Want to wake up to a flower-filled garden? Then get digging now and plant your bulbs! Most require little, if any, maintenance once they’re planted. And hardy bulbs can safely be left in the ground year after year.
What: Daffodils, tulips, crocus, grape hyacinths and gladiolas are just some of the plants to choose from. Read the label and try to keep the it with the bulb until planting. Without the label, you can’t tell the red tulips from the white ones just by looking at the bulbs.
When: If you want to fill your garden with color next spring, plant bulbs from October to December, before the first frost.
Where: You can plant bulbs just about anywhere in your garden as long as the soil drains well. Bulbs like sun and in many areas the spring garden can be very sunny, since the leaves on the trees are not out yet. So keep in mind when planting in the fall that you can plant in many places for spring blooms.
How: Step 1: Loosen soil in the planting bed to a depth of at least 8”. Remove any weeds, rocks or other debris. You can mix in compost, other organic matter or slow releasing fertilizer if your soil lacks nutrients.
Step 2: Depending on the bulb, follow the recommendation on the label for planting depth. As a general rule, plant big bulbs about 8″ deep and small bulbs about 5″ deep. Set the bulb in the hole pointy side up or the roots down. It’s easy to spot the pointy end of a tulip; tougher with a crocus. If you can’t figure out the top from the bottom, plant the bulb on its side, in most cases, even if you don’t get it right, the flower bulb will still find its way topside.
Step 3: Now that the bulbs are planted, back fill with soil over the hole, lightly compress the soil but do not pack it. Water to stimulate root growth. There is no need to water continuously unless you live in an area with low precipitation in the winter months.
Why: In the end, what you do with fall bulbs is limited only by your imagination. A few hours one brisk autumn afternoon can yield months of colorful excitement in your yard or garden next spring.
Thank you BHG for great ideas!
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