Name of Product: Elixir Garden Planting Basket
The Best Place to Buy: www.amazon.co.uk
Diameter of Basket: 26cm
Number of Baskets: 10
Shipping Weight: 1.96kg
In this article, I will be reviewing to see if bulb planting baskets are all they cracked up to be. The first obvious question is why you would need a basket and this will be answered in this article.
Bulbs are very beautiful in containers, where they will provide wonderful displays throughout the spring and summer months.
In autumn, it is time to plant the many spring-flowering bulbs on offer (see bulbs that can be grown in containers part I and part II)
I have reviewed my preferred collection of bulbs here, which are ideal to be used with these baskets.
The major problem with bulbs is that if you have hundreds or thousands to plant (A man can dream, can’t he?) it will take ages to plant them all. This is even if you are using a bulb planter. There must be an easier way and this is where these bulb planting baskets come into play.
WHAT IS A BULB PLANTING BASKET?
This believe it or not is a device that makes planting and lifting of bulbs very easy to do, especially in containers. Bulbs of any size can be used in these baskets, making them ideal for alliums, daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, crocuses, anemones, irises, and many more, can all be planted.
This is provided that you plant them at the recommended spacing between bulbs, as overcrowding will not help plant development, or its ability to flower. So plant only a few large bulbs in each basket whilst planting more smaller bulbs, as competition needs to be kept to a minimal.
The beauty of the basket is that at the end of spring it allows the bulbs to be exchanged for your summer bedding flower display. All you need to do is lift the compost away and then lift the basket out. This will prevent the bulbs from being damaged and allowing the compost to be preserved and used again.
Before reusing the container for your summer bedding plants I would add some slow-release fertilizer (see my review here) and add some new compost. Summer bedding plants can then be planted in the same container so giving a colourful display for around 7 months of the year.
The top of the basket should be barely visible from the top of the container, allowing the basket to be easily removed. The handle should be visible to help you do this.
HOW TO USE THE BULB PLANTING BASKETS
First, you will need to fill a container whose diameter at the top of the container is greater than 26cm in diameter, with good multipurpose compost. The ideal level to fill to is 15cm below the top of the container.
Place the basket on top of the compost layer and then fill the bottom of the basket with compost. You can then add the bulbs you prefer at the recommended spacing. Continue to bury the basket completely along with the bulbs until it is no longer visible. That is all that is required to plant your bulbs.
Once the bulbs have finished and the leaves have died back, all you do is lift the baskets with all the bulbs still in them. You can then store it until it needs to be replanted in autumn after the summer bedding plants have finished their display.
The device will save a lot of time and a lot of heartache of searching for your bulbs.
PROS
- A unique device that makes planting or removing of bulbs easier.
- For your buck, you get plenty of bulb planting baskets.
- Makes making your bulb container display easy to do.
- Will also keep your bulbs all in one place. You would be able to remove offsets every year and fill other containers for free.
- The product is durable and should give many years of service.
- You get 10 baskets which is a bargain for the price offered.
CONS
- It is not recommended for layer planting, as if you use one basket over another. This will stop the plant growing through the slits. They will hit the basket on top and will simply die. The manufacturer may recommend it but most certainly I would not.
- Make sure that the bulbs are not that tiny so that they can fall between the slit in the basket. This more likely to happen if you are planting offsets, so please be careful.
CONCLUSIONS
In this article, I have reviewed bulb planting baskets. For the container garden, who is into planting bulbs that this bulb planting basket is a massive time-saver. It makes planting bulbs easier and more importantly the bulbs can be removed and stored for replanting later on in the year. Offsets can then be easily separated and you will get new offsets for free and increase your container stock.
The basket is a lifesaver and I would recommend them. If you enjoy what you are reading then buy them here, which has my seal of approval.
If you have any questions or comments you wish to add to the basket, please do so in the comment box below.
Happy Container gardening.
I am not so much into plants although I like the look of them. We have many on our balcony as my wife adores them and spend as much time with them as possible. And doing so she always tries to find and read new ways and techniques for everything that has to do with plants. So I am sure she will definitely appreciate your article. Bookmarked already!
Hi Stratos
It is a pleasure to have been of service. I see it as my job to make the gardener’s job as easy as possible, and this is where the bulb planting baskets come into play. Enjoy them.
Kind regards
Antonio
I love these bulb baskets . Up until 2 years ago, I was able to get a 3 pack for about $7.00 at my local hardware store. But they stopped stocking them and now I can only get them on line costing anywhere from $14.00 and up for one basket alone!!!!
It’s robbery.
Hi
it is the time that we live in where everything is going up. you may have to buy them cheaper so have a lot of spares.
Thanks
Antonio
Hello and thanks so much for sharing, this is the first time that I have heard of such device and the information that you have shared is and will be a great help. I too am a gardener and have been in this field from 1995. The world of gardening is so amazing and it is so great to see how plants can make a difference. Thanks again for sharing.
Hi Norman
It is good to meet a fellow gardener and these baskets are such a blessing in the container garden. Gardening methods and techniques are constantly developing, and through this website, you will learn about them. So, keep coming back and you will keep discovering.
Kind Regards
Antonio
Hello Antonio, I must say that this article is very helpful and informative. My wife and I have a beautiful garden behind the house and these bulb planting baskets would serve us pretty well. It is not expensive at all and what I like the most about it is that it can serve for years, quality is pretty decent. Thank you for sharing this very useful product.
Hi Danijel
Thank you very much for those words. It has been a pleasure to be a service.
Kind regards
Antonio
Hello,
The ability to easily exchange spring bulbs to summer bedding without any damage can be very useful. A time saving methods like that are what we needed the most with our busy schedules. Even though we can’t use bulb planting baskets for layer planting, I don’t think it would be a much problem. That is simply because we can use our regular techniques for layer planting. Could you please tell me whether we can buy baskets with different slit sizes or are they all coming in one size?
Hi Anjali
Thank you for those kind words, which are very much appreciated. The basket slots are fixed but the size of the bulb planting baskets can change, as you can buy one that is 30cm in diameter. Same design, but different size.
How this helps.
#Antonio
Hi Antonio,
That’s a nice review about the Elixir Garden Planting Basket- and bulb planting baskets, too.
I grew up in the countryside where there was a lot of space to grow things. Blossoms, crops, trees- name it. However, nowadays I live with my family in just a tiny urban space where I usually feel so limited in terms of planting things.
Your review is a nice eye-opener because I now see there are baskets that are designed for bulb planting where space is limited. I also like the durability you are saying they have.
If I could ask, would bulb baskets be used for any other type of container gardened plants- for instance, spice herbs?
Boniface- from AndroidBix
Hi Boniface.
Thank you for commenting. Yes, these bulb planting baskets are ideal for those who want yo make planting and removal of bulbs in a quick and efficient manner, No these bulb plant baskets are only designed for flowering bulbs.
Kind regards
Antonio
Thanks for sharing this yet another helpful article that explains about bulb planting baskets. This is actually very new to me and it’s the first time I’m hearing about this techniques of bulbing and how beneficial it is, It makes it easy to bulb and the display of bulb container is made easy. Thanks for adding the steps, I’ll try if out and see how well it works for me. I’m actually thinking of expanding my garden and get some more grounded root flowers, please can you suggest some??
Hi Drejay,
Thank you for stopping by and for this insightful comment. Yes, these bulb baskets are a lifesaver making planting bulb and removal much simpler,.To answer your question is that I have a lot of articles of in my website covering many aspects of growing flowers in container, What I suggest is that you look through them and get some ideas, and then get planting.
Kind Regards
Antonio
Planting baskets are huuuge time savers, aren’t they? That’s the first thing I noticed a mile away.
Practical tools for practical solutions.
Heck, I like the fact how I know absolutely nothing about gardening yet I managed to stumble upon your site by chance, it’s a goldmine. You are sharing so many tips!
And now I’m sensing that container gardening is something that I could pull off as beginner to grow a flower or two in my oasis, hehe.
Are bulb planting baskets used exclusively for flowers only?
Hi Henry
Thank you for stopping by. Container gardening is the new thing, especially if you do not have enough room for a traditional border or bed garden. Yes, there baskets have been specifically designed for flowering bulbs and you can see they will say time and effort.
Thanks
Antonio
Hi Antonio,
You have built a very informative website providing useful messages about container plants and gardening. All you show is that you are an expert in horticulture. I learn so much from your website.
Your article on bulb planting baskets is the thing I have been looking for, as it provides a solution to a problem I have been having with my spring bulb. I want to remove them and get my summer bedding in. This article has provided me with a solution.
Thank you very much.
Dolbe
Hi Dolbe
Thank you for your kind comments, I am glad you have got a lot from my article and I hope you invest some money and buy one.
Kind regards
Antonio
These planting baskets are a great invention,and make the planting of bulbs really simple, they are also really cheap to buy and you can get them at Amazon.
Just get about a 300 mm diameter planter, that will accommodate your basket,fill it with soil and compost to just below the height of your basket.
Put your several bulbs,reasonably spaced around it,fit it into your planter. Cover the bulbs and basket with more soil,and you are in business.
What’s great about this basket is that at the end of the season,you can lift the basket,with the bulbs, out of the planter,and the planter is ready for the next lot of flowers.
Also you can separate the bulbs out from the basket and store them ready for the next season.
Hi Robert
Thank you for your detailed comment, as it is very much appreciated. The bulb planting baskets are great for the container garden and hope you buy one,
Thank you
Antonio