Planting Bulbs In Pots (How I Grew Tulips In My Garage!)
Fall is here! And just as I’m getting pretty tired of watering the garden, I’m looking forward to a VERY easy gardening project that has such a beautiful pay-off come spring.
Planting bulbs in pots is one of my absolute favorite fall gardening tasks because it requires almost-zero care once the fall bulbs are tucked in their containers.
It’s such a fun and creative process choosing which bulbs to order. There are so many gorgeous options! And planting bulbs in pots really couldn’t be easier.
*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions and recommendations are my own.
Planting Bulbs In Pots: When To Plant?
If you live in a cooler climate (zones 4-7), fall-planted bulbs (spring-bloomers) can be planted in the ground as soon as the soil cools and evening temperatures average about 40° to 50°F. You want at least 6 to 8 weeks before the ground soil freezes. The bulb planting schedule generally looks as follows:
- Zones 4 & 5: Late September through October
- Zones 6 & 7: October through November
However, planting bulbs in containers is even more flexible and forgiving. For example, we live north of Chicago (Zone 5b) and I planted bulbs in containers in mid-DECEMBER (!) and still had an amazing spring bulb display. It was on my to-do list, but with 5 young kids running around the house during a global pandemic, my September “to-do list” easily turned into my December “you-finally-did-it!” list. So I’ll still take it as a win.
Fall-planted bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and grape hyacinths (muscari), need a “chill period” if planting in pots. But be careful, because a “freezing” period may be too much for the bulbs to handle, especially if they’re not snug in the ground. Soil temperatures in pots left outside in a Zone 5 winter can easily be 20° colder. I have not had much luck with bulbs planted in containers that stayed outside during our Chicago winters, but the bulbs in pots that were properly “overwintered” in our garage turned out AMAZING!
Where and How To Overwinter Bulbs In Pots
If you live in a cooler zone, where winters may be too harsh for bulbs in pots left outside during winter, it is vital that the bulbs receive their “chill period” in a proper location- a cool attached garage is ideal, as well as a cool attic or even a chilly basement.
Nearly all fall-planted bulbs need a certain number of hours of their day below 48° F. An attached garage meets that requirement, yet protects the delicate bulbs from the freeze and damage that is likely to occur outside.
An ideal spot within an attached (but NOT heated) garage is in a shady corner, on a shelf, against a wall, since heat rises and the house radiates heat. This will provide a bit of warmth in the middle of a cold winter (but the garage stays chilly).
But don’t overthink it, if placing containers shoved in a corner of the garage is your only option- go for it! Your first spring should be a trial-and-error process. See what works. You’ll know more for the following fall what your climate can handle.
A detached garage may be too cold in the coldest climates, but it is always worth a shot if that is your only option. Results may vary per zone, for example, a Zone 6 gardener may find luck with tulips in pots overwintered in a detached garage, but may not have as much luck with hyacinths (which are not as cold-hardy as most tulips).
If you’re in a warmer zone such as 8, 9, and 10 (possibly Zone 7 depending on the climate)— you’ll need to “pre-chill” your potted bulbs in the refrigerator (not freezer) for 8-10 weeks before planting them. And if you live in a cooler zone, you can try the refrigerator method as well!
Because bulbs planted in pots require little care during the overwintering time period, be sure not to overwater them! This isn’t a house plant. Giving a small drink every few weeks is sufficient. Again, in a busy house with kids I probably watered them every 3-4 weeks with leftover water from my kids’ water bottles and that was enough!
Choosing Your Fall-Planted Bulbs
Now for the fun part! There are so many gorgeous fall-planted, spring-blooming bulbs to choose from whether they are tulips, daffodils, grape hyacinths/muscari, hyacinths, and many others.
While local garden centers carry bulbs, you’ll have a much better selection from online retailers. And unlike most perennials and annuals that you’d pick up from the garden center, you can actually save money by ordering fall-planted bulbs online, as they’re often discounted by bulk order. I’ve ordered from Dutch Grown, Color Blends, and Longfield Gardens, all of which have had very healthy bulbs that have bloomed beautifully come spring.
Tulips In Pots
Tulips in pots just sing spring! They’re the quintessential springtime flower that just makes you happy after a long winter.
Here are some of my absolute favorite tulips:
- Margarita Tulip (stunning mix between a bright purple and bright pink, double tulip)
- Blue Diamond Tulip (beautiful purple with tint of blue, double tulip)
- Candy Prince Tulip (soft pale lilac, single tulip)
- READ MORE HERE ABOUT BEAUTIFUL PURPLE TULIPS LISTED
- Avant Garde Tulip (buttery soft pale yellow, double tulip)
- READ MORE HERE ABOUT THE STUNNING AVANT GARDE TULIPS
- Mount Tacoma Tulip (creamy white, double tulip)
- Snow Crystal Tulip (fringed-edge white, double tulip)
- Clearwater Tulips (classic white, single tulip)
Daffodils In Pots
Daffodils in pots make a wonderful flower display come spring. There is something so cheery about a daffodil!
Here are some of my favorite daffodils:
- Erlicheer Daffodil (gorgeous creamy pale yellow, almost buttery white)
- Delnashaugh Daffodil (beautiful fluffy peachy-apricot-pink)
Grape Hyacinths In Pots
I love, love, love to grow grape hyacinths in pots! You can fit those little bulbs into the tiniest of containers, and very early spring will welcome you with the sweetest little blue florets.
These are some of my favorite grape hyacinths (muscari):
- Muscari Armeniacum (a stunning cobalt blue)
- Muscari Valerie Finnis (a beautiful soft delicate light blue)
Hyacinths in Pots
The lovely scent of hyacinths is reason alone to plant hyacinths in pots! From large floret stalks of crisp white or deep blues, hyacinths really bring a *pop* to the garden.
Here are some of my favorite hyacinths:
- Carnegie Hyacinth (striking crisp white)
- Blue Jacket Hyacinth (stunning deep purple-blue hue)
- Blue Eyes Hyacinth (delicate softer pale blue-lilac hue)
How To Plant Bulbs In Pots
Once you have your fall bulbs, it’s time to plant! Choose any pot or container but consider the size of the flower come spring. I used very small pots for grape hyacinths, which only grow a few inches tall, but a larger pot for my tulips and daffodils.
I actually did a DIY bulb container project by painting leftover plastic plant containers that would’ve just been thrown in the recycling bin- and used those for one of my spring bulb displays! They’re SO much lighter to lug around than a traditional planter, plus you can pop it into a heavier planter when flowers start to bloom.
Steps On How To Plant Bulbs In Pots:
- Wear gardening gloves
- Add potting soil/compost that fills about 60-70% of your container if planting tulips or daffodils (this leaves room for roots to grow)
- If planting hyacinths or grape hyacinths, fill about 80-90% with potting soil/compost
- Sprinkle in some bulb tone into the soil (optional, but helpful!)
- Add bulbs (pointed side up), closely together, but not touching
- Finish adding the remaining 30-40% of potting soil in your container if growing tulips or daffodils
- Hyacinth bulbs and grape hyacinth bulbs can be planted closer to the surface of the soil, with about a 10% soil coverage
- Water through and drain out any excess water
- If you get sneaky mice in your garage, sprinkle a top layer of crushed red pepper flakes to deter those critters!
- Note: grape hyacinths/muscari grow so small that their bulbs can be planted very shallow in a very small container, whereas tulips and daffodils are taller and need a larger container and more soil above the bulb
Try A Bulb Lasagne (Planting Bulbs In Pots In Layers)
A bulb lasagne is essentially planting bulbs in pots in layers so bloom time is maximized. The key here is to plant an early blooming bulb with a later blooming bulb, in different levels of the soil.
Spring Is Here!
If everything goes as planned, foliage will start to emerge above the soil. Once the foliage is a few inches tall, and spring temperatures have started to warm up, gradually move your containers into a partially sunny spot. Ease your way into full sun, if possible. I actually moved the pots out into the daytime sun, but brought them back inside in the evening when we had an unusually chilly spring with freezing evening temps, just to be safe.
But again, don’t overthink it. Those bulbs are pretty hardy and have had a long winter of forming a solid root system. Display your pots for a lovely springtime display to enjoy!
And don’t forget to bring some gorgeous cut flowers inside to enjoy!
Good luck and happy planting!
