Potluck Fruit Punch Bulb Mix

Planting Instructions for Potluck Fruit Punch Bulb Mix

1. When to Plant: Plant the Potluck Fruit Punch Bulb Mix in spring after your last frost, once the soil has warmed. Most of these 30 bulbs are tender summer bloomers, so waiting for warm soil prevents rot and cold damage. Plant each bulb type according to its own depth and spacing needs.
2. Choosing the Right Location: Choose a sunny spot with at least 6 hours of direct light daily and well-draining soil. The Double Dark Red begonias appreciate a little shade, so tuck them where they get afternoon shade while the gladioli, lilies, liatris, freesias, callas, and dahlias go in the sunniest area.
3. Planting Depth and Spacing: Plant most bulbs at roughly two to three times their height. Set the gladioli and dahlias 4 to 6 inches deep, the Oriental lilies about 6 inches deep, the calla lilies and liatris 2 to 4 inches deep, and the freesias and begonias just 1 to 2 inches deep. Give larger dahlias and lilies more room than the slender gladioli.
4. Watering After Planting: Water thoroughly after planting to settle the soil, then keep it lightly moist but never soggy until shoots emerge. Tubers and rhizomes in particular can rot if the soil stays wet and cool before growth begins.

Care Instructions

1. Watering: Keep the soil evenly moist through the growing season, watering deeply at the base of the plants. Check containers and sunny beds more often in hot weather, and add a layer of mulch to hold moisture and keep roots cool.
2. Fertilizing: Feed with a balanced fertilizer every few weeks during active growth to support continuous waves of bloom. Avoid high-nitrogen products, which favor leaves over flowers, and stop feeding in late summer.
3. Staking: Stake the tall gladioli, Oriental lilies, and dahlias, especially in windy spots. Insert stakes early in the season, a few inches from the stems, so you do not pierce the bulbs, and tie loosely as they grow.
4. Pest Monitoring: Check plants weekly for thrips on gladioli, red lily beetles on lilies, slugs on begonias and young dahlias, and aphids on new growth. Handpick larger pests, rinse off aphids, and remove damaged foliage promptly.

After Blooming

1. Foliage Care: The mix blooms in waves from summer through fall, so deadhead spent flowers to keep the show going. Leave foliage in place until it yellows naturally or is killed by frost, since the leaves feed the bulbs for next year.
2. Lifting and Storing: These bulbs can return each year in USDA zones 8 to 10. In colder zones, lift the tender gladioli, dahlias, callas, freesias, and begonias in fall, let them dry, and store them somewhere cool and dry. The liatris and Oriental lilies are much more cold hardy and can usually stay in the ground.

Additional Tips for Growing Potluck Fruit Punch Bulb Mix

1. Growing in Containers: Grow the mix in large, deep containers with drainage holes on patios and balconies. Place shorter begonias and freesias toward the edges with taller gladioli and lilies in the center, and water containers more often than garden beds.
2. Cut Flowers: Gladioli and liatris add tall spikes, dahlias and lilies add big blooms, callas bring sleek elegance, and freesias add sweet fragrance. Cutting regularly also encourages the dahlias to produce more flowers.
3. Pet Safety: This mix is not safe for cats because it includes Roberta Oriental Lilies, which are extremely toxic to cats and can cause kidney failure. Several other bulbs can also upset pets' stomachs, so plant away from areas cats can reach. The mix cannot ship to Arizona or Oregon.