Spring bulbs in ground with perennials

jinnywu476 · August 2023

Hi everyone, I am new to gardening, so my question might sound silly. I am thinking ahead and will be planting spring bulbs in the ground soon, hoping cheer the borders up a bit in spring by planting them among the perennials. Just wondering how I should water the bulbs after they have died down and naturalized. As I understand, bulbs do not like be soaked with water as they might rot. So I am confused if I have planted them among the perrenials which needs regularly watering then they might be rotten by the spring after. Please help. Thank you.

Kili · August 2023

Bit early for spring bulbs best wait until late October/November if its Tulips or Daffodils.

AnniD · August 2023

I wouldn't worry too much about watering the bulbs. Mine return year after year without any extra water, even in a very dry Summer.

Fairygirl · August 2023

Hi @jinnywu476- it would only be a problem if you were planting bulbs that liked very different conditions from the perennials you had. For example - tulips like drier, free draining soil and sun, so you wouldn't have those in with perennials that need permanently moist soil and a shadier site, like Astilbes. Many tulips won't reliably return, and also the reticulata Irises, so it also depends on location and climate, as well as your soil. What bulbs are you thinking of planting? They'll be in shops and GCs soon, or even now, as well as lots online, but we can give you more help if you need it if you know what you fancy planting.

If you're in a hotter, drier area, and have heavy clay soil that dries out in summer, it's better to improve it so that it suits all your plants and bulbs better. Most daffs won't mind wetter soil, and neither will snowdrops, lily of the valley and crocus, but tulips won't like heavy wet soil over winter. I often lose the odd bulbs despite improving soil, simply because of weather conditions, but I don't have to worry about drought causing problems through summer, so it often comes down to working with what you have, choosing the site carefully, and improving the soil as well.
Not a silly question though. It can be difficult to judge when you look at the info available for many plants.

Busy-Lizzie · August 2023

My daffodils, camassias and alliums are fine with the perennials in the flower beds. When the perennials start growing in the spring they help to hide the messy bulb leaves as they die down.

TenN · August 2023

I don't think I've ever got bulbs right and then they come up. A bit of research into what likes your sort of conditions helps, also remembering where you've planted bulbs previously. Probably dug up more than I planted last year

Plantminded · August 2023

In cold, wet, winters bulbs are more likely to rot when temperatures are low, reducing evaporation from the soil surface. Other plants will also be dormant and not removing much water from the soil. If they're in pots, it's best to place them somewhere sheltered to keep them reasonably dry. During the growing season, I wouldn't be concerned about watering perennials if bulbs are nearby, provided your soil is free draining and not subject to waterlogging.

jinnywu476 · August 2023

Thank you so much for the kind tips. I am confused if I leave the bulbs in ground after flowering, which means they are dormant after dying, and the perennials will be alive and kicking, I would need to start watering the perennials, which means the bulbs nearby will also get watered which might be rotten if too wet? My bulb choices are daffodils, dwarf irises, alliums and tulips. I was also thinking of lasagne planting method in the ground. Probably won't work from the tips above, especially with tulips. Probably best planting in containers then??

Fairygirl · August 2023

I wouldn't worry too much @jinnywu476.
The dwarf irises and tulips need much better drainage than daffs, and alliums can be quite adaptable depending on type, so it depends on your soil and how moisture retentive it is, and what your weather is like.
Apart from when originally planting, you would really only be watering perennials if you had very light soil, and lived in a very, very dry area. If they're established plants , and are suitable for your soil, location and climate, they'll be ok.
Many people are now to adapt their planting in some areas because of long term drought, but that's a slightly different thing.
I've never liked the lasagne thing in pots, because they rarely look good unless very densely planted, and with only a couple of types, because of the problem of foliage dying back - you have to be very careful about which varieties of bulb you use. In the ground it's quite normal to have layers of bulbs because they vary in size. Crocus or snowdrops for example, wouldn't be planted as deeply as daffs, and it wouldn't affect their growth or flowering. I have lots of areas which have snowdrops and/or crocus, and there's daffs and fritillaries, and/or other perennials, in the same spot

jinnywu476 · August 2023

Thanks again!!! Very helpful tips indeed and hope for the best

Fairygirl · August 2023

I generally do tulips in containers, as it's hard to get good drainage in winter here, even in raised beds. I can put them against the house walls to protect them a bit.
Some varieties are better than others in terms of reliability, and the species tulips are the best for being perennial if they have the right conditions

Spring bulbs in ground with perennials

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