Garden Club of Cape Coral | Growing bulbs that thrive in Southwest Florida
By CATHY DUNN
news@breezenewspapers.com
If you moved to Southwest Florida from a northern state, you might be thinking, “It’s time to plant some bulbs!” You probably remember planting blooms such as tulips and daffodils, which are such familiar harbingers of spring in colder climates. But these types of bulbs are problematic in Southwest Florida because they require an extended period of cool dormancy to trigger their blooms. It is possible to have tulips in Florida if you purchase bulbs that have been “pre-chilled” for two to four months and plant them in the winter, but chances are that the hot Florida sun will cause your flowers to decline rapidly and the bulbs rarely bloom again.
Rather than trying to force a non-tropical plant to flourish in the wrong environment, you should try your hand at growing bulbs that thrive in Southwest Florida. There are many varieties of bulbs that can be added to your garden that will provide not only a colorful addition to your landscape, but blooms that can be used in indoor arrangements. And the bulb’s long, strappy foliage also provides an interesting contrast in your garden.
What exactly is a bulb? A bulb is basically a thickened underground storage organ that allows a dormant plant to survive unfavorable environmental conditions. Bulbs provide storage for nutrients and water during dormancy and in stressful periods, such as cold, heat or drought. In Southwest Florida, most bulbs thrive in sunny locations but some bulbs, such as caladiums, will tolerate partial shade. Gardeners can choose from a wide variety of tropical and subtropical bulbs, including agapanthus, amaryllis, cannas, crinum lilies, crocosmia, hurricane lily, rain lilies and spider lily.
To ensure success, your garden site should be well-drained and improved with organic matter, such as peat moss or compost. Make sure your bulb is right side up when you plant it; the bulb will have a smooth tip and a rough underside, which is the root area of the bulb. Follow the cultural instructions for the proper depth and distance between bulbs and the fertilizer requirements for your bulb. Some bulbs, such as amaryllis, will produce seed heads after flowering; if these seed heads remain on the plant, it will take some of the bulb’s energy and you will have less flowers the next year. It is always a good practice to “dead head” your blooms after they fade; this will help the bulb preserve energy for the next blooming period. But do not cut off the yellowing leaves of your bulbs; the leaves provide food and energy for the bulb and removing the leaves before they are completely brown and withered will deplete your bulb’s storage capacity.
When should you plant bulbs? Some bulbs can be planted now in the fall, including gladiola, which will produce blooms about three months after planting. To extend the blooming period, try planting the bulbs at two-week intervals to enjoy the colorful spikes of bright blooms longer in the late winter/early spring. Amaryllis bulbs, also known as the “Florida tulip,” are widely available before the holidays for indoor blooms. You can find these bulbs at the big box stores, as well as at specialty nurseries. Every year I grow these bulbs in pots for indoor blooms at Christmas, and then I transfer them to the garden where they will multiply and bloom in the spring — though usually not the first year after you plant them.
The University of Florida provides excellent information on growing bulbs, with recommendations on the various bulbs that thrive in our climate, as well as planting tips and detailed publications on bulbs. Visit edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_bulbous_flowers for more information.
I hope that you have been encouraged to try some bulbs in your landscape; they are low maintenance additions to your gardens that will reward you with spectacular and unusual blooms for many years!
Cathy Dunn is a member of the Garden Club of Cape Coral, a Lee County Master Gardener volunteer and past president of the James E. Hendry Hibiscus Chapter. For more information, visit gardenclubofcapecoral.com. Like us on Facebook and Instagram.