Spring tulip bulbs

I would give them an initial watering to moisten the compost, then leave them to be watered naturally.

Tulip bulbs don't actually need to be planted this early. November would do. (Just in case anyone is panicking that they haven't got theirs in yet 😆)

What MaizieD says.
I plant tulip bulbs in mid November in pots.They’ll get enough rain to keep the compost moist.
As you have already planted them then just keep an eye on them.

Good to buy the bulbs early tho as the best ones often go first in garden centres.Just store until you plant them.

What MaizieD and Oreo said.

If it's a very wet winter, I wouldn't stand them in a plant saucer.

If you have squirrels, watch out - they love them!

I didn’t get round to planting my bulbs until January a couple of years ago. I was surprised they all came up although they were flowering from April into June while everyone else had moved onto roses and clematis.

The packaging said plant from August to November, so I thought I'd do them when I got a fine day. I'm very much a fair-weather gardener, I'm afraid.

Any hints as to how I can keep the squirrels away please?

Not sure this will work with Squrell's but I put Chicken Wire over my pots or something similar.
The reason I do it it stops my Lazy Cats, sticking their little Butt's in there to have a quick Poo when the weather is bad.

Planted mine this week watered the compost then planted pansies over them its a dry week forecast so will need to warer again.
We still havnt had a proper rain yet just short showers.

Visgir1

Not sure this will work with Squrell's but I put Chicken Wire over my pots or something similar.
The reason I do it it stops my Lazy Cats, sticking their little Butt's in there to have a quick Poo when the weather is bad.

Yes, chicken wire works.

I put upturned empty hanging baskets on the pots, after realising that the year before the squirrels had dug some of the tulips bulbs up and had a feast!
They don't seem to bother with daffodil bulbs.

I planted the bulbs 4" deep as instructed. Would there really be enough compost above them to plant pansies? This is a whole new world to me!

I am planting some in a few days, I only ordered them this morning plus violas. To go into a 6 sided 8" tall raised bed in the main garden. First I dug a ben sarek blackcurrant out

Once saw Monty Don plant bulbs then put a couple of pots of pansies on the surface soil.

Ideally Tulips should not be planted until November to avoid tulip fire disease. This is a type of fungal disease that thrives in moist conditions so don’t overwater the tulips you have planted in pots. Provided the soil is just damp that should be enough. You could use the fingers test. If the soil looks dry push your finger in and see if it’s dry all the way through. Otherwise leave alone. If they are outside and we have torrential downpours pop them in a sheltered position where they won’t get too wet.

I gave up buying bulbs because of the squirrels. Now I buy my bulbs in pots in the Spring- saves the hard work and the wasted squirrel feed.

KQ Squirrels don’t eat daffodil bulbs because they contain a lethal poison. It doesn’t stop them digging them up however. They do eat tulips and crocus. A gardener told me he planted thousands of tulips in a park type garden one Autumn and not a single one came up because squirrels ate them! Yesterday I found a walnut a squirrel had buried in my dug bed. This morning I cracked the nut open and ate it with fresh fruit for breakfast. (I have a walnut tree but rarely get to find any left for me)

Supernana1

I planted the bulbs 4" deep as instructed. Would there really be enough compost above them to plant pansies? This is a whole new world to me!

Yes, I've done that.

In fact, I'd probably fill the tubs at the front with bulbs then put pansies and cyclamen above them but the pelargoniums are still flowering away merrily!

I water my bulbs when I first put them in the compost and not afterwards unless the soil shrinks away from the sides of the pot .
I do top dress with Vitax Q 4 .
I think that it's worth the expense .
I plant my Tulips in December .
Darwinii ones do flower again,but the fancy hybrids don't.
So be prepared to buy fresh Tulup bulbs for next year .
When I dig up the old bulbs I replant in a old vegetable bed just in case .
I use kebab sticks from Sainsburies to keep squirrels and cats off otherwise I don't have a single bulb left .
One year I was too ill to plant out my Spring bulbs and I put the whole lot in just after New Year and they all came up .

In pots tulips are ok for early-ish planting, but I leave them until November or even December if in the ground. Mine are sat in the greenhouse waiting