Planting bulbs in flower gardens in preparation for the upcoming spring is an excellent gardening practice. Whether you’re planting bulbs for a permanent flower garden or planting for color during a holiday, planting in the fall can help ensure a healthy crop for the coming season. It can also make flower garden care less of a chore. You’ll be ready to plant those lovely spring flowers when the winter chill has let go.
One way to ensure bulbs will survive this frosty season is to planting them early. Bulbs, unlike vegetables, are best planted a few weeks before the first freeze. While some bulbs may do well in the cooler months of fall and winter, they are less likely to thrive in the heat of summer. Choose early-blooming bulbs that have finished blooming for at least two weeks, so they can produce plenty to feed hungry plants. If you’re planting for the spring, the best time to do it is in late winter or early spring.
In your planting bed, put down a wide, shallow layer of mulch. This will protect your bulbs from early frost. After covering the first inch or so of the soil, use a sharp spade to dig a hole four to six inches deep. The depth should be half as deep as the length of the bulb. If you’re planting a bulb into a flower garden using full bushy bulbs, consider making the hole a little wider.
Dig the hole and fill with a loose soil mix, such as garden compost. Keep in mind that bulbs do best when they are planted directly into the loose soil. When you place a bulb in a hole, the gardener’s hand can help keep the bulb straight, even if the hole is a bit small. Planting bulbs too close to each other can cause the plant to develop crooked.
Plant the bulbs about one to three inches deeper than they were in the hole. It’s important that the bulbs are not buried under any growth, such as grass or weeds. Once the roots are established, water them generously and continue to mulch them until the flowers begin to bloom. You may have to replant the bulbs about a month later if you let the soil stays moist. The flowers will usually bloom the following spring.
Most bulbs will produce flowers the first year they are planted. However, there are some exceptions. If the soil is clay-rich, certain bulbs will not flower for several years. This is because they will be over-watered by the water in the soil. A good rule of thumb is that half a pound of bulbs per acre is a good bet to get healthy growing flowers.
When planting bulbs, you must take into consideration the climate of the area you live in. Many of them are best planted in areas that are either cooler or warmer. Cool climates prefer cool-season bulbs while warm climates favor hot-season bulbs. Remember to check with local nurseries before planting. They can give you advice on which bulbs are best for your climate.
Fall bulbs for spring flowers will provide color and beauty to your garden throughout the season. They also help to conserve energy during the winter months. For that reason, planting them in the fall will pay off handsomely in the spring. Check with local nurseries for more information on planting bulbs.
Before planting, there are some things you need to do. You should always make sure the bulbs are protected from any harsh weather conditions. Choose a spot in your garden where they will be undisturbed until spring. You should carefully dig the hole and make sure it is large enough for the bulb to grow.
If you are planting bulbs for spring, the soil should be moist but not wet. Mulch should be used to protect the roots of the bulbs. A mulching mix can be purchased at most nurseries. The mulch mix can be applied to the soil around the base of the bulbs prior to planting. Watering the plants should be done a couple times during the week of planting. You can increase watering by spraying a light rain when the soil is moist.
In early spring, you will want to mulch the flowers again. Do this as the flower buds begin to open up. After this is done, you can put the bulbs into their holes. Cover the plant with more mulch and let the flower buds to develop fully. Once the flowers come out, you can repot them. Be sure that you plant the bulbs for spring so that they can have good root growth before planting new flower buds.