Place layers of noodles, cheese and sauce in a pan, and you'll have a delicious lasagna. Do the same thing with flower bulbs in the soil, and you'll have a gorgeous garden display. This approach—often called bulb lasagna, flower lasagna, lasagna planting bulbs, or layered bulb planting—is simply the technique of stacking different bulb types at different depths for a long, sequenced bloom. Using lasagna planting (also known as bulb lasagna planting) by layering bulbs is a great way to ensure that you'll have a garden or container full of blooms all season long. As you plant your bulbs this fall, consider layering for a succession of flowers come springtime—as one type fades, another will be just starting to bloom.
Just like making lasagna, layering bulbs isn't difficult—it just takes a bit of planning. When selecting your bulbs, consider bloom times, color, height and texture. If layering bulbs in a container, select a large pot that has drainage holes, or place a few inches of pebbles in the bottom for drainage, and lay a base of potting soil about 4" deep into the pot. Set in one layer of bulbs using your largest variety. (For instance, tulips and daffodils are large bulbs, while crocus or muscari are smaller.) Pack the bulbs fairly close together; they can be nearly touching. Add in another 2" of soil, then the next set of bulbs. Repeat with a third layer. Fill the pot to the top with potting soil and water well. You can keep the pot in your garage or an outbuilding until early spring, then you'll want to place it in the sun and wait for your flowers to emerge! This step-by-step, layered bulb planting approach is exactly what gardeners mean by bulb lasagna planting or lasagna planting.
Choose a mix of bulbs that staggers bloom times and sizes. Large, mid, and small bulbs combine beautifully in a flower lasagna or lasagna planting bulbs design. Large bulbs include tulips and daffodils. Mid-sized bulbs include hyacinths and alliums. Smaller bulbs include crocus, grape hyacinths, snowdrops, scilla, and anemone blanda. Mixing these in layered bulb planting ensures continuous color as each layer takes its turn. In containers or beds, bulb lasagna encourages you to play with texture and hue—combine early crocus, mid-spring hyacinths, and later tulips for a long show.
For most spring-blooming bulbs, plant in fall—typically when soil temperatures cool to about 50°F (10°C) and before the ground freezes. This timing allows roots to establish over winter for strong spring flowering. In mild climates, aim for late fall; in colder regions, plant earlier in fall. If you are creating a container-based bulb lasagna, pot it up in fall as well, then keep the container in a cool, dark, and protected spot for winter chilling, moving it into the light in late winter or early spring. Whether you call it bulb lasagna, flower lasagna, or lasagna planting, the fall window is key to success.
The general rule for lasagna planting is to plant bulbs at a depth of about 2–3 times the bulb’s height, measured from the bulb’s base to the soil surface. In practice, put the largest bulbs on the bottom layer at their recommended depth (often 6–8" deep for big tulips and daffodils), cover with soil, then add a middle layer of mid-sized bulbs a bit shallower (about 4–6" deep), and finally a top layer of small bulbs (about 2–4" deep). In containers, start with a base of potting soil, place the deepest layer of large bulbs, cover with 2" of soil, then the next layer, and repeat with the smallest bulbs at the top. This layered bulb planting structure prevents bulbs from competing for the same space while allowing shoots to emerge past upper layers.
The lasagna planting method can also be used directly in the garden. Just plant the largest bulbs at the depth recommended on their packaging and layer smaller bulbs on top. Lasagna planting allows for a variety of colors, sizes and textures in a single space. Create a rainbow in a container, or plant several different flowers with a similar hue and varying bloom times for a compact, long-lasting garden display in your favorite color. Whether you’re designing a flower lasagna in pots or practicing bulb lasagna planting in beds, lasagna planting bulbs offers maximum impact with minimal space.