When we’re talking about flowering bulbs, you usually have to wait weeks or even months to see a bloom.
Bulbs can include true bulbs, tubers, or tuberous roots.
Usually, people want to know when to plant bulbs and which bulbs can they plant by month.
You can plant different bulbs by each month to have a flowering surprise on occasion all year long. Spring bulbs are planted in the fall, summer bulbs in the spring, and there are some bulbs that can be planted late winter for spring blooms. You also need to consider which zone you are in, as the climate is a consideration.
Check out the following flowering bulbs by month.
1. January
You’re gonna want to get most of your spring-blooming bulbs in the ground in the fall, but there are a select three that you can plant through January.
If you plant them too early, you run the risk of them rotting in the ground, and sometimes, they may even think they are in spring and try to bloom.
Spring bloomers require the cold to chill them in the ground prior to blooming.
If you plant in the fall, it gives them plenty of time to chill and sprout in the spring. You could plant later in winter, such as January, as long as you can dig the hole deep enough.
This allows them to bloom later in spring. They will grow their roots in early spring before they bloom.
One more thing to keep in mind is that if you plant bulbs in late January, you might only get smaller blooms.
On the flip side, they might be better protected from animal consumption, since the ground freezes quicker.
There are many ways to improve your bulbs you have planted in January per the following:
- Place a piece of plastic over them and refrigerate them until they completely sprout then plant them late spring.
- If there is snow, dig through it! The surface is usually frozen, but loose under the snow.
- You can store your bulbs also until you can plant up, in a cool place, it’s usually also dry.
The best bulbs to plant in January:
- Daffodils
- Tulips
2. February
You probably plant summer-flowering bulbs in spring but there are a few that you would plant in February.
You just have to make sure you have some light and that the soil drains.
No heavy or wet soil. It is acceptable to pot the bulb if the soil is heavy and wet.
Most bulbs like it cool so you want to plant them when the weather is still cold. If it is warm it is unlikely that they will grow.
They need about six weeks of cool, but if you are in many climates it should be just fine.
Here are just a few summer-blooming bulbs that you can plant in February;
- Lilies
- Eucomis
- Liatris
- Agapanthus
- Galtonia
You can also plant a few spring-blooming bulbs in February.
Your bloom may not be as small, but it can mesh well with your other flowers.
If you have not yet planted the spring bloom bulbs. Then you can try any of these;
- Daffodils
- Tulips
- Hyacinth
- Snowdrop
- Crocus
3. March
March finally comes around and in a lot of places, its time to get outside and enjoy the garden again. Your daffodils may start blooming, and you can get your garden ready for summer. One of the reasons people like bulbs is they have flowers blooming all year long.
March is time to start planting your summer bulbs, too. remember some of the summer bulbs won’t like the early spring weather, but the following are great options:
- Lilies
- Begonias
- Gladioli
- Ranunculus
- Roses
By the time the end of March comes, if you are starting to regard spring weather, you can plant some of your summer bulbs. Any of the above are great options.
4. April
Putting your summer bulbs in the ground can happen as soon as you know the chance of frost has passed.
With your spring-blooming bulbs livening up your garden, you can get your summer bulbs planted.
Summer bulbs are low maintenance and just as easy to plant as regular bulbs and you can fill your garden beds with them. Once they bloom, your garden is going to look amazing!
You will want to select bulbs that are appropriate for your climate but here are some great flowering bulbs you can plant in April:
- Oriental lilies
- Asiatic lilies
- Crocosmia
- Hardy begonia
- Chinese ground orchids
5. May
Starting your summer bulbs can happen as early as May.
You can plant summer bulbs in the ground of your garden, but some people pot them up to get a head start.
If you live in a climate that still has a chance of frost, wait until frost has passed to plant them inside.
Summer bulbs are not as hardy as spring bulbs, and you want to make sure the ground is warm when you put them outside.
In May, for a lot of areas, the ground and soil are ready for summer bulbs.
You can plant any of the following in May:
- Asiatic lily
- Begonia
- Caladium
- Calla lily
- Canna lily
- Crocosmia
- Dahlia
- Elephant ear
- Gladiolus
- Gloriosa lily
6. June
Some folks think you’re not supposed to plant in your garden after Memorial Day, that’s not the case.
You can plant bulbs in June for a late-summer bloom.
In some areas of the country, the ground warms slightly before June and nights are still cool enough to plant bulbs. Just be sure to get them planted in time for a bloom before frost!
Try planting these bulbs in June:
- Dahlias
- Gladiolus
- Canna lilies
- Begonias
- Crocosmias
If you live in a cool climate, these are the bulbs to plant in June.
You’ll want to wait until the ground is in the 60s Fahrenheit; if it is cooler than that the bulbs may not do as well!
7. July
July’s here already! And well, summer shall soon come to an end so now is the time to get those autumn blooming bulbs planted.
It is vital to ensure that you have sufficient weather to grow good bulbs in your area. When planting autumn plant bulbs you should be able to look at your soil type and the characteristics of the bulbs you intend to plant to know if it is the right conditions for the bulbs to flourish and grow as they should.
Bulbs that bloom in the autumn, which can be planted in July include:
- Autumn crocus
- Calla lily
- Climbing lily
- Lily of the Nile
- Rain lily
- Summer hyacinth
- Peacock orchid
You should use firm, and good sized bulbs and plant them to the correct depth. Usually you plant Bulbs to a depth of three times the height of the bulb itself.
You should make sure that the “pointy” or growth point side of the bulb is “up”.
Works well: If you can improve your soil with compost to make for better growing conditions, you should get some great blooms from your bulbs. Don’t forget to water when you plant.
8. August
Spring tulips are among the most gorgeous bulbs, but they need to get planted before the ground freezes.
Most use to say that they should be planted in the fall. The bulbs have to have the cold chilling of the ground over the winter so they can bloom.
Some spring blooming bulbs need the ground temperature to be 40 degrees or less for a minimum of 12 to 14 weeks.
The cold actually stimulates the bulbs so they can know they will form flowers, if they grow their roots, the bulb and its constituents become better, firm, compact, flowering bulbs.
Most of the bulbs that bloom in the spring are going to need cold temperatures so that their roots will develop properly.
Some bulbs you can’t even plant in August because they will start to sprout too early and use up energy they need during winter.
If you are in the coldest of climate zones or if extreme heat is not an issue for the roots hair plants, some bulbs you can plant in August.
The issue is the temperatures. Most use to say, that colder is better to 40 or less, but in warmer climate zones, you may want to hold them or chill them until later in the autumn somewhere cool in the fridge.
Even though you will want to wait or chill your bulbs, there are few interesting options. If you live in a colder climate, you can plant the following spring blooming bulb in late August.
- Daffodils are first bloomers, and if you can plant them early and in a cold climate just gives daffodils more time to establish their roots so they can grow in the spring.
Because August is the time of year to order your spring bulbs so keeps orders when it is time for planting.
People often order their tulip bulbs in August and chill those bulbs until they could plant them.
9. September
If you live in a cooler climate, go ahead and put in some of your spring-blooming bulbs in September.
Having all fall and the winter in the ground gives time for some of those bulbs the opportunity to make a strong root system and get ready for a big bloom in the spring.
The best bulbs to plant in September are:
- Daffodils
- Tulips
- Fritillaria
These three bloom the earliest and can go in the ground in September if you live in a colder climate.
10. October
October is usually when most of us put our spring bulbs in the ground.
October is probably the best month to plant spring bulbs because the weather has cooled down in many areas of the country, you can get them in the ground in time for the bulbs to get chilled and establish roots before spring.
You can put any of your spring bulbs in the ground in October.
Some of the more popular spring bulbs are:
- Daffodils
- Tulips
- Hyacinth
- Bluebell
- Dwarf iris
- Snowdrop
- Crocus
11. November
November is also the month to plant your spring bulbs.
And no worries if the ground is frozen…while the top may be frozen, you can dig down into the ground below freeze depth, and put in your bulbs.
They’ll have time to sleep, time to grow their roots, and then bloom.
You can plant any of the following spring bulbs in November:
- Daffodils
- Tulips
- Hyacinth
- Dwarf iris
- Snowdrops
- Crocus
- Other spring bulbs
12. December
People generally believe that December is too late to be planting bulbs.
But that is not true. If you have not seen snow and you have not had your first frost, you are safe to plant your spring bulbs.
They may bloom a tad later than those planted in fall, but there is still plenty of time for them to have their chill and root growth before they bloom.
Starting in late December, people will stagger their bulb planting intentionally so that they can have a constant change in their garden in the spring. Your bulbs may grow a little later than bulbs planted earlier in the fall.
In December you can be successful at planting:
- Daffodils
- Tulips
Should You Pre-Chill Your Bulbs?
There’s always the question of whether people should pre-chill their bulbs or not.
This applies to spring bulbs because they will have to undergo cold dormancy before they can grow.
In cold climates, pre-chilling is not a worry unless someone ordered their bulbs early.
For example, some people will order tulips and daffodils in August, and pre-chill them until they are ready to plant.
In warmer climates, you’ll need to pre-chill your spring bulbs to replicate being in the cold ground.
You will pre-chill them by putting them in the refrigerator at 40 or 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
Quick Tip: Be sure that you are leaving them in there for the right amount of weeks for the bulb. Then you can plant them in the ground in the spring.
Conclusion
You can plant bulbs every month of the year, or you can make the decision a few times per year.
If you have a combination of early spring, late spring, early summer, later summer, and autumn blooming bulbs you can have color and life in your garden all year long.
When it comes to the spring bulbs compared to the summer blooming bulbs, they are different and have different needs.
Make sure you get the spring bulbs in the ground before the first frost.