which beautiful blooms to plant, and then digging at most a 5-6” deep planting hole. The bulbs root and will start to develop blooms. Most bulbs are perennials, meaning they will return every year for many years to come. For spring, daffodils announce the season cheerfully. Amaryllis can be “forced” to bloom in a pot in winter, or bloom naturally in spring. The Naked Lady variety will grow its foliage in spring, then a late summer or early fall show of blooms when all else looks dry. Of the many bulb varieties to choose from, here I’ll focus on the Amaryllidoideae, which are the ornamental varieties of the Amaryllidaceae family of 1600 species of perennial, bulbous flowering plants, including both daffodil and amaryllis.
Daffodil bulbs should be dry and firm to the touch, but wear gloves to handle them. The sap in the bulb can cause skin irritation and is toxic to humans, dogs, cats and horses. When planning a planting site, consider pet activity in that area. They do well in Zones 8-10, (Tulare and Kings Counties are in Zone 9 a or b) in a location with minimum of 6 hours of sun, but they also tolerate part shade. Well draining soil is important to avoid rotting of the bulb.
For optimum bloom, plant the bulbs in October/November, 6-8” apart, with the pointy end up and 3-6” deep. Water after planting, and additionally only if there is no fall rainfall. Avoid planting near shallow rooted trees (maple, dogwood), edible vegetables or groundcovers such as ivy or taller perennials with the same bloom time which would compete for nutrients and block sun/water from plant. Bulbs can be purchased online, but should be free of any soil and growing media if shipped into California to avoid introducing plant pests. International shipments require a phytosanitary certificate that they are free of pests and diseases. These state agriculture regulations are to protect our crops and the ecosystem.
If you receive bulbs from someone who is dividing their garden bulbs, brush off any loose soil from the bulbs and inspect them for any evidence of pests before planting in your garden.
Planting varieties of daffodils in the garden provides a colorful and longer bloom show. Daffodils are native to Africa, Europe, China and Japan. They can tolerate cold, heat and do not need summer watering. Each bloom has a perianth (outer petal-like structures) and a corona or trumpet in the center. The blossoms can be yellow or combinations of white, orange, apricot or cream. Varieties include Dutch Master, King Alfred, Tahiti, Primeur, Topolino, Barrett Browning and Thalia among many others. The different varieties produce larger blooms, early or later blooms or longer lasting blooms. Don’t mix cut daffodils with other flowers in a vase, or the toxin in the stems will cause the other flowers to wilt faster.
Diseases include scale mites, bulb rot, nematodes, fungal infections and viruses. Selecting healthy bulbs and planting site selection reduce these threats. Few pests are a problem other than slugs or snails eating the leaves. Squirrels may dig up the bulbs out of curiosity, but the bulbs are toxic to mammals, so gophers and deer ignore them.
Care of the bulbs after bloom includes leaving the green foliage intact. Photosynthesis feeds the bulb for next year’s blooms. The spent flower heads can be cut with clean shears just below the flower, leaving the stem. This stops seed production and diverts energy to the bulb instead. Water after the blooms fade to encourage bulb development, and fertilize with low nitrogen, high potash fertilizer, such as bone meal at the base of the plant. If the foliage is cut prematurely, the bulb will produce leaves and no flowers the following year. After the foliage has turned brown, it is trimmed off the top of the bulb. The bulb can be left in the ground or dug up and the clean, dry bulb placed in a paper bag, stored in a cool, dry place until fall. Potted bulbs can be placed in a closet or basement. The bulbs will naturalize or multiply on their own with time. When blooms decrease in number, divide the bulbs after the bloom season and replant them farther apart. During dormancy, darkness and temperatures of 50-55 degrees are optimal.
Amaryllis hippeastrum is from South America and sold in winter months for its ability to bloom indoors. It is often used as a holiday plant and comes in many colors of beautiful trumpet shaped blooms. It is toxic to dogs, cats and horses. In a warm climate or sheltered location, they can be grown in a container outdoors or in some areas, in the garden. At the holidays, they are very decorative indoors in a container, keeping in mind their toxicity.
Planting tips for containers. The container should be 1-2” wider than the bulb and at least 6-8” deep. Use a good quality planting mix, bone meal or superphosphate, and add perlite to your potting mix for better drainage. Plant with the tip of the bulb at or slightly above the soil surface. After watering, keep soil just moist until leaves sprout. Once the plant sprouts, place it in indirect light, water, and provide indoor plant food every 7-14 days. Overwatering will cause yellow leaves, a mushy bulb and wilting leaves. Underwatering will cause crispy leaves, wilting and the soil pulling away from the pot.
To encourage re-blooming, stop watering for 6-8 weeks, cut off yellow leaves 1-2” above the bulb and rest in dark cool spot. Amaryllis are tropical plants, so refrigeration may be too cold. Avoid storage near apples due to the ethylene gas emitted from the apple.
If you received an amaryllis plant with a waxed bulb, after bloom, the wax can be carefully peeled off and the bulb replanted in pot 1-2” larger than the bulb. Treat it like a houseplant until August, then stop watering, cut off dead leaves and place in dark for 8-10 weeks, then bring out to the light, water it, and wait for foliage to grow.
Amaryllis belladonna is native to the Cape region of South Africa and is very drought tolerant. These are best planted directly in the garden, with the top of the bulb just at the surface of the soil. Water after planting, but then they require no special care or summer water and will come back each year. Common names are the Belladonna lily, St Joseph lily, Cape Belladonna and Naked Lady. The Naked Lady name relates to the plant putting out foliage in the spring, which then dies back. Trim off the browned foliage to about an inch from the bulb. In late summer to early fall, stems will rise from the bulb and a large trumpet shaped bloom will emerge from the naked stem. This occurs when few other flowers are blooming from the heat of summer. It’s a lovely surprise from a bulb you may have forgotten by then.
Flowering perennial bulbs are a lovely addition to the garden or raised bed and provide a bloom show with little care. Advance planning and a bit of work can give you beautiful blooms in your garden for years to come.
Anne Skinner is a member of the Tulare-Kings Counties UC Master Gardeners. This column is not a news article but the advice and opinion of the writer and does not reflect the views of the Mid Valley Times newspaper.
