Growing and Planting Bulbs –
Plan Now for a Gorgeous Spring

Nothing is more beautiful than the first spring flowers. Crocus, daffodils, hyacinths and tulips absolutely sing that the cold days of winter are behind us and spring has arrived. But, if you want this beautiful color in your yard next spring, you have to get started in autumn. The great spring bloomers come from bulbs that need to be planted in fall.

Fall planting of your bulbs allows them to develop a good root system before the cold winter comes. Bulbs will start showing up in gardening centers in August or September.

Knowing when to plant bulbs in your area is very important. It’s best to plant once the soil temperature has dropped to below 60 ° F, which means late September or October for most areas of the US. Planting bulbs is pretty simple, and most don’t require much care once you get them in the ground. The prettiest spring bloomers are best planted in groups to provide a sweep of color.

Deciding What to Plant

Let your imagination run wild. Copy from gardens you’ve seen, or just plant in your favorite colors. The possibilities are endless. There are a myriad of different flowers that bloom from bulbs, so you can create a complete garden.

• Plant taller blooms like tall hyacinths in the back of your garden, daffodils and snowdrops in front of the hyacinths, and short flowers like crocus and dwarf hyacinths in the very front of the garden.
• Or, plant some mid-height bulbs, like tulips, in front of your evergreens for a beautiful pop of color.
• One of the greatest things about bulbs is that they look great anywhere. You can plant just a few for an accent in your foundation plantings, or devote an entire garden to them.
• Browse some gardening catalogs and come up with your plan. In addition to the ones mentioned above, other good bulbs to plant are Glory of the Snow, Mediterranean Bells, Mountain Bells, Alliums and Spring Starflowers.
• Iris’ are also incredibly popular, blooming in early summer and providing quite a show until mid summer. However, they aren’t technically bulbs, but rhizomes.
• One note about planting tulips; many don’t actually act as perennials. If you want to ensure that your tulips return another year, look for those that are labeled as “naturalizing”, or “easy to naturalize”. Even these won’t bloom for many years like crocus or daffodils, but they will bloom a bit longer than others.

How To Spot Good Bulbs

When purchasing bulbs, it’s important to get the best quality. Most will bloom every annually for years, so spending a bit to get the best bulb quality is well worth it. Bulbs should be large and firm. Avoid those that look withered or have mold spots. It’s a good idea to buy your bulbs soon after they become available in the fall, even if you need to wait a month or so for planting. When the time actually comes to plant, follow these simple rules for how to plant bulbs for best results.

• Plant bulbs where they will get good drainage and receive at least six hours of sunlight each day
• Dig up six to eight inches of soil and add peat moss or other organic matter to amend your soil. Adding a bulb fertilizer is helpful, as well.
• Avoid planting bulbs in rows; groups or clumps look more natural.
• Plant your bulbs with the pointed end up, at the depth recommended on the package. Generally, bulbs should be planted about three times as deep as the width of the bulb.
• Space your bulbs according to size; large bulbs at about four inches apart, smaller bulbs should be placed about two inches apart.
• If you have trouble with moles, plant your bulbs in clay pots, and bury the whole pot in the ground.

Taking Care of your Bulbs

Once your bulbs are planted, no care is needed until your plants emerge in the spring. When you see the first leaves, fertilize around the plant. A formula specially designed for bulbs works best. After your blooms fade, remove them with scissors, but don’t remove the leaves. Sunlight provides the nourishment your bulbs need to bloom again next year, so it is important to leave the bulb foliage in place until it yellows. If you need to hide it, use gardener’s twine to tie it out of sight. Fertilize again in the fall, at about the same time you planted the bulbs originally.

Divide Your Bulbs and Conquer Your Garden

One of the best things about planting perennial bulbs is that they multiply! Every two to three years, you can divide them, usually doubling or tripling your number. Dividing will keep your plants from getting over-crowded and improve the size of your flowers. In fact, some bulbs will decrease performance significantly if you don’t divide them. Dividing bulbs is simple, too. Just dig up the plant and cut the bulb into pieces using a clean sharp knife. The right spot for cutting is usually obvious, just be sure you have some roots and a blooming end for each new plant. Be sure to wash your knife after each cut, so that in the event that there is mold or disease on one bulb, you won’t spread it to the others. Then, replant your new bulbs using the directions above and fertilize. You can divide bulbs in the spring after the foliage fades, or in the fall at the normal bulb planting time.

The Best Combinations

Though most any perennials work well together, there are some combinations that are just stunning, and will make your garden the talk of the neighborhood. Plant yellow daffodils with purple crocus and tall woodland hyacinths for a spectacular show that will provide blooms for almost a month. Or, put red tulips with snowdrops for a clean red and white scheme. Another beautiful option is to plant a huge mass of multiple varieties of daffodils. The yellow color will provide unity, while the unique details of each variety will provide interest and texture, as well as keep your garden blooming longer. For an unusual show of blue, plant grape hyacinths with blue spring Starflowers. If you pick up some gardening magazines, you can find many other suggestions for color and flower combinations to perk up your landscape.

Bulb planting is one of the most economical ways to put color in your garden. Since most bulbs will bloom for years, and can be divided to increase their numbers, putting bulbs in your yard is actually very inexpensive. And, since they require very little maintenance, they are also an easy way to make your yard a masterpiece.

About The Author

Julie-Ann Amos is a successful writer and gardener extraordinaire. Her gardening passion is displayed in her numerous articles including planting bulbs, bulb foliage, and bulb quality. Her articles offer new tips and insights for better planting and gardening.