Bulbs for Round the Year Flowers in Pakistan
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Miss Sitwat Riaz, Dr. Adnan Younis, Dr. Atif Riaz
It is difficult to have a satisfying ornamental garden without taking advantage of the wide variety of flowering bulb. Many bulbs have the color impact of annuals and the staying power of perennials.
The bulb is one of the nature’s ingenious inventions. The big attraction to bulbs among home gardeners is the ease with which they can be planted and the high probability that they will flower the following season without a lot of care.
While we speak generally about a whole family of flowers as “bulbs”, chances are there the one we are thinking about just might not be true bulb. Therefore bulbous plants are generally divided into following groups;
- Bulbs: Flower bulbs are generally tear drop shaped, with a pointed top and a round bottom. The outer skin is dark brown and paper like. E.g. Amaryllis, Daffodils, Hyacinth, Iris and Tulip.
- Corms: Corms are similar to bulbs. The corm is shorter and rounded than bulbs, with a concave bottom. The outer skin is brown and hard. It does not separate easily from the rest bulb. They usually have a flat top. E.g. Elephant’s ear, Freesia, Gladiolus.
- Tuber/Rhizome: Plants with a root like stem. The enlarged stem grows underground, sending roots down and stem & leaves upward. Propagation is by dividing the tubers into separate parts with at least one eye. E.g. Caladium, Iris, Tuberose.
- Tuberous Roots: tuberous roots are similar to rhizomes, except it is a true root. The enlarged roots send out stem and leaves. Propagation is accomplished by separating the roots. E.g. Dahlia, Day lily, Anemone, Ranunculus.
Bulbs for Round the Year Flowers
Gladiolus is sown in Sep to Dec and it gives flowering in Nov to Jan. The shelf life is 10-15 days. It is available in red, pink, and purple and in yellow colors.
Tube Rose is sown in Feb to April and it gives flowering in May to August. The shelf life is 10-15 days. It is available in white color.
Ranunculus is sown in Sep to Oct and it gives flowering in March to April. The shelf life is 10-15 days. It is available in red, pink, and white and in yellow colors.
Hyacinth is sown in Oct to Dec and it gives flowering in May to June. The shelf life is 10-13 days. It is available in red, pink, and purple and in white colors.
Daffodils are sown in Sep to Oct and it gives flowering in Dec to Jan. The shelf life is 10-12 days. It is available in white and yellow colors.
Tulips are sown in Sep to Oct and it gives flowering in Jan to Feb. The shelf life is 8-10 days. It is available in red, pink, and purple, yellow, white and in double colors.
Dahlia is sown in Sep to Oct and it gives flowering in Jan to April. The shelf life is 8-10 days. It is available in red, pink, and purple, yellow, bronze, lavender and in dual colors.
Lilium is sown in Nov to Dec and it gives flowering in March to April. The shelf life is 15-20 days. It is available in Asiatic white and Oriental pink colors.
Amaryllis is sown in Feb and it gives flowering in May. The shelf life is 15 days. It is available in red and pink colors.
Iris is sown in Sep to Oct and it gives flowering in Dec to March. The shelf life is 8-10 days. It is available in blue color.
Anemone is sown in Sep to Oct and it gives flowering in Dec to Jan. The shelf life is 15 days. It is available in red and yellow colors.
Day Lilly is sown in March and it gives flowering in June to July. The shelf life is 8-10 days. It is mostly available in yellow color but sometimes available in white and orange colors.
