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Summer bulbs to plant


When and How to Plant Summer Bulbs

By

Marie Iannotti

Marie Iannotti

Marie Iannotti is a life-long gardener and a veteran Master Gardener with nearly three decades of experience. She's also an author of three gardening books, a plant photographer, public speaker, and a former Cornell Cooperative Extension Horticulture Educator. Marie's garden writing has been featured in newspapers and magazines nationwide and she has been interviewed for Martha Stewart Radio, National Public Radio, and numerous articles.

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Updated on 04/21/22

The Spruce / Phoebe Cheong

When you think of "summer bulbs," these are flowering bulbs that grow and bloom during the summer instead of spring. These bulbs tend to be tender perennials that can't survive the cold, snowy winter, so they are either grown as annuals or are dug up, stored, and replanted every year. Some summer bulbs also flower in the fall, depending on your region.

Summer bulbs include begonias, caladium, cannas, dahlias, gladiola, gloriosa lilies, elephant ears, liatris, nerines, oxalis, pineapple lilies, tuberose, and tigridia. Some of these are tubers, corms, and rhizomes, but for purposes of planting and storing, they're grouped under the term "summer bulbs."

Read on to learn more about the ideal time to plant summer bulbs and how to care for and maintain them when they are in the ground and stored over winter.

When to Plant Summer Bulbs

Summer bulbs need warm weather and warm soil. Unless you live in a region where the ground doesn’t freeze, you have to replant tender perennial summer bulbs every spring. Unlike spring-blooming bulbs planted in the fall, summer bulbs need to be planted in the spring.

Once the soil has dried out and warmed up to about 60 F or higher, it’s time to get summer bulbs in the ground. A rule of thumb to remember is if it’s time for your tomatoes to go outdoors, it is also time to plant your summer bulbs.

Many people also like using a calendar as a general guideline for planting. The following suggested dates are based on broad estimates based on hardiness zones in the U.S. Actual dates for planting will fluctuate based on the severity of winter (unseasonably warm or cold), how rainy it has been, and if the threat of frost is gone. If you had an unseasonable warm winter, then the ground is likely to thaw sooner, and you may get your summer bulbs in the ground sooner. Too much rain or oversaturation of the ground can cause your bulbs to rot. Your best bet is to get an inexpensive temperature probe to test the soil temperature and keep watching the weather projections for your area before you plant your bulbs.

Another option is you can get tender bulbs like dahlias, gladiolus, canna lilies, calla lilies, and caladium started four to eight weeks in pots indoors in a sunny, protected location such as a greenhouse, sunroom, or enclosed porch. Transplant them or bring them outside when ground and climate conditions are right.

Most summer bulbs are later bloomers, blooming in mid to later summer or early fall. Gladiolus, caladiums, begonias, and calla lilies can start blooming as early as mid-summer. Meanwhile, canna lilies, agapanthus, dahlias, and elephant ears may start their bloom period in late summer or early fall. Bulbs contain a reserve of stored energy, and once they get started, they grow quickly. They perform well when other flowers and plants have passed their prime.

The Spruce / Jiaqi Zhou

Planting

Most bulbs need a well-draining site to prevent molding and rotting. Amending the soil with compost or manure will help the bulbs grow, bloom, and store energy.

The package the bulbs come in often tells you the planting depth for your specific bulbs. You usually plant bulbs about three times as deep as their diameter. So if you have a bulb that is two inches around, you would plant it six inches deep. You would plant a three-inch diameter bulb about nine inches deep.

Another option is you can also plant summer bulbs in pots. Growing plants in containers is a great way to give them the extra warmth they need since pots retain more heat. Most summer bulbs need at least a 10- to 12-inch pot. You can plant two to three bulbs of calla lilies, caladium, and begonias in one pot—a couple of inches apart—while you can plant five gladiolus bulbs together, about an inch apart in an 8-inch pot.

The Spruce / Phoebe Cheong

Care and Maintenance

Tip

The best time to harvest bulbs for the winter is when all of the plant's foliage has died in the fall before the first frost. Trim the foliage to 6 inches and gently dig the bulbs out of the ground. Take care to not damage the bulbs; discard any bruised or damaged ones.

The Spruce / Phoebe Cheong

Buying Bulbs or Pre-Grown Bulbs

So if you're ready to have summer bulbs growing in your garden, then what's next? You need bulbs! Or, you can get a head start and buy a summer bulb plant that has started growing in a nursery or greenhouse.

Ordering bulbs online is a great option to have them delivered right to your home. Inspect the bulbs when they arrive and make sure none have turned dark brown, black, or mushy, indicating mold or rot. They may appear dry or "dead" when they arrive, but they are not; they are dormant. If they appear completely shriveled, it has desiccated and is likely dead. Contact your supplier if you notice rot or desiccation.

Another excellent way to have summer bulb flowers is to buy them pre-grown. You can often find potted caladiums, elephant ears, begonias, and others for sale at the nursery starting in the spring.

Best summer bulbs: 10 bulbs to grow and planting advice

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Summer bulbs offer a wealth of colors, scents and flower forms, yet are often overlooked in favor of their earlier spring-flowering cousins.

However, with careful planning, you can enjoy the changing planting palette and bright color contrasts as the garden transitions through summer, from a host of summer bulbs.

They should be planned to follow in swift succession once your spring bulbs start to fade, for a long lasting display for months on end.

Summer bulbs to grow

Summer bulbs can be planted direct in the garden as part of your flower bed ideas. Many also make wonderful displays as container gardening ideas, or are an essential addition if you're planning a cut flower garden to enjoy the blooms around your home.

‘Choose summer bulbs which flower at different points during the season for successive color. For instance, lilies for early summer, gladioli for mid season, and the later flowering echinacea, and you will be rewarded with a long-lasting display which evolves as summer progresses,’ explains Sue Sanderson, horticulturist at bulb and plant specialists Farmer Gracy .

Add some of the following best summer bulbs to your planting palette.

1. Oriental lilies

(Image credit: Farmer Gracy)

There are many varieties of oriental lilies you can choose to plant. 'These lilies are hardy and reliable, returning for a repeat show each year,' says Sue Sanderson.

'Lily ‘Apricot Fudge’ has fascinating double blooms that appear in early to mid summer, and will return every year. These are wonderful for the border or large patio pots, and are just as lovely as cut flowers,' adds Sue

Another variety she recommends is the beautifully scented 'Tiger Woods'.

2. Crocosmia

(Image credit: National Trust Images/ Liz Abbey)

Crocosmias are an easy and reliable summer bulb to plant, ‘and their fiery flowers and strong vertical leaves create dynamic interest. They combine well with achillea, helenium and salvia,’ says Victoria Evans, gardener at the National Trust’s Packwood House , which boasts outstanding summer flower borders. 

There are a number of varieties to choose from. 'Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ is the classic, tall, scarlet flowered crocosmia, while 'Star of the East is the largest flowered variety. Its orange star-shaped blooms persist well into fall,' says Victoria. It works particularly well if you're hoping to create a contemporary garden color scheme or like tropical garden ideas.

As crocosmias spread and grow very large, gardening guru Monty Don recommends lifting large clumps in early spring, separating them apart and replanting them in smaller groups. ‘They will respond with increased vigor and flowers,’ he says.

3. Dahlias

(Image credit: Farmer Gracy)

Dahlias can bloom throughout the summer months and with many varieties to choose from, once you know how to grow dahlias you will be truly spoilt for choice.

There are a number that Sue Sanderson singles out for attention, including dahlia ‘Rembrandt’ 'with a neat, compact habit, that can adorn patio pots with soft pink blooms continuously through the season. ' 

If you're keen to include flowers that attract bees then opt for the single flower varieties of dahlia.

4. Swamp lily – crinum

(Image credit: Crinum at Packwood House. National Trust Images/ Chris Lacey)

Crinum x powellii , or swamp lily, produces pale pink trumpet flowers in summer. 

‘It is a plant with a stately presence, deserving a spot of its own. Crinums needs a sheltered position in full sun, with good soil to thrive. Plant with the bulb tip above soil level,’ says Victoria Evans.

'They are also good in a – very – large pot, and they flower especially well when the roots are constricted.'

5. Begonias

(Image credit: Farmer Gracy)

Another summer bulb that can flower through the season and into late fall, begonias tolerate shade as well as a sunny position.

There are many choices, 'such as begonia ‘Angelique’ 'which has multiple, large blooms from summer through to the first frosts and has a beautiful fragrance, too,' explains Sue. Find out how to overwinter begonias to enjoy the blooms year after year.

Begonia ‘Picotee Sunburst’, on the other hand, will Illuminate a lightly shaded area with zingy color from summer through to late fall. 'It is a great choice for patio containers or borders,' says Sue.

6. Arum lily – Zantedeschia aethiopica

(Image credit: National Trust Images/ John Millar)

'The arum lily, with its striking white flower spathes and glossy foliage, is proving increasingly hardy for us at Packwood. We grow them in rich, moist soil in full sun, but they also enjoy partial shade and can be used as a marginal water plant for garden pond ideas,' explains Victoria.

Plant in pots or in the ground in spring and mulch established clumps in fall for protection. 

7. Alliums

(Image credit: National Trust Images/ Paul Harris)

Alliums are an essential flower for any garden, as they pop up among borders to add color and structure, and are bee magnets and a way to attract butterflies.

'Alliums are true bulbs and fully paid up members of the onion family,' says Monty Don in his book The Complete Gardener . 

'Most will obligingly reappear year after year – often too obligingly as they will spread dramatically by seed as well as by new bulbs,' he adds.

Unlike most summer bulbs, alliums are best planted in the fall. The exception is A. sphaerocephalon, which will flower into fall and can be planted in spring. 

'This is a contrastingly small-flowered allium, which also enjoys a sunny position, its slender stemmed maroon flowers weave easily through other smaller plants,' explains Victoria.

Alliums grow well in a sunny, well-drained spot and are best planted in drifts.

8. Canna or canna lily

(Image credit: Farmer Gracy)

'The lush, colorful foliage of canna lilies delivers a jungle vibe to borders and containers throughout the season, topped off with a vibrant flower in late summer,' explains Sue Sanderson.

These tall, narrow plants look fantastic when grouped together in borders. They are among the exotic plants that were popular in Victorian garden design.

9. Agapanthus

(Image credit: Sarah Raven)

Agapanthus have fabulous, large globe-shaped flower heads, usually in purple, blue or white, so make a great addition to your collection of summer bulbs.

'To get agapanthus to grow, you do need to restrict its roots,' says Monty Don in an episode of BBC Gardeners' World. 'You do need to make sure they have very good drainage. But also you do need to make sure they are fed. So it’s getting a balance between enough food and water but not too much.'

He advises adding a good amount of grit to the compost and putting three plants into a pot that's just big enough. 'There is no point in putting an agapanthus into too big a pot, because all you’ll get is lots of leaves and no flowers,' he says.

'Put them somewhere in maximum sunlight, water them once a week, feed them once every two or three weeks, and then at the end of the summer, take them somewhere cool – it doesn’t have to be warm at all, but just frost free. '

10. Pineapple lily – eucomis

(Image credit: Getty Images)

'Eucomis, the pineapple lily, lends an exotic touch to a planting,' says Victoria.

'Eucomis ‘Sparkling Burgundy’ has pale pink flowers and maroon flushed leaves, we grow it towards the front of a border to provide architectural presence,' she adds. 

They also make ideal plants to grow under glass if you're planning a greenhouse.

'Slightly tender, they need good drainage and a sheltered spot to survive year-round. In colder gardens they are best grown in terracotta pots,' she adds.

Plant the pineapple lily 15cm deep and give them plenty of space. The elegant leaves are slow to emerge from dormancy, but the flower stems persist for months.

When should summer bulbs be planted?

Summer bulbs are generally planted when dormant, which can be between late February and mid May, depending on the zone where you live.

‘Hardy varieties can be planted directly outdoors in borders or pots, while tender or half hardy bulbs, such as dahlias and begonias, should be started indoors in frost-free conditions if planting before May, or before the soil has warmed up,’ says Sue Sanderson.

Tropical plants can be transferred outside once in growth and when night-time temperatures remain consistently above 50°F (10°C). 

'It’s best to plant all summer bulbs as early in the spring as possible to give them a head start for the summer season,' adds Sue.

Good drainage is key, and fertility is important if they are destined to stay in the spot for a long while. ‘A high potash and phosphate feed, such as bonemeal, incorporated at planting time works well,’ explains Victoria Evans. 

(Image credit: Getty Images)

How do you plant summer bulbs?

'The term ‘bulbs’ is often used to refer to all bulbs, tubers, rhizomes and corms, but they do all require different planting depths and growing conditions. Be sure to check the recommended growing instructions for each species as they vary significantly,' advises Sue.

Always plant bulbs during the same season that you receive them. They will not store until next year.

'Don’t overwater bulbs when they are first planted. They don’t use any water while they are still dormant and can rot when left to sit in wet soil which doesn’t drain freely. Once your bulbs have sprouted, you can start watering them more frequently,' says Sue.

While summer bulbs can be planted in the ground, gardening guru Monty Don loves to plant them in containers to better control their soil conditions and to ensure a seamless succession of color in the garden.

Perhaps the most important consideration when planting summer bulbs is to provide enough drainage. ‘With most bulbs you can never have too much drainage – they will grow the better for it,’ says Monty in an episode of BBC's Gardener’s World . 

For this reason, he prefers to use terracotta pots, which drain better than many other container types. However, he acknowledges that most of us don’t have an endless supply of them left lying around to dedicate to summer bulbs – ‘your tulip pots will be occupied for another couple of months'.

(Image credit: Jacky Parker Photography)

To solve this issue, in his video, Don revealed a brilliant tip for doubling up pots for both spring and summer flowering bulbs, demonstrating planting gladioli into a lattice pot used for subaquatic plants. ‘They can drain well, the roots can come out if they want; but you can do it in just a normal plastic pot,’ he explains.

‘Then after the tulips are finished, they can come out and can dry off – and then I will plunge these into that pot, and when the gladioli are finished in September or October, they can come out and the tulips can be planted.’ Following this method will mean your pots will be in constant use through the year.

Whatever you plant your summer bulbs in, it’s essential to have the right compost that provides effective drainage. ‘Add a bit of grit to the compost – and you can’t really overdo this so don’t be coy about it,’ says Don.

(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)

Are there any bulbs that bloom all summer?

There are some summer bulbs that will bloom all summer long with the right conditions.

Plants which flower throughout the whole season, include the likes of dahlias, begonias and callas. Combine these with bulbs that flower at different times and you will enjoy a constantly changing flower bed display.

Rachel is senior content editor, and writes and commissions gardening content for homesandgardens.com, Homes & Gardens magazine, and its sister titles Period Living Magazine and Country Homes & Interiors. She has written for lifestyle magazines for many years, with a particular focus on gardening, historic houses and arts and crafts, but started out her journalism career in BBC radio, where she enjoyed reporting on and writing programme scripts for all manner of stories. Rachel then moved into regional lifestyle magazines, where the topics she wrote about, and people she interviewed, were as varied and eclectic as they were on radio. Always harboring a passion for homes and gardens, she jumped at the opportunity to work on The English Home and The English Garden magazines for a number of years, before joining the Period Living team, then the wider Homes & Gardens team, specializing in gardens.

Summer bulbs - when and how to plant? (master class)

A great and very easy way to bring some color to your summer garden is to plant bulbous flowers in containers. Not quite usual, but very convenient.

Lilies, allium, agapanthus, dahlias, gladiolus, begonias, nerine are bulbs that can be grown safely in containers in the garden. If you pick up species with different flowering periods, then the bulbous ones will decorate the site from June to October (or even longer).

The best time to plant these plants for vibrant summer blooms is in early spring when the soil begins to warm up. There is nothing difficult in planting flowers in containers. We will show how easy it is to do this using the example of lilies.

By growing bulbous flowers in containers, you will not lose planting material in the ground and can easily remove it from the ground in autumn for storage.

Step 1: Prepare the soil

For planting flower bulbs that will only grow in a container for one season, use a mixture of 3 hours of multipurpose compost and 1 hour of sand. For planting for a longer time, it is worth using purchased soil based on soddy land, peat and coarse sand (3 hours) mixed with ordinary sand (1 hour).

Prepare the soil mixture depending on how long the bulbs will grow in the container.

Step 2. Drainage

Before planting the bulbs in the container, drainage must be laid at the bottom of the container. A good drainage layer will protect against stagnation of water in the soil and rotting of the bulbs. Therefore, before filling the containers with earth, do not forget to place clay shards or expanded clay inside.

Do not forget about drainage - it is very important when planting bulbs in containers

Step 3. Planting the bulbs

Fill the containers with the substrate and plant the bulbs in them. At the same time, it is worth knowing that planting material should be planted to a depth of three bulbs. Therefore, do not fill the container with earth to the top. It is better to leave some distance to the sides, so that later the bulbs can be sprinkled with soil, and thus they are at the required depth. The distance between lilies should be equal to one bulb. Also note that planting material should be planted with pointed ends up. Do not throw bulbs into the ground at random.

The distance between planting material should be 1 bulb

To make the arrangement of blooming lilies look especially elegant, it is worth planting several different species or varieties in one container at once.

Step 4: Backfill the bulbs

Backfill the bulbs with the remaining soil, leaving about 2-3 cm to the top of the container. This is necessary so that when watering, the water does not spill out of the container and does not form ugly smudges on the pot.

When covering the bulbs with soil, leave a small distance from the soil to the edge of the pot (for watering).

Step 5. Watering

Water the plants well. Water should not just wet the top, but completely soak the entire substrate so that the bulbs have enough moisture to germinate.

Bulb plantings should be watered liberally

Step 6. Place the container

Place the lily pot on legs or any other support to allow excess water to drain through the drainage holes. This will be especially true if the summer is rainy.

Only use containers with drainage holes for bulbs.

As you can see, planting lilies in containers is not difficult. By the same principle, you can plant any other bulbous plants. The main thing is to do everything on time and know in advance how you want to see your summer flower garden.

From www.amateurgardening.com

Top 5 Summer Bulbs - Discover 9 Flower Bulbs0001

Do you want to have summer bulbous plants in your garden? Plant abundantly blooming summer flower bulbs! If you plant summer flower bulbs in the spring, your garden will have a sea of ​​flowers during the summer months.

A whole sea of ​​flowers

Summer flower bulbs are bulbs that cannot withstand low temperatures. Therefore, they are planted in the garden in the spring, when the threat of spring frosts has passed. Sun and warm weather are what summer flower bulbs need for good growth and flowering. After the appearance of the first flowers, nothing can stop this process, and a whole sea of ​​​​flowers appears. It's nice to have profusely flowering plants throughout the summer in your garden.

Top 5

The five summer bulbs are champions in producing lots of bright flowers and blooming profusely until autumn.

1.

Dahlias

There are tens of thousands of varieties of dahlias - a huge selection. They have a huge variety of colors and unusual color combinations. Their flowers range in size from the size of a table tennis ball to the size of a soccer ball. Dahlias bloom from early August until the first night frosts.

2.

Cannes (Canna)

Cannas grow naturally in Central and South America. The flowers are large or small graceful and have yellow, pink, orange and red colors or their different shades. Canna leaves are green, red or variegated in color and enhance the decorative effect of plants.

3.

Callas

In Greek, the word 'calla' means 'beautiful'. And there are reasons for this. The calyx has a beautiful funnel-shaped shape, the color of which is yellow, white, red, raspberry red, pink, orange or bicolor. Arrow-shaped calla leaves have a uniform green color or silver spots on a green background.

4. Begonia

The name of this bright beauty with long flowering means ‘balance, harmony’. Begonia flowers come in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes. The begonia family includes both erect and curly forms. Did you know that begonias do not cause allergies? The pollen grains of begonias are heavy and cannot spread through the air.

5.

Crocosmia

Crocosmia flowers, ranging in color from orange-yellow to fiery red, and blooming for a long time until late autumn, always evoke a feeling of warm summer.

Learn more