Indoor Garden: Using Bulbs to Grow Flowers

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Indoor Garden: Using Bulbs to Grow Flowers

Staff Writer · Sep 21, 2010

An easy way to start your indoor garden is to use garden bulbs to grow flowers. It’s hard to mess up flowers when you grow them from bulbs, but you can go wrong with seeds if you’re a novice. Here’s what you need to know about using bulbs to grow flowers:

Bulb Condition

You wouldn’t buy fruit that looked rotten in different spots, or ones that felt soft when it should be firm. The same is true when you garden. Bulbs should be firm. You don’t want any bulbs that feel soft in spots or look rotten. You can’t examine flower bulbs when you buy them from an online garden store, and returning bulbs can be a hassle. Ask the details about the return policy before you purchase any bulbs online. You want assurance that they’ll refund your money if the bulbs arrive in less than good condition. Buying bulbs locally is best if they’re available.

Bulb Organization

Keep your bulbs organized before you plant them, if you’re planting different flowers. Otherwise, you’ll get confused about what you have. Choose a cool area in your apartment, and a spot that’s free of humidity to store your bulbs. Keep them in the original packaging with the labels until you actually plant the bulbs in containers.

Bulb in Containers

Flowers are easy to include in a container garden. Bulbs needs well watered soil, but it has to be drained well too. Make sure you have drainage in any containers you choose. You can make your own containers, by recycling things after you use them, but you have to drill or cut holes in the containers if you want to grow your flowers successfully. You’ll also have to plan a way way to “catch” the water when it drains, because you’re growing flowers indoors. When you don’t collect the water properly, it can lead to damaged floors, carpets and electronics.

Bulbs Don’t Require Compost

If you plan to try your hand at vegetable gardening too, you’re going to have to use compost to give the vegetables the nutrients it needs to grow. Fertilizers are chemical based, and many renters tend to stay away from using it on their foods. You don’t need either for growing flower bulbs, the first time around. When you decide which bulbs you’d like to continue growing, you can research the nutrients needed for the particular flower to make sure it has a great chance of growing back on its own.

Designing with Bulbs

When you plant your bulbs in containers, bunch them up together. Avoid planting them in a row, like in a window sill planter, because they won’t look as full and you won’t maximize space that way. Circular containers work well, but linear containers work fine if you plant bulbs in clusters. Plant flowers with different colors together. For example, plant red tulips with white tulips, instead of planting them in separate containers. When planned for, your flowers can be a design element in your apartment decor.

You’ll have fun and success with your garden when using bulbs to grow flowers. Try bulbs first, before you attempt to grow flowers from seeds.

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