GardenMaid| Six Great Bulbs for Pots

Six Great Bulbs for Pots

Here are six bulbs that grow great in pots or boxes.

Amaryllis does very well when grown in containers. Amaryllis prefers a sandy-loam soil mix. Potting can be done anytime after the plants have gone through a dormant or rest period. Make certain bulb and soil are dry before repotting. Off-shoots can be removed and potted separately at this time.

You may plant them individually or as a clump in a larger pot as in the picture above. When potting, add enough soil so that one-third to one-half of the bulb neck is above the soil surface. Leave at least 1/2 to one inch of space between the top of the soil and the rim of the pot to facilitate watering. A thorough watering is essential immediately after potting. Water sparingly until flowering begins. When flowering starts, increase the frequency of waterings to prolong flowering.

Agapanthus or Blue Lily of the Nile. Fleshy-rooted evergreen plant, with strap leaves, often grown in tubs and urns on terraces and steps during the summer. It features tall blue spikes when flowering. Pretty easy one to grow.

Calla Lily. Showy, hardy outdoors in warmer regions, but a tender pot plant in the North. Safe to leave outside in USDA zone 7 and higher. Will survive in ground most years in Zone 6. Best to dig dry and store for the winter. Most familiar is the white one with large, shiny, heart-shaped leaves. Start bulbs indoors in February or March in rich soil and, when weather settles, transfer to large pots and take outdoors. Calla lilies do well in full sun or part shade, are heavy feeders and need a lot of water.My personal favorite is the Flame. There is also a dainty yellow with white-spotted leaves. Rest bulbs after foliage ripens and grow again next year.

Dahlias. Colorful and free-flowering, they provide a bountyful supply of blooms. They make an excellent cut flower with a good "vase-life". Tall, large-flowering kinds can be grown only in large planters and boxes, but the dwarfs are excellent in smaller containers. The dwarfs grow one to two feet tall, they grow easily from tubers in average soil in sun or part shade. They may also be raised from seed sown indoors in February. If tubers are stored in peat or sand in a cool, frost proof place, they can be grown for years. Check bulbs during winter, and if shriveling, sprinkle lightly.

Gladiolus. Summer-flowering with spear like leaves and many hued spikes. Corms can be planted in containers outdoors after danger of frost is passed. Set them six inches apart and four to six inches deep. Plant several containers every two to three weeks and there will be a succession of blooms. Stake stems before flowers open. After the leaves turn brown, or there is a frost, lift corms, cut off foliage and store them in a dry place at 45 to 55 degrees F.

Lilies. Gorgeous and hardy, with blooms in many colors. It is now possible to have a lily container garden, with flowers from Spring to Fall. Lilies can be planted in fall, like daffodils and tulips, and they will also flower from bulbs set out in early spring. In cold regions, the rules for Dutch bulbs outdoors in winter apply also to lilies, which do well in large planters, two feet wide and two feet deep. Group several of one variety for a good effect. Plant smaller sizes in individual six or eight inch pots to be wintered in cold frames. Plant larger sizes in eight or ten inch pots. After flowering put containers out of sight while stalks ripen.

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