Gardener, author and TV presenter Alan Titchmarsh has shared his tips for planting bulbs in September, including which ones to plant now and the three main methods he uses for the best display
Gardening guru and television favourite Alan Titchmarsh has revealed his top techniques for getting bulbs in the ground this September. The horticultural expert outlined which varieties to plant right now and shared his three go-to approaches for achieving the most spectacular spring displays.
September marks the ideal window for getting spring bulbs planted, setting the stage for a stunning explosion of colour spanning February through to May next year. Through a clip on his YouTube channel, Gardening with Alan Titchmarsh, the presenter demonstrated the planting process for three popular bulb types – daffodils, tulips and crocuses.
The video description states: “Now is the perfect time to plant spring bulbs and you can do it even if you don’t have a garden! Put them in now and they will give you a welcome burst of colour from February right through until May of next year”, reports the Express.
How to plant spring bulbs in September
1. In containers and pots
Alan emphasised the importance of examining bulb quality before getting them in the soil. They should feel plump and solid to guarantee abundant blooms come springtime.
Getting bulbs established in containers and pots represents the “easiest” approach, particularly suitable for those without garden space.
Initially, gardeners must position fragments of broken pottery or gravel across the drainage opening to stop worms blocking the hole and prevent the container becoming saturated.
Following this, you’ll need to introduce your growing medium. Alan opts for a peat-free general-purpose blend and fills the container roughly halfway. Firstly, it’s time to introduce your initial layer of bulbs.
This method is known as “lasagne” planting due to the clear layers in which the bulbs are planted. The purpose of this arrangement is to ensure a prolonged floral display.
Alan’s inaugural layer consists of tulip bulbs, set to bloom in April and May. He opted for three harmonious varieties: ‘National Velvet’, ‘Bojangles’, and ‘Candy Apple Delight’.
Following this, he blanketed the tulip bulbs with compost before commencing the second layer, comprising daffodils and narcissi. He selected a white variety named ‘Snow Fusion’, which sprouts at varying heights, along with ‘Doll Baby’ and ‘Replete’.
After embedding this layer, he added more compost prior to initiating his crocus layer. He picked a spectrum of hues, including ‘Jeanne D’Arc’, ‘Golden Yellow’ and ‘Prince Claus’. These crocuses will be the first to blossom in February and March.
Alan explained why the bulbs are arranged in this sequence within the pot: “It’s in reverse order of flowering. The crocuses flower first; up they’ll come, bloom fade. The daffs will then come up to hide their embarrassment and flower on top.
“And as the daffs are fading, then the tulips have had time to come all the way up. And because the tulips are 16 to 20 inches tall, they’ll cover up the mess that the daffodils are leaving.”
2. In borders
Alan prefers to plant his bulbs at the forefront of beds and borders for a stunning burst of colour when spring arrives. The first bulb he planted was a dwarf miniature narcissus, a variety called ‘W. P.Milner’.
To plant bulbs in borders, gardeners need to dig a hole that is three times as deep as the bulbs that are being planted. Place the bulbs in the bottom of the hole with the shoots facing upwards, ensuring they’re spaced apart so they’ve got plenty of room to grow (around one and two inches apart).
Next, fill in the hole and lightly firm over the soil. The bulbs can be dotted around the border or planted in clumps.
3. In a lawn
‘Naturalising’ bulbs is when you plant them in grass. These bulbs flower in spring and then die off when the grass grows taller.
The gardening expert said he likes to grow daffodils in clumps in the lawn, but with tulips, he plants them singularly in one area so they look like a wild flower meadow.
To plant bulbs in his lawn, he uses a bulb planter and spaces each individual tulip bulb around 12 inches apart. He then drops a bulb into each hole and places the grass plug back into the hole to cover them.