Planting summer flowering bulbs.

In final containers now but no mulch. I was thinking fine bark? Also covered them with slug pellets to stop the little blighters when i'll put them out. My Viburnum and

 

Heuchera Plum Pudding Were hit hard by slugs over the winter.

 

It's been 4 weeks since i planted my bulbs and tubers and still no sign of shoots. How long do they usually take?

 

@Gareth Hughes
Don't worry yet. For what its worth my Canna has yet to shoot, the dahlias are just beginning to produce shoots. The crocosmia in the garden are also just putting up shoots.

 

Are your Crocrosmia in containers too? My Daliahs Cannas and Crocrosmias are in containers in the conservatory. I've been told not to water them now till the shoots come through.

 

Gareth , just looked back over my planting records
Daliahs 21 - 30 days to show
Cannas 10-30 days
Crocosmia seemed to take a long time.
If the compost feels dry water them . They can dry out in a sunny conservatory.
Don't despair we can't get all our plantings to work We all know the feeling when plants don't sprout, you are like a mother hen checking them three times a day !

 

So they should be showing around now. I hope they show this week. Thanks for sharing that with me. The compost feels moist when i stick a finger in.

 

Just an update. All my bulbs except the Calla Lily have sprouted. When do you guys bring them out of the growhouse/greenhouse?

 

It depends on the night time temp Gareth , but generally I start planting out the third week in May . You can put them outside in a sheltered spot from the wind during the day, bring them back in at night . This is to harden them off - its not my favourite job dragging everything out and them putting them back in the evening !

 

Thanks a lot. I'll start from tomorrow.