Growing Bulbs:Spring bulbs
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Spring-flowering bulb basics
What You Need to Know to Enjoy Tulips, Daffodils and other Bulbs in the Garden
Colorful Spring with Flower Bulbs
It's a fact of life: to enjoy tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocus and the other bulb flowers that bloom in spring you must plant them in the fall. The good news is there's nothing easier to grow nor more colorfully rewarding than flower bulbs. Any gardener or garden group can create a breathtaking and beautiful spring garden with flower bulbs.
Bulbs, corms, tubers and roots are an ideal choice to inspire young gardeners. With very little technical knowledge or skill the novice gardener can achieve impressive results that inspire enthusiasm and confidence.
Spring-flowering bulbs also have lessons to teach. Bulbs must be planted in the fall because they require a sustained "dormant" period of cold to stimulate the biochemical reaction necessary for them to bloom in spring. Tucked beneath the winter earthy, the starch in their food storage system turns to glucose, acting as a natural anti-freeze to keep them safe.
As a rule, the colder your climate, the earlier you plant. In colder northern climates, for example, the time to plant is in late September or October. In warmer climates you may need to plant bulbs in December (or even later). The only universal rule is that, spring-flowering bulbs must be planted before the first hard frost, optimally about six weeks before hard frost so the roots have a chance to develop.
It's best to plant bulbs as soon as possible after you buy or receive them. Bulbs aren't seeds. They're living plants. If you must store them, keep them dry and cool -- between 50 and 60 degrees (F). For long storage periods, a refrigerator vegetable compartment can be used, but be sure to keep them away from ripening fruit. The gas emitted by fruit's ripening process can destroy bulbs.
Tempting Choices
There are a wide variety of bulbs to learn about. Most of us are familiar with tulips and daffodil. But there are also other spring-flowering bulbls such as scilla, puschkinia, muscari, fritillaria, allium, camassia, eremurus and more. There are also bulbs that bloom in summer. There's a bulb for almost anywhere you live on the planet, excepting the poles and the oceans, of course.
In this article we speak mostly of fall-planted spring flowering bulbs. These are the most popular type of bulb. Summer bulbs, most of which are tender bulbs susceptible to frost, are also incredibly interesting. They make stunning annuals in the north and fabulous erennials in the south. More on them elsewhere.
The main things to consider when planting spring-flowering bulbs are:
- the color of the flower
- what months it will bloom
- how high it will grow
- what months to plant, and
- how deep to plant
Here are some other things to consider when planning a planting:
- Plant low-growing bulbs, such as grape hyacinths, in front taller flowers, such as tulips,
- Always plant bulbs in groups, either in small clusters or large beds, a single flower standing alone is not very dramatic,
- Plant scattered clusters of early-flowering bulbs, such as crocus, throughout your lawn to achieve a "natural" look,
- Plant clusters of daffodils around the woodpile, or in a meadow area that is not mowed often. These will add a colorful accent to your landscape in spring and, if left on their own to wilt away, will return year after year. Well-selected and mature plantings of naturalized bulbs can add value to your home, just as mature trees and shrubs do,
- Experiment. You know better than the experts what flowers you fancy. Pick a flower bulb variety on a whim and try a small planting. If it does well for you, add more next year.
Digging the Dirt on Bulbs
Most spring-flowering Dutch bulbs will thrive in either full or partial sun, but do just fine in almost any location that offers good drainage. Bulbs will rot in standing water so avoid areas prone to flooding, such as the bottom of hills or under drainpipes.
After choosing the site:
- Dig either a trench for a bed planting, or individual holes for individual bulbs or small cluster of bulbs. (Note that a cluster of flowers is more striking to the eye than a lone bloomer.) To determine how deep to plant, consider the caliber or size of the bulb. Large bulbs (2 inches or more) are usually planted about 8 inches deep; smaller-size bulbs (1 inch) are planted 5 inches deep.
- Loosen the soil with a rake to aerate it and remove any weeds and small stones. Mix in a bit of peat moss to improve soil drainage. Place -- do not push -- bulbs firmly in the soil with the pointed side up. Space large bulbs 3-10 inches apart and small bulbs 1-2 inches apart. (If you're not sure which end is right-side-up, don't worry. Upside-down bulbs usually come up anyway!)
- Cover the bulbs with soil and water generously. Add 2-3 inches of mulch, pine bark is fine, on top of the garden bed. This will provide added protection from the cold and keeps the soil from drying out.
In extremely cold climates ...
In a comment on the blog, Edith, a Master Gardener and bulb expert in Minnesota has this advice:
"Extreme cold climates, where the frost can reach several feet into the ground such as Minnesota, require very early planting as well as regular watering to stimulate root growth. Many summers here are droughts and there can be seasons with little or no rainfall before the ground starts to freeze in late Autumn. ... [S]ix weeks of watering/rainfall is essential for root growth. Without the root growth BEFORE the ground freezes, all spring bulbs will be frozen and lost during our extreme winters. If you want successful young gardeners, give them all the information they will need to be successful in their unique climates."
See also Daffodil Society of Minnesota website.
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