CARE TIPS FOR SUMMER FLOWERING BULBS

No garden would be complete without a few summer flowering bulbs growing side by side in the perennial border or planter. This group consists of the various types of lilies including the Callas and Cannas as well as Dahlias and Caladiums. To ensure that they look their best each needs slightly different treatment as is explained in this article by Heather which I found on the American Meadows website.

Picking out the types and colors of summer blooming bulbs is the fun part! Keeping them happy and thriving is the hard part but it doesn?t have to be. In fact, with a few easy tips, you can have beautiful summer blooming bulbs that last for an entire season.

Fertilize

When growing summer blooming bulbs it’s important to give them the specific nutrients they need. Since they all require different fertilizing needs as an overview its best to fertilize in late spring. Be careful not to over fertilize, as you will get beautiful green foliage plants but no blossoms. We recommend an organic fertilizer that is slow releasing. ?Apply fertilizer to the soil when planting and re- apply around the plant to prevent burning. We went into specifics below on how to encourage growth and blossoms for the most common summer blooming bulbs.

Calla Lilies -??Before planting?calla lily bulbs mix a 20-20-20 fertilizer (or as similar as possible)?in the soil. ?Once planted, fertilize as the plant breaks the ground, and re-apply every 2 weeks for 8 weeks. Once it starts blooming stop fertilizing. If the leaves on the plant have very dark tips, cut back on the fertilizer. Add coffee grounds between fertilizing rounds around the base of the plants to encourage growth. Calla lilies like acidic soil and coffee grounds add?acidity.

Canna Lilies – When planting Canna lily?rhizomes into a garden or container add 12-4-8 fertilizer to the soil. (Check fertilizer for instructions on amounts).?Make sure to mix fertilizer into the soil and then add plants. Fertilize once a month beginning one month after planting. Once Canna Lilies are established add 5-10-5 fertilizer to the soil until late summer. ?Fertilizing to late in the summer encourages tender new growth that is more susceptible to cold damage.

Dahlias – Dahlias tubers are easy to grow and to take care of. ?Plant dahlia tubers with bone meal. Make sure to mix the bone meal into the soil before planting the tuber. ?Once dahlias are planted, and the first flower bud appears on the plant, apply a low nitrogen fertilizer (5-10-10) to soil. ?Usually within 30 days of being planted. ?One application of fertilizer is usually adequate if the plants are in rich, fast draining soil.