Nothing cheers us up in spring more than the appearance of the first flower’s bulbs. Think of these small bulbs as rechargeable batteries. They don’t store electricity but “growth energy.”
When you buy bulbs, they’re all “charged up” for you by the producer in Holland. Bulbs produced in Holland are still the best available.
Daffodils, tulips and all the Dutch bulbs offered for sale in the fall must be planted before winter. These bulbs must have eight weeks of chilling to stimulate them into their next flowering and growth cycle. This chilling causes an enzyme change within the bulb. Without it the bulb won’t be ready to grow in spring. This is another case where timing is everything.
It’s always best to seek out the highest quality bulbs. The Dutch have been producing flower bulbs since the 1500s, so they have a wealth of experience. Their soil is also rich and well drained so it is no wonder that the quality of their bulbs is unsurpassed by anyone anywhere.
When given a choice, choose the largest bulbs you can find. A bigger bulb is closer to becoming two bulbs, so there is an advantage to being picky.
On each package you’ll see bloom times listed as “early spring, mid spring, late spring, and early summer.” That seems pretty general and it is. The bulb company doesn’t know whether you live in Virginia or upstate New York so they have to be vague.
It’s up to us to know our season and interpret what “early spring” means, for instance.
Here’s how I interpret these bloom times at my house:
The next bit of information you’ll need is flower height. This will help you avoid putting taller plants in front of shorter ones that bloom at the same time. Of course, if you plant short-stemmed bulbs that bloom in early spring, you can plant taller types that flower later in front of or among the early bloomers. By the time the late varieties blossom, the early bloomers will have long since finished their flowering cycle. Height information is also handy when mixing bulbs into established perennial flowerbeds. Are you getting the idea of how handy the information on bulb packaging can be?
The package also includes information on deer resistance. For those of us in rural locations, this is the most important thing we need to know. Even suburban gardeners are experiencing visits from hungry deer.
Make sure your planting area is sunny and well drained. A well-drained area means it dries rapidly enough after rain to avoid standing water. Build up the soil in your planting area with the addition of compost, peat humus or peat moss, which will help retain soil moisture, particularly in sandy soil.
The most important soil amendment for bulbs is bone meal. I use bone meal when I plant shrubs, trees, roses, perennials and especially flower bulbs. The phosphorus in bone meal is vital in restoring and expanding the bulbs after the flowering period. You need to mix bone meal into the soil BELOW the bulb so the roots grow down through it. Bone meal doesn’t dissolve like chemical fertilizer, so your only chance to use it is when you’re planting. The phosphorus in bone meal lasts 4 or 5 years. By then, with proper feeding and care, the bulbs will need to be divided and replanted.
The rule of thumb for planting bulbs is to dig the hole two to three times as deep as the bulb is tall. In heavier clay soils, plant more shallowly going only twice as deep as the bulb’s height. In sandy soil, plant three times as deep as the bulb is tall. Don’t be too fussy though since bulbs will actually reposition themselves at the proper depth as they grow over time.
Bulbs are most impressive when mass planted. I consider five bulbs to be a minimum group. Larger groups are even more impressive. Be sure to water your bulbs well right after planting. This initial soaking lets them know that they are in the ground and it’s time to grow some roots. Roots start growing right away, and they’ll gain a little extra energy for the spring flowering cycle. More important, those roots will help anchor the bulbs in the soil so winter frost won’t heave them upward.
That’s it…pretty simple really. If you take time this fall to plant bulbs, you’ll thank yourself when they emerge after the gloomy winter to announce the arrival of spring. All the beautiful flowers I grow in summer can’t give me the same thrill I get when I discover the first snowdrop or crocus emerging as the last of the winter’s snow retreats from the gardens. After a long flowerless winter, these first flowers of the season seem so precious. Planting fall bulbs is like sending yourself a present that won’t arrive for four or five months!
Thanks for the read.
