Feeding Potted Bulbs

There are a few tricks and often a bit of confusion about feeding potted bulbs, or any bulbs for that matter. One thing to remember is that potted bulbs will usually need more food than bulbs planted in the ground, this is mainly because nutrients are more easily flushed out of pots.

It´s important to feed bulbs with liquid fertilisers right through the growth period, Thrive, Better Bloom and Miracle grow are all great and are particulary good for producing beautiful flowers. Don´t be afraid to give them a top dressing with a slow release fertiliser while they are flowering either, you could use Garden Gold, Osmocote, Sudden Impact for Roses, Strike Back for Orchids, Sulfate of Potash or Acticote, these are all excellent.

As the bulbs start to die down, Don´t cut off the foliage and dont think the fun is over. Bulbs still need nutrirents at this time, they are sucking the nutrients out of their leaves and storing it the bulb for growth next year. Around February next year is when the flower bud is formed in its embryo stage at the base of the bulb. If the bulb did not receive sufficient nutrients in spring, the bud may not form or may be weak or undersize.