The Basics of Bulbs

Anatomy of a Bulb

• Tunic: Most, though not all, bulbs have a papery outer covering called a tunic, which protects the bulb from bruising or drying out. Bulbs that have a tunic are sometimes called tunicate bulbs. Bulbs that lack a tunic are more delicate than tunicate bulbs and may require special care.
• Scales: Beneath the tunic, the majority of a bulb consists of layers of modified leaves, called scales, that surround the developing shoot located at the bulb’s center. The scales store the energy that the plant uses to sprout. Once the plant has sprouted, it uses some of the energy that it gathers during the growing season to produce new scales—the layers closest to the center of the bulb are the most recently added and richest in energy, while those on the outside have already been used up by the plant in previous growing seasons. In this way, the plant replenishes the bulb from the inside, so that the bulb remains fully formed underground for as long as the plant is alive.
• Basal plate: The basal plate is a flat region at the bottom of the bulb that serves as the bulb’s base. The scales, roots, and shoots of the plant grow from the basal plate.
   
  
• Offsets: Bulbs occasionally grow clones of themselves, called daugh­ter bulbs or offsets. When an offset grows large enough, it will start to produce its own plant.
   
  

Why Grow Bulbs?

• Early-season flowers: Many bulbs grow and bloom in early spring, before most other types of flowers bloom. So you can use bulbs to get your garden started early.
• Beauty and diversity: Bulbs produce beautiful flowers and come in a wide variety, which gives you more options for your garden.
• Ease: Bulbs are generally the easiest of all flowers to grow. If you plant a bulb in the right way, at the right time, and in a suitable environment, it’s almost certain that it will grow and produce beautiful flowers for you to enjoy over many years.