Planting Time: As a rough guide, these are the best months to plant your bulbs:September – Hyacinths, Narcissi (Daffodils), CrocusesOctober – Alliums, TulipsNovember – Tulips

Preparation: Planting in Beds and BordersFirst, clear the area you want to plant in. Turn the soil over, incorporating plenty of horse manure as you do so - this will improve the soil’s structure and aid plant growth. We sell Harrington & Jessops Stable manure, which is ideal for this purpose.

Choosing Bulbs: Select bulbs to suit your theme and style and be aware of the correct planting time. As soon as you see the bulbs in our shops, it’s the time to buy. Getting in early will enable you have a better choice of bulb varieties. Take your bulbs home and store them somewhere dry and cool until you’re ready to plant. Smaller bulbs, like Galanthus (Snowdrops), dry out quickly so plant soon after purchase.When choosing bulbs, pick varieties carefully based on flowering time to extend the flowering season. This information can easily be found on the bulb packets.

If planting a big pot or flower bed/border, select bulbs of different eventual flowering heights. It is best visually to plant taller varieties in the middle of the pot / back of the border and shorter ones towards the edge of the pot / front of the border.

Complementary Planting: Particularly when planting in pots, mangers or window troughs, consider complementary plants to add foliage and flower interest through to spring.

e.g. for a classic terracotta theme of rich reds, combine Tulipa Princess Irene and Lambada with Heuchera ‘Cherry Cola’, Uncinia rubra (Red Hook Sedge), Dryopteris erythrosora, Succulents and Violas. You may also wish to consider some form of pot-topping, i.e. potting grit. Lay this around the plants to enhance the foliage and retain moisture.

Top Tips to ensure you get the best from your bulb planting this season...

Fact SheetAutumn Bulb

Planting

Planting Bulbs: Plant to depth as indicated on bulb packet.When planting bulbs in pots, we recommend using Hillier Multi-Purpose compost. This a good, open-structured compost with added loam to help retain moisture and create strong root development.Bulb Fibre compost is ideal for indoor use.

Feed and WaterIt is important to incorporate fertilizer at the time of planting your bulbs. If planting in containers, baskets or troughs, use Osmocote. This is a controlled release fertilizer, releasing the feed when the plants most need it.

If planting bulbs in borders, add Fish, Blood & Bone to the prepared soil at the time of planting.In addition to this, we recommend Bulb Starter when planting all bulbs (see below). Regular watering of your containers and baskets is essential, even in the autumn-winter months. Note: Water Gel should not be used in autumn-winter pots and containers.

Regeneration: People often say their bulbs are at their best the first year and less successful in subsequent years. To encourage growth and regeneration, add Bulb Starter during planting. Sprinkle an amount under the bulbs, so they take develop a secondary root system, enabling them to take up more feed and regenerate the next year.

As the bulbs start to die down and the leaves begin to fade, apply a feed of Fish, Blood & Bone. Doing this will feed the bulbs in readiness for the following year. This will be of benefit to all bulbs, whether in pots, containers, borders or lawns.

Don’t be tempted to mow over, or cut off untidy leaves. These should be left to die down naturally.

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YOUR BULB PLANTING CHECKLIST:

Bulbs

Complementary plants

Osmocote controlled release fertiliser

Bulb Starter

Fish, Blood & Bone feed

Gloves

Stable Manure

Pots / containers

Potting grit / other pot topper

Hillier Multi-purpose compost (outdoor pots)

Bulb Fibre compost (indoor pots)

For bed or border planting only

For pot or container planting only