HOW TO PLANT FRITILLARY BULBS

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How to plant Fritillaria bulbs

The genus Fritillaria is home to some of the most gorgeous and exotic bulbs know to European gardeners. Brightly coloured, architectural and ephemeral there is little that can compete with their fleeting splendour. However they can be tricky to grow, subject to the whims of the lily beetle and prone to rotting in the soil. So to get the best out of plants, how do you plant Fritillary bulbs?

How to plant Fritillary bulbs
To begin with you need to choose the right site as the majority of ornamental Fritillaria species and cultivars will require full sun, good drainage and positioned out the way of the extreme weather. If your plants do not receive sunlight for as much of the day as possible they will also struggle to flower. In fact your newly planted bulbs will often struggle to bloom in their first year if they are not big enough so don't make it harder for them by planting in a shady  or semi-shaded site. 

The second issue with planting fritillary bulbs is to get them in the ground without killing them later on. On the whole, Fritillaries' need good drainage as the bulbs can be prone to fungal rots. So if you do not have perfectly drained soil you will need to improve it by adding in and mixing a good amount of horticultural grit. This is also an excellent opportunity to add bone meal or fish blood and bone fertilisers to the soil below the bulbs so that the root system  can get access to valuable nutrients during the growing season. Furthermore it is a good policy to plant the bulbs on their side as water can settle in the crown increasing the risk of fungal infection. In poorly drained soils consider creating a mound to plant into to ensure that drainage is good however be aware that some Fritillaries will require a planting depth of approximately 30 cm deep!

Did I mention the optimal panting period for Fritillaria species and cultivars? No, well the end of the summer to the beginning of the autumn would be best.

For related articles click onto the following links:

Dracunculus vulgaris - The Dragonlily
HOW TO GROW THE CROWN IMPERIAL LILY
HOW TO GROW THE FOXTAIL LILY
HOW TO GROW FRITILLARIA IMPERIALIS FROM SEED
HOW TO GROW THE SNAKE'S HEAD FRITILLARY - Fritillaria meleagris
HOW TO PLANT LILY BULBS
How to Grow Native Wild Primroses and Polyanthus from Seed
How to Propagate and Grow Mistletoe
How to Propagate Box Hedging
How to Propagate the Snake's Head Fritillary
LILIUM NEPALENSE - The Lily of Nepal
Native Pond Plants
Old English Plants - Polyanthus 'Gold Lace'
RHS Snake Head Fritillary
THE GLORY LILY - Gloriosa rothschildiana

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