Time to plant flower bulbs: don’t forget!
The outdoor season is over and the garden is ready for its annual winter sleep. But don’t forget that last garden activity: planting your flower bulbs. After all, planting them now means a magnificent display of color in your garden in early spring.
Before winter starts
Fall is the perfect time to plant spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils, tulips, grape hyacinths, hyacinths and crocuses. This is because they need cold winter temperatures to exhibit all that beauty in early spring. By planting them before winter, they will have enough time to develop good strong roots. The better the root system, the more beautiful the flowers will be. You can plant your flower bulbs once the outdoor temperature falls below 50°F but be sure to do so before freezing weather sets in.
Like a pro
Good, you’re not too late! Don’t wait around: now’s the time! The nice thing about this job is that it’s so very satisfying. And not just once, but twice. The time you spend planting is the perfect zen moment: what could be nicer than working in your garden? And next spring, the flower bulbs you selected and planted yourself will reward you for weeks at a time. A second chance for satisfaction when you enjoy your own colorful little paradise. But what’s the right way to plant flower bulbs? These tips will have you doing it like a pro:
- Remove weeds and small stones and then work some compost into the soil to improve drainage.
- Dig a hole for a group of flower bulbs or make individual holes for planting single flower bulbs. The size of the flower bulb determines how deep it should be planted. Large flower bulbs (2 inches or larger in diameter) should be planted 6 inches deep and small flower bulbs (1 – 2 inches cm) 3 to 4 inches deep.
- Place the flower bulbs gently into the soil with the point on top. Be careful not to press down too hard on the flower bulbs, because this could damage them. Large flower bulbs should be planted 3 to 8 inches apart and small bulbs 1 to 3 inches apart.
- Cover the flower bulbs with the soil dug from the hole.
- If the soil is dry, give the flower bulbs some water.
More information about flower bulbs is available at www.bulb.com