I've bought a pile of various tulip, hyacinth, narcis/daffodil, and iris bulbs and I want to plant them in in planter boxes and small pots if I can't fit them all in the box. The instructions on the packaging suggest 7, 10, and 15cm of space between the bulbs, but that doesn't work in a pot or box; this website however suggest planting them in clusters which I prefer more.
Is it ok to take the latter advice, or do they really need 7~15cm space in between to do well?
I live in Ireland which is pretty wet and humid, and the bulbs have already started sprouting outside the soil. I'm planning to keep the boxes out in the North facing balcony which will receive loads of rain depending on the weather!
Is this appropriate or shall I cover them to avoid receiving too much rain?
P.S. The bulbs I had taken out from pots last year were wrapped in brown papers sealed in a plastic bag left out in the balcony to get some cold, and I find out some mould on a few of the very tiny bulbs as they apparently have absorbed all the humidity even through the bag.