Growing Bulbs in Containers
I am a new gardener and filled my deck with pots of annuals. They were beautiful and now I would like to try growing bulbs in my deck planters. Can I simply remove the dead annuals and replace them with tulip, daffodil and hyacinth bulbs?
Unfortunately it is not that easy. The small volume of soil in your pots will plunge below freezing and kill the bulbs. I recommend you purchase pre-cooled bulbs or purchase bulbs now and provide the needed chill. Spring flowering bulbs need 12 to 15 weeks of 35 to 45 degree temperatures to initiate flowers. You can either pot the bulbs in smaller containers with drainage holes filled with well-drained potting mix or leave them in their original package. I often pack them in peat moss inside a perforated plastic bag to reduce risk of rot. Store in a frost free, like a spare refrigerator, area where temperatures remain between 35 to 45 degrees. Keep the bulbs separate from apples and other mature fruit. In spring plant the bulbs in fresh soil or sink the pots in the balcony pots and enjoy your spring blooms.
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