Watering border with recently planted bulbs

[Longshanks]

Hi

We’ve planted tulips, allum speculum, dafs etc in bulbs in a recently created border. Instructions are to water after planting, but will I need to continue to water until the winter monsoons start?

Thanks

 

[Longshanks]

Allum siculum (spell checker?

 

[jj4091]

No plant and forget, as with most bulbs in the UK

 

[Longshanks]

Cheers.

 

[Gonsa]

I wouldn’t keep watering them on a fixed schedule throughout the autumn. The initial watering is mainly to settle the soil around the bulbs and encourage the roots to start developing. After that, natural rainfall will usually do most of the work.

The main thing is to check the soil rather than the calendar. If you have a particularly dry spell after planting, give the border a good watering, but avoid keeping it constantly wet as bulbs can be prone to rotting in waterlogged soil. Once the weather turns cooler and wetter, there’s usually little need for additional watering.

With tulips, alliums and daffodils planted together, I’d be more concerned about drainage than keeping them watered. As long as the soil doesn't dry out completely while they're establishing and excess water can drain away, they should be fine.

 

[ericmark]

Bluebells, daffodils etc, are basic deciduous woodland plants designed to do most of their growing before the trees are in leaf, and so expect reduced water as the trees get it first. But also protection from summer sun, afforded by the trees.

OK, I planted mine in the lawn, but basic they are plant and forget, but I would not mow the lawn where they were, until they had died back.