Poor Success Rate with bulbs

pavb2

Hi all I put down about 500 bulbs mainly tulips,iris, Fritillaria, in Autumn and probably had about 100 come up I’m not sure if they were just bad bulbs or if something was eating them.

I also put quite a few freesias, Brodiaea, dahlias & lilies in spring so I’ll see what develops. I’ll do the same this year but how do I improve my success rate should I perhaps start them off in pots in a greenhouse.

The Continental Op

Success rates for dry bulbs can sometimes be poor. They are normally quite cheap so just keep at it.

Tulips should and liles should give good results and I'm pedantic and say that dahlias are tubers but again they are normally successful.

Frits normally come up but may not flower in the first year.

You need to eyeball and feel what you are buying, all bulbs should look and feel fat an plump and not dried up. On dahlias you need to look for small buds at the top of the tuber where the old growth was, no buds no growth they just rot away.

SnowyMuckish

Bulbs like tulips for the most part need good drainage and don’t like heavy soil and can be notorious for not coming back in subsequent years. They are also prone to tulip fire if planted too early in autumn/winter.

Depending on the type of iris you have they like very different conditions, some prefer being in water or the edge of a pond, some prefer full sun in dry conditions with their rhizomes above the soil exposed to the sun/ heat. Check that you’re giving them the right conditions. Fritillaries like damp conditions.

pavb2

One thing I have noticed in the mornings is that the soil has been disturbed could something be eating the bulbs?

For autumn this year I'm thinking of planting my bulbs in pots possibly bio-degradeable (though Id need a lot of pots) and then putting in the beds once they've established.

Would this work and would I need to put them in a greenhouse or cold frame?

wildwillow

Crows will dig up bulbs. I had loads of crocus ruined this year, and now the lily bulbs are being eaten by thrushes and crows.

Tulip bulbs are best planted very deep, up to 12 inches and then they last in the soil for years, even decades.

This year I will be putting wire netting over newly planted autumn bulbs. It becomes less of a problem once the garden is well planted but difficut when starting a new garden.