The summer heat is gone, and your bulbs are just beginning to develop some foliage as they get started on producing a brilliant show of color and form. But something is definitely wrong! Although you may see flower bulbs coming out of the ground, and it might be not a problem, there is still a chance of frost and freezing conditions. You are wondering why your flower bulbs are coming to the surface.
The heaving of bulbs is quite common and happens often. It may be the result of certain weather conditions, planting depth, soil porosity, or just the kind of plant. You must act to preserve the bulbs from freezing and animals and learn how to keep bulbs from coming out of the ground.
Heaving Reasons
If you wonder what causes flower bulbs to be pushed up from underground, there are a couple of reasons this may be happening. On https://florium.com/ you can find information on each flower bulb to ensure you plant them correctly. If you are looking for other reasons, this might be one of the following.
Soil Conditions
The first reason is that your soil may be too loose and not compacted enough. This can happen if you have amended your soil with too much organic matter, or you have tilled it too deeply. When the soil is too loose, it doesn’t hold the bulbs in place as tightly, and they may be pushed up to the surface.
To deal with this issue, you can try to compact the soil around the bulbs by using your hands or a small tamper. You can also try to add some mulch around the bulbs to help keep them in place. Make sure that you are watering the soil correctly. If the soil isn’t draining, it will become muddy, and bulbs may float up to the surface of the ground and get trapped as the water retreats.
Weather Conditions
Another reason for heaving is due to weather conditions. If you have had a lot of rain, the water can saturate the soil and cause the bulbs to rise to the surface. This is because wet soils are less dense and don’t hold onto things as dry soils.
It is not always possible to deal with this problem, so you need to ensure to prevent it while organizing your garden. You can try to improve drainage in your garden beds by adding grit or sand to help with excess water. You can also try to choose a drier spot in your garden to plant your bulbs.
If you have had a period of freezing weather, the ground may expand and push the bulbs to the surface. This is because water expands when it freezes and can cause the soil to heave. There is not much you can do about this except to try to replant the bulbs as soon as possible. Make sure to choose a spot that has good drainage and is not too wet.
Planting Depth
Another reason for heaving is that the bulbs were planted too shallow. If the bulbs are close to the surface, they may be pushed up by the freeze-thaw cycle. This happens when the ground freezes and then thaws, causing the soil to expand and contract. This can loosen the bulbs and cause them to rise to the surface. Moreover, while growing and expanding, the roots may push the bulb to the surface. Follow the instructions on planting depth for each plant to prevent this issue.
To prevent this, ensure to plant your bulbs at the correct depth. The general rule is to plant bulbs two to three times as deep as they are wide. So, if you have a bulb that is two inches wide, you would plant it four to six inches deep.
Types of Plants
Some plants are just more prone to heaving than others. This is because they have shallower roots or larger bulbs. Some examples of plants that are more likely to heave are:
- Anemone;
- Crocus;
- Gladiolus;
- Iris;
- Lily;
- Narcissus;
- Tulip.
If you are worried about your bulbs being pushed up, you can try to plant them in a deeper hole or add some mulch around the area to help keep them in place. You can also try to choose a spot more protected from the elements.
