Flower Gardening

How to Grow Gladiolus, Daffodil & Saffron Bulbs in Pakistan: Complete Planting Guide

11 min read
How to Grow Gladiolus, Daffodil & Saffron Bulbs in Pakistan: Complete Planting Guide

Flower bulbs are one of the easiest ways to get a big, reliable flower show at home. Each bulb or corm already holds the food the plant needs to flower, so with the right planting depth, sun and drainage you can expect results even in your first season. In Pakistan, autumn is the main bulb season: gladiolus and daffodils (gul-e-nargis) go into the ground in October and November and flower through late winter and spring, while saffron (zafran) is planted at the end of summer and flowers in autumn. This guide covers all three, from choosing a spot to storing your bulbs for next year.

Table of Contents

Bulbs vs Corms: What You Are Planting

Gardeners call all of these "bulbs", but they are slightly different underground storage organs:

  • Daffodils grow from true bulbs: layers of fleshy scales, like an onion, with a pointed tip (nose) and a flat base (basal plate) where roots form.
  • Gladiolus and saffron grow from corms: solid, flattened discs covered in a papery tunic. Each year the old corm is used up and a new one forms on top, often with tiny baby corms (cormels) around it.

The planting rule is the same for all three: pointed side up, flat or rooted side down. If you cannot tell which way is up, plant it on its side; the shoot will find its way.

Bulb Planting Calendar for Pakistan

Bulb Plains (Punjab, Sindh, lower KP) Hills and cold areas Flowering Days to flower
Gladiolus Mid-September to November (stagger every 2 weeks) March to May January to March (plains); summer (hills) 70–100 days
Daffodil (Narcissus) October to November September to October January to March 90–120 days
Saffron (Crocus sativus) Late August to early October August to September October to November 6–8 weeks

Tip: plant gladiolus in small batches every 10–15 days. Instead of all spikes opening in the same week, you get a steady supply of flowers for the vase over two or three months.

Soil and Pot Preparation

Bulbs rot in wet, heavy soil far more often than they fail for any other reason. Good drainage matters more than rich soil.

In the ground

  • Choose a spot with at least 6 hours of direct sun.
  • Dig 25–30 cm deep and loosen the soil well.
  • Mix in 2–3 cm of organic compost or vermicompost.
  • In heavy clay, add sand or rice husk ash mud and raise the bed by 10–15 cm.
  • Sprinkle a handful of bone meal per square metre into the planting area. Its slow-release phosphorus supports strong roots and flowers.

In pots

Use pots at least 25–30 cm deep with drainage holes. A good bulb mix is:

For more on these ingredients, see our guide to potting and soil media.

How to Grow Gladiolus

Gladiolus produces tall spikes of large florets on stiff stems, which makes it one of the best cut flowers you can grow. Our 20-corm packs come in single colours and a mix:

Planting gladiolus

  1. Optional soak: soak corms in lukewarm water for 2–3 hours before planting to wake them up evenly.
  2. Depth: plant 10–15 cm deep (about four times the corm's height). Deeper planting helps the tall stems stand upright.
  3. Spacing: 15 cm apart in rows 30–40 cm apart. In pots, 5–6 corms fit in a 12-inch pot.
  4. Grouping: plant in groups or blocks of 10 or more rather than single lines; they look better and support each other.
  5. Water once after planting, then only when the top 3–4 cm of soil feels dry. Shoots appear in 2–3 weeks.

Growing on

  • Earthing up: when plants are 20–25 cm tall, pile 5–8 cm of soil around the stems.
  • Staking: in windy spots, tie each spike loosely to a bamboo stake as the flower spike forms.
  • Cutting for the vase: cut when the lowest 1–2 florets show colour, leaving at least four leaves on the plant so the new corm can grow. The rest of the buds open in water over a week or more.

How to Grow Daffodils (Narcissus)

Daffodil (Narcissus) Flower Bulbs, known locally as gul-e-nargis, bring scented, trumpet-shaped yellow and white flowers in late winter, when little else is blooming. They are available in packs of 5, 10 and 20 bulbs.

Planting daffodils

  1. Chill (plains only, optional): in hot areas such as Lahore, Multan or Karachi, keep bulbs in a paper bag in the vegetable drawer of the fridge for 4–6 weeks before planting. This mimics a cold winter and improves flowering. Keep them away from fruit, especially apples, which release ethylene gas that can damage the flower inside the bulb.
  2. Depth: plant 12–15 cm deep, about two to three times the bulb's height, nose up.
  3. Spacing: 10–15 cm apart. In a 10–12 inch pot, plant 5–7 bulbs close together, almost touching, for a full display.
  4. Position: full sun in winter; light afternoon shade is fine.
  5. Water well after planting, then keep the soil just moist. Shoots usually appear in 3–5 weeks.

Growing on

  • Daffodils need little care. Remove faded flowers, but leave the leaves until they yellow naturally; they feed next year's bulb.
  • Daffodils are toxic if eaten, so keep bulbs away from children and pets, and do not store them near onions in the kitchen.
  • Daffodil stems release a sap that shortens the life of other flowers. If you mix them in a vase, stand them alone in water for a few hours first.

How to Grow Saffron (Zafran) at Home

Iranian Saffron Bulbs (Crocus sativus) are flowering-size corms of 10–15 g each, sold in packs of 5, 10 and 20. Each purple flower carries three deep-red stigmas: these are the saffron threads you pick and dry. Growing saffron at home will not make you self-sufficient, but harvesting your own threads is a special experience, and the flowers are beautiful.

Where saffron grows best

Saffron likes hot, dry summers, cool winters and very well-drained soil. It does best in Balochistan, upper KP, Gilgit-Baltistan and northern Punjab. In the hot plains it can still flower well in pots, especially in a sunny spot with good drainage, though yields are usually lower.

Planting saffron

  1. Timing: plant from late August to early October, while the corms are still dormant. Corms planted later still grow, but they may flower less in the first year. If your corms are already sprouting, plant them straight away.
  2. Soil: use a light, gritty mix: equal parts potting mix and sand, with 20% perlite or pumice. Saffron corms rot quickly in wet soil.
  3. Depth and spacing: 10–12 cm deep and 8–10 cm apart. A 12-inch pot holds about 8–10 corms.
  4. Watering: water once after planting, then lightly only when the soil is dry. Never keep it soggy.

Harvesting the threads

  1. Flowers appear 6–8 weeks after planting, often before or with the grass-like leaves.
  2. Pick flowers in the morning on the day they open.
  3. Gently pull out the three red stigmas; leave the yellow stamens.
  4. Dry the threads on paper in a warm, shaded spot for 1–3 days until crisp, then store in an airtight glass jar away from light.

The leaves stay green through winter and feed the corms. In late spring (April–May), they die back and the corms go dormant through summer. You can leave them in a pot kept almost dry, or lift and store them until August.

Watering and Feeding Bulbs

  • Watering: water deeply but infrequently. Bulbs need steady moisture while growing and flowering, but they rot in waterlogged soil.
  • At planting: bone meal in the soil provides slow-release phosphorus for roots and flowers.
  • When shoots are 10–15 cm tall: feed every 15–20 days with Rose 'n Flowers Bloom Booster, or use High P water-soluble fertilizer as buds form.
  • After flowering: one or two more feeds while the leaves are green help build bigger bulbs and corms for next year.
  • Avoid: too much nitrogen-rich fertilizer and fresh manure. They cause soft growth and bulb rot.

For doses and timing, see our Rose 'n Flowers guide and bone meal guide.

After Flowering: Lifting and Storing

Bulb When to lift How to store Replant
Gladiolus 6–8 weeks after flowering, when the leaves turn yellow-brown Cut the stem 2–3 cm above the corm, dry in shade for 2 weeks, remove the old shrivelled corm, and store in a net bag or paper bag in a cool, dry, airy place Next September–November; grow on cormels for 1–2 years to flowering size
Daffodil When the leaves have fully yellowed (around April) Dry in shade and store in a paper bag in a cool, dark place over summer October–November; chill again in the plains
Saffron After the leaves die back (April–May), or leave in a dry pot Dry, airy, shaded spot in a mesh bag Late August–September; corms multiply every year

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Best Practices and Common Mistakes

Best practices

  • Buy and plant bulbs early in the season; firm, heavy bulbs flower best.
  • Plant in groups, not single lines, for a fuller display.
  • Stagger gladiolus plantings for a longer flowering season.
  • Let the leaves die back naturally after flowering before cutting them.
  • Label pots and beds; it is easy to forget where dormant bulbs are.

Common mistakes

  • Overwatering: the number one cause of rotten bulbs, especially before shoots appear.
  • Planting upside down or too shallow: shallow gladiolus fall over; shallow daffodils dry out.
  • Cutting leaves too early: this starves the bulb, giving weak or no flowers next year.
  • Storing damp bulbs: always dry them fully before storage, or they will mould.
  • Planting saffron too late or in heavy soil: you will get leaves but few or no flowers.

FAQs

Can I still plant gladiolus in November?

Yes. In the plains, gladiolus planted until late November will flower from February to March. Later plantings may flower as the weather warms, with shorter spikes.

Will daffodils flower again next year in Lahore or Karachi?

They often flower less in the second year in hot areas because winters are not cold enough. Lifting and storing the bulbs over summer, then chilling them in the fridge for 4–6 weeks before replanting, gives the best chance of a repeat display.

How much saffron will I get from my corms?

Each flower gives three threads, and each corm usually produces 1–3 flowers in its first year. It takes roughly 150 flowers to produce one gram of dried saffron, so a small pot gives enough for a few special dishes rather than a kitchen supply. Corms multiply each year, so the harvest grows over time.

Can I grow these bulbs in pots on a balcony or roof?

Yes, all three grow well in pots at least 25–30 cm deep with good drainage. Pots also make it easy to move daffodils into the sun and keep saffron dry during summer dormancy.

Why are my gladiolus leaves growing but no flower spike?

The usual causes are corms that are too small, too little sun, too much nitrogen fertilizer or overcrowding. Make sure plants get at least 6 hours of sun, and switch to a high-phosphorus feed.

Conclusion

Bulbs reward a little planning with a lot of colour. Plant gladiolus and daffodils this autumn in sunny, well-drained soil, keep watering moderate, feed with a bloom fertilizer as buds form, and let the leaves die back naturally afterwards. Add a pot of saffron at the end of next summer for your own home-grown zafran. For more winter colour, see our guide to growing winter flowers in Pakistan.

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