Bulb and tuber profiles: allium, crocus, daffodil, dahlia, hyacinth, iris and tulip.
Compare the botanical identities, source-listed light and soil conditions, container evidence and local-calendar inputs for allium ornamental, crocus, daffodil, dahlia, hyacinth, iris, tulip.
Choose the plant before choosing the quantity
A bulb order can contain spring-flowering bulbs, summer tubers and rhizomatous iris selections. They do not share a universal planting month, depth or overwintering method. Keep the selected product label and local planting window with each batch; this comparison supplies identity and growing-condition records rather than a blanket calendar.
The entries report the cited taxon’s growing conditions and descriptive dimensions. A mature width is separate from planting spacing; multiple light, moisture or life-cycle categories can reflect a genus, cultivar range or climate differences. Use the exact nursery label and local guidance to choose inputs. Soil categories describe the source record and supply no amendment recipe.
Allium ornamental
Allium ornamental: the cited botanical record is Allium. Ornamental allium is a broad genus label; use the named ornamental cultivar, not an edible-plant identification.
Source-listed light conditions: full sun, partial shade. Drainage and moisture descriptions: good drainage. Soil categories: high organic matter, loam (silt), sand.
Reference dimensions: height: 1 ft 0 in to 3 ft 0 in; width: 0 ft 6 in to 2 ft 0 in. Life cycle listed: bulb. Flowering season in the reference region: spring, summer. Container use is explicitly listed in the source.
Crocus
Crocus: the cited botanical record is Crocus. Crocus is a genus label; this guide does not identify edible saffron or autumn-flowering lookalikes.
Source-listed light conditions: full sun, partial shade. Drainage and moisture descriptions: good drainage. Soil categories: high organic matter, loam (silt), sand.
Reference dimensions: height: 0 ft 2 in to 0 ft 6 in; width: 0 ft 3 in to 0 ft 6 in. Life cycle listed: bulb, perennial. Flowering season in the reference region: spring. The source’s location field does not establish container use; request a cultivar-specific container record.
Daffodil
Daffodil: the cited botanical record is Narcissus. Daffodil is a genus-level ornamental label; bulbs are not food and cultivar size varies.
Source-listed light conditions: full sun, partial shade. Drainage and moisture descriptions: good drainage. Soil categories: clay, high organic matter, loam (silt), sand. Listed soil pH categories: Acid (<6.0).
Reference dimensions: height: 0 ft 8 in to 2 ft 6 in; width: 0 ft 6 in to 1 ft 0 in. Life cycle listed: bulb, perennial. Flowering season in the reference region: spring, winter. Container use is explicitly listed in the source.
Dahlia
Dahlia: the cited botanical record is Dahlia. Container size and seasonal storage depend on the selected type and local conditions.
Source-listed light conditions: full sun, partial shade. Drainage and moisture descriptions: good drainage, moist. Soil categories: high organic matter.
Reference dimensions: height: 1 ft 0 in to 6 ft 0 in; width: 1 ft 0 in to 3 ft 0 in. Life cycle listed: perennial. Flowering season in the reference region: fall, summer. Container use is explicitly listed in the source.
Hyacinth
Hyacinth: the cited botanical record is Hyacinthus orientalis. Garden hyacinth is the example; bulbs are ornamental planting material, not food.
Source-listed light conditions: full sun, partial shade. Drainage and moisture descriptions: good drainage. Soil categories: high organic matter, loam (silt). Listed soil pH categories: Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0).
Reference dimensions: height: 0 ft 8 in to 1 ft 0 in; width: 0 ft 3 in to 0 ft 6 in. Life cycle listed: bulb. Flowering season in the reference region: spring. Container use is explicitly listed in the source.
Source: NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Hyacinthus orientalis
Iris
Iris: the cited botanical record is Iris. Bearded, Siberian and other irises are distinct groups; moisture preferences cannot be transferred across the genus.
Source-listed light conditions: full sun. Drainage and moisture descriptions: good drainage, moist. Listed soil pH categories: Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0).
Reference dimensions: height: 1 ft 6 in to 2 ft 6 in; width: 1 ft 0 in to 2 ft 0 in. Life cycle listed: bulb, perennial. Flowering season in the reference region: spring, summer. Container use is explicitly listed in the source.
Tulip
Tulip: the cited botanical record is Tulipa. Species and hybrids differ in height and seasonal persistence; bulbs are ornamental planting material, not food.
Source-listed light conditions: full sun. Drainage and moisture descriptions: good drainage. Soil categories: high organic matter.
Reference dimensions: height: 0 ft 4 in to 2 ft 4 in; width: 0 ft 6 in to 0 ft 9 in. Life cycle listed: annual, bulb, perennial. Flowering season in the reference region: spring. Container use is explicitly listed in the source.
Check the container and watering record
Where container use is listed, confirm the exact cultivar’s intended pot, drainage and medium with the nursery. A garden plant’s descriptive width does not determine a pot diameter or root-volume requirement. For dwarf trees, keep the named rootstock or compact cultivar dimensions with that record.
Observe the medium and follow the selected plant’s care instructions. A source describing moist soil does not supply a weekly irrigation volume. Pot size, plant size, medium and exposure belong in the watering record. Calculate litres only after the selected pot’s remaining fill has been measured.
Build a local planting calendar
Record your location, the selected cultivar and whether the purchase is seed, dormant stock or an actively growing plant. Obtain the local sowing or transplanting window for that material from the regional extension service or nursery. Record that window separately from the flowering season shown in the reference. Frost exposure, soil workability and the crop form can make a month from another region unsuitable.
For mixed orders, keep separate rows for each selection, its planned date, supplied along-row and across-row spacing and replacements. A species-wide width or a hardiness-zone label is insufficient to choose all of those values. This plan uses nursery or local guidance and contains no pesticide or nutrient treatment.
Turn the selected plan into a plant and bag order
For an independent illustrative 2 m by 1 m bed, supplied margins of 0.25 m on all sides and supplied spacings of 0.5 m in each direction produce four positions by two positions: eight plants. These are arithmetic inputs, not recommended spacings for the plants above. If the approved selection is sold in four-plant packs, the order is two packs.
For a separate container order with three measured empty-fill requirements of 8 L each, the total is 24 L. One selected 40 L bag covers the stated volume before any separately supplied allowance. The Soil Calculator calculates litres; it does not choose the growing medium, the container or a load-bearing location.
Use the matching calculator
Use this decision sequence
- Identify the exact species, crop type and cultivar or rootstock.
- Check the relevant source and local nursery guidance for growing conditions and planting window.
- Record supplied plant spacings or the selected container’s measured fill.
- Calculate positions and whole purchase packs separately for each selection.
Keep the quantities distinct
| Quantity or assumption | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Botanical record | A named example or genus record, not identification of an unknown plant. |
| Mature width | Descriptive size, separate from the selected planting spacing. |
| Planting date | A local window for the actual seed, dormant stock or transplant. |
| Watering | A plant and medium care decision, not the bed’s geometric volume. |
Worked comparison
A supplied four-by-two position plan contains eight plants and needs two four-plant packs. A separate three-pot order with 8 L of measured empty fill per pot needs 24 L of the selected medium, covered by one 40 L bag before any separately selected allowance.
Check before using the estimate
Check the exact cultivar and local restrictions before ordering. No species-wide figure establishes container fit, edible identity, support strength or planting success.
All dimensions, product properties, prices and specifications in this example are illustrative arithmetic inputs. Use the values from your measured plan, selected product data sheet and supplier quote. This guide does not choose construction specifications or certify safety.
Sources and product references
- NC State Extension: Allium
- NC State Extension: Crocus
- NC State Extension: Narcissus
- NC State Extension: Dahlia
- NC State Extension: Hyacinthus orientalis
- NC State Extension: Iris
- NC State Extension: Tulipa
References support the factual distinctions and scope described above. Growing guidance is regional and care instructions are product-specific. Worked numerical examples are independent illustrative arithmetic.
Calculation and scope checked 2026-10-13. Methods and scope.
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