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Bulbs soon will reward us with their glory, so this is the time most gardeners think about planting them. We face the perennial question: Should we pay $3 a bulb or 10 cents?
As you might suspect, I paid $4.95 for a bag of 50 tulips, saving $145. Of course, there are some ramifications. Their flowers were supposed to be all pastels. About half are; the others are brilliant yellow. I’d say we got our $5 worth.
I made the most common mistake in planting them. They’re too far apart to concentrate the beauty.
Another mistake is to buy the bulbs and not plant them immediately. If stored in a hot, dry garage, bulbs will dehydrate in a few weeks, destroying the magical growth germ in their center.
I often get emails from folks who planted bulbs and see no flowers. That’s normal, as it takes a season of strong growth under the soil for them to bloom.
Planting them too shallow is another mistake. They need a hole twice as deep as their length. This way, the bulb will not pop out in the freezing and thawing of winter.
Bulbs are heavy feeders, so they need a boost in the form of bulb fertilizer. The organic pellet variety is best, as it is slow-releasing.
For established bulbs, spread a tablespoon per square foot over the bed, or two inches of compost. Yearly fertilizing produces optimum flowers.
Planting in spring takes advantage of our wet season, as bulb roots need a lot of water to thrive. On new beds, they need an inch of rain or tap water per week, throughout the spring and summer. Mulching with an inch of shredded leaves (not oaks) preserves the moisture.
After the flowers bloom and dry off, trim the stems but keep the leaves to strengthen the bulb. Once they dry, trim them to the ground.
After about three seasons, you may notice that some bulbs are growing together. That means your bulb has given birth to new ones. It’s time to gently dig them up and separate the newcomers, expanding your display at no cost.
The problem with bulb beds is they will be bare all summer. No big deal. Interplant your bulbs with your perennials. This will give you a show for two seasons in the same spot. I have hundreds of daffodils planted in my daylily bed.
Many of our bulbs are the progeny of ones more than 50 years old. Imagine the joy they have given us and generations past.
Bulbs soon will reward us with their glory, so this is the time most gardeners think about planting them. We face the perennial question: Should we pay $3 a bulb or 10 cents?
As you might suspect, I paid $4.95 for a bag of 50 tulips, saving $145. Of course, there are some ramifications. Their flowers were supposed to be all pastels. About half are; the others are brilliant yellow. I’d say we got our $5 worth.
I made the most common mistake in planting them. They’re too far apart to concentrate the beauty.
Another mistake is to buy the bulbs and not plant them immediately. If stored in a hot, dry garage, bulbs will dehydrate in a few weeks, destroying the magical growth germ in their center.
I often get emails from folks who planted bulbs and see no flowers. That’s normal, as it takes a season of strong growth under the soil for them to bloom.
Planting them too shallow is another mistake. They need a hole twice as deep as their length. This way, the bulb will not pop out in the freezing and thawing of winter.
Bulbs are heavy feeders, so they need a boost in the form of bulb fertilizer. The organic pellet variety is best, as it is slow-releasing.
For established bulbs, spread a tablespoon per square foot over the bed, or two inches of compost. Yearly fertilizing produces optimum flowers.
Planting in spring takes advantage of our wet season, as bulb roots need a lot of water to thrive. On new beds, they need an inch of rain or tap water per week, throughout the spring and summer. Mulching with an inch of shredded leaves (not oaks) preserves the moisture.
After the flowers bloom and dry off, trim the stems but keep the leaves to strengthen the bulb. Once they dry, trim them to the ground.
After about three seasons, you may notice that some bulbs are growing together. That means your bulb has given birth to new ones. It’s time to gently dig them up and separate the newcomers, expanding your display at no cost.
The problem with bulb beds is they will be bare all summer. No big deal. Interplant your bulbs with your perennials. This will give you a show for two seasons in the same spot. I have hundreds of daffodils planted in my daylily bed.
Many of our bulbs are the progeny of ones more than 50 years old. Imagine the joy they have given us and generations past.
