Tips for Planting Your Favorite Bulbs
Posted by Unknown in Bulbs, Container Gardening, Gardening on Monday, 13 May 2013
Tips for Planting Your Favorite Bulbs
Fill your garden with beautiful bulbs that bloom in spring, summer, and fall. Use these tips to ensure success.
Select Quality Bulbs
Smart bulb
planting starts at the garden center with high-quality bulbs. Look for
those that are plump and firm. It's typically best to avoid bulbs that
are soft and mushy or have mold growing on them. Also look for big
bulbs; the bigger they are, the more they generally bloom compared to
smaller bulbs of the same variety.
Pick the Right Spot
Even healthy
bulbs will fail if they're planted in the wrong spot. Most bulbs do best
in full sun (at least 6 hours of direct sun a day) and well-drained
soil. Check out our Plant Encyclopedia to learn more if you're not sure
what conditions your bulbs need.
Get the Timing Right
Spring-blooming
bulbs, such as tulips and daffodils should be planted in September or
October, when the soil temperatures have cooled.
Summer-blooming beauties such as dahlia and gladiolus are best planted in the spring, after all danger of frost has passed.
Plant Them Deep Enough
Not sure how
deep to plant your bulbs? You're not alone -- it's a very common
question for gardeners. Generally, dig a hole two to three times deeper
than the bulb is tall. So if you have a 3-inch-tall bulb, dig a hole 6
to 9 inches deep. There are always exceptions, so check the planting
directions that come with the bulbs for more information.
Place Them Pointy Side up
The next most
common bulb-planting question is "How in the heck do I know which side
is up?" If the bulb has a pointed end, that's usually the side that
faces up. If you don't see a pointy side, look for where the roots come
out -- that end goes down.
Give Them Good Soil
Like most
plants, bulbs appreciate well-drained soil rich in organic matter. So
mix compost into your bulbs' planting holes to ensure good blooming.
This is especially important if you have heavy clay soil or ground that
stays wet.
Learn more about composting.
Stop Weeds
Besides being
just plain ugly, weeds steal nutrients from the soil and may attract
insects or disease. The easiest way to prevent weeds from being an issue
is to spread 2 to 3 inches of mulch over the soil. Your bulbs will
easily push up through it, but most weed seeds won't.
Water Well
Bulbs are
plants, too, so they appreciate a good drink after you plant them. This
will encourage them to send out roots and become established more
quickly. A good watering will eliminate air pockets in the soil that
could cause your bulbs to dry out, too.
Protect Your Investment
Critters such
as squirrels love digging up freshly planted bulbs. Spread a layer of
mulch to hide your bulb holes. If that doesn't help, weigh down a piece
of mesh or chicken wire over the soil to keep critters from digging. It
should be safe to remove the protective mesh or wire after the bulbs
start to sprout out of the ground.
Make it Easy
If you live in a
cold-winter climate and you want to save your tender summer bulbs,
you'll need to store them in a frost-free place over the winter. An easy
way to do this is to plant the bulbs in containers, then sink those
containers in the ground. At the end of the season, simply dig up the
containers and store them in a garage, basement, or shed that stays
about 40 to 55 degrees.
Design Idea: Plant in Groups
Most bulbs look
best when planted in big, irregular groupings (the more bulbs, the
bigger the impact) instead of straight rows. So try tossing them onto
the ground and plant them where they fall -- it's fine if some bulbs end
up being a little closer to each other than the recommended spacing. It
adds to the natural look.
Design Idea: Layer Perennial Bulbs
For a dramatic
show of spring-flowering bulbs, plant smaller perennial species such as
crocus or scilla over bigger bulbs such as daffodils, tulips, and
lilies. That way you'll get twice the color in the same space.
Design Idea: Try Them in Containers
Most bulbs do
just as well in containers as they do in the ground. Create pots of
spring joy with your favorite tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths by
sinking them in the ground so they get winter cold or storing the
containers in a cold garage or storage shed. When the bulbs fade,
replace them with warm-weather favorites such as callas, cannas, or
caladiums for summer-long beauty.
Design Idea: Naturalize Spring Bulbs
Naturalizing
early spring bulbs in your lawn is a fun way to add a boost of color to
your landscape. Siberian squill, snow crocus, and snowdrops bloom and
finish before your grass needs its first mowing. So you can plant them
for carefree color. Note: If you grow spring bulbs in your lawn, avoid
using any herbicides until the bulbs have gone completely dormant.
Learn about the best bulbs for naturalizing.
