How to plant bulbs in pots by levels

Bulbs are an easy way to enjoy flowers practically all year round. And, although we may believe that this is its main attraction, nothing is further from reality. It should also be borne in mind that they are not demanding in terms of their cultivation. And, as if this were not enough, they do not require a garden to be able to have them. It is enough to know how to plant bulbs in pots to be able to enjoy them without too much effort. Something that, although it may seem secondary, will be extremely important in the day to day of our plants.

Although both how to plant bulbs in pots and how to grow them is so simple, we cannot lose sight of some precautions. And the thing is that for our bulbs to come to fruition, we have to rigorously comply with their planting requirements. And it is that, usually, when we opt for having these plants in pots, we usually opt for a planting in levels. What exactly is this? A way to optimize our pots, allowing them to house bulbs that bloom at different times of the year. Something that, although it is simple, should be known in detail for a single reason. How we plant our bulbs will depend on whether they can grow and flourish in the right conditions. Or, in other words, that we can enjoy pots full of life continuously.

Let’s see, then, how to plant bulbs in pots by levels. A technique that will allow us to even enjoy the coexistence of different blooms at the same time of year.

HOW TO PLANT BULBS IN POTS BY TIER IN 4 STEPS

As we said, how to plant bulbs in pots by levels is usually the general bet of lovers of these plants. Thanks to this technique, we can make the most of the plantation space. A detail especially valued for those who have a small place for their plants, such as a terrace or a balcony. But in addition to this detail, knowing how to plant bulbs in pots by levels is a super attractive way to create extremely striking flower beds.

In essence, planting bulbs by levels is a simple task. What’s more: it is so simple that it may well be one of those tasks to include in our gardening list for children. But let’s not confuse simplicity with being able to carry it out in any way because, if we do, it is most likely that our bulbs will not bloom correctly.

Let’s see, then, how to plant bulbs in pots by levels step by step. The best way to guarantee that, at the corresponding time of year, they will fill any space with color and flowers.

1. Thoroughly prepare the planting space, the essential starting point

Unlike the soil, the pot is a reduced growing space with unique and different conditions. And beyond any other, there is an aspect that depends entirely on the gardening hand: drainage. The bulbs are not at all friends of waterlogging. What’s more: an excess of accumulated water compromises a lot! your health. Therefore, one of the tips when planting bulbs is to provide them with good drainage. Although this detail is for both bulbs planted in the ground and in pots, if we grow them in these containers we must be especially cautious.

We are not only talking about the type of substrate, which must be a well-aerated universal substrate that does not compact and thus prevents the growth of the bulbs. We are not even referring to that lower layer that we have to create in the pot to help drain the excess watering. We mean that, even, we have to be careful when choosing correctly from among the different types of pots. And it is that for our bulbs to prosper, the ideal is to opt for clay pots. Some that, thanks to their porosity, will allow us to evaporate excess moisture from the substrate.

Any help when it comes to drainage is little when we talk about how to plant bulbs in pots both by levels and in the traditional way.

2. Plan the plantation according to the characteristics of each plant, essential when it comes to how to plant bulbs in pots by levels

It is, without a doubt, the most delicate part of how to plant bulbs in pots by levels. Although it is not very complicated, it does imply doing a planning exercise and knowing the characteristics of each bulb. Nothing like seeing it graphically to understand what we mean.

The incredible versatility of bulbous plants does not only translate into a map of blooms and colors. It also does so in one of the most important aspects when planting bulbs: planting depth. As we see in the image, different bulbs have different developments in height. Something to which we have to pay close attention when we consider how to plant bulbs in pots by levels. And it is that only by respecting these growth characteristics will we be able to make our bulbs grow without splitting, thus spoiling their flowers. And a tip: if we decide to plant like this, we will have to opt for a pot of good dimensions both in diameter and depth.

An example of how to plant bulbs in pots in a practical way

That is why placing each type of plant at the necessary depth is the key to how to plant bulbs in pots by levels. And the simple way to hit. The ideal is to make a staggered planting of the bulbs depending on their height characteristics in flowering. Or, taking as an example the autumn bulbs that we see in the image, planting in the following way:

• At the foot of the drain, the highest. In this case it would be the trumpet daffodil bulbs, characterized by a considerably slender and tall stem and flower. To do this, it is worth knowing how to plant daffodils and, once the details are known, place them at the bottom of the container
• After covering with a layer of substrate, we would place the tulip bulbs
• A layer of substrate later, the hyacinth bulbs. A bulbous plant with medium growth, but which needs good rooting to grow in suitable conditions.
• After covering them with substrate, we could even put the mini daffodils and muscaris at the same height
• In the most superficial layer, we would place the snowdrops

Although we follow this structure when planting, it is worth ensuring that each bulb is at the necessary distance from the surface. Nobody talks about taking square and bevel: facilitating this task happens, only, by using a bulb planter. Thanks to this tool, which has the indication of different depths, we will know that each bulb is where it needs it.

3. Combine bulbs from the same or different flowering times

Although it is not in itself essential in how to plant bulbs in pots by levels, the truth is that it is an aspect to consider. To make the most of the pot space, we can consider two very different ways of planting:

• Opt for simultaneous flowering: as we saw in the previous image. Opting only for bulbs to plant in the fall or bulbs for planting in the spring will make our pot full of life at the same time of the year
• Choosing a flowering at different times of the year: planting bulbs with flowers in the same pot at different times of the year

4. Group the bulbs according to your needs, another fundamental detail in how to plant bulbs in pots

One last fundamental detail on how to plant bulbs in pots. As in the case of any other plant, we have to take into account what the different bulbs need to get ahead. And, based on that, group the bulbs. If we plant bulbs with different needs in the same pot, only those that are comfortable with the care we give them will prosper.

And now that you know how to plant bulbs in pots by levels, do you dare to enjoy your plants like this?