Nothing makes me feel more like an artist than a bag of spring bulbs. Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocus, and all the fascinating little ones – scillas, snowdrops, and chionodoxas – are like paints for my brush, or rather my trowel! I’ll plant generous quantities this fall so next April and May my garden will be full of spring.
It’s surprising how many people believe the most important thing is to set the bulbs with their points up – if they have pointed tops like tulips and daffodils. No doubt this wisp of wisdom is left over from childhood. I can hear mother saying, “Be sure they aren’t upside down, or they’ll grow to China!” True, bulbs want to be planted right side up, but they have other requirements too. But first of all, let’s examine the bulbs themselves.
Larger Bulb – Bigger The Flower
A general rule is the larger the bulb, the bigger the flower, although there are exceptions. Tulips, in general, should be at least 4 inches around, hyacinths 5 1/2 inches. With daffodils and some species tulips, bulb size does not always indicate flower size.
Size alone is not an indication of the quality of a bulb; but firmness, weight and condition are. If it is a true bulb, like a daffodil, tulip, scilla, or hyacinth, the scales should be pressed tight together; if it is a crocus corm, the flesh should be plump and rather hard. It is not unusual for the weight of bulbs of the same size and variety to vary considerably. The lighter ones are inferior to the heavier ones. The skin should be smooth; the bulbs should be free of cuts and bruises. If the bulb is so damaged or shows signs of disease (gray, rough places) it will more than likely rot or disintegrate after planting.
While on the subject of quality, let me caution you against buying bargain bulbs sold far below average prices. They are often inferior stock and invariably will result in disappointment. Buy bulbs from the catalogues of reliable dealers or from a garden center that handles first rate stock.
If you are unable to plant the bulbs the day you obtain them, keep them in a cool, well-ventilated place, protected from rodents which find them a delectable food. Bulb planting can be done anytime from mid-August until the ground freezes. Before you go whistling down the garden path, toting trowel, dibber, and bulbs, examine the soil where you plan to set them out.
Spring Bulbs Less Fussy
Spring-flowering bulbs are less fussy about soil than most plants, but they must have good drainage. If your soil is heavy and wet, it will probably be best to remove the topsoil from the area to be planted, break up the subsoil with a pick, mix cinders with the subsoil to make it more porous and return the topsoil. If the planting bed is too low, build it up by adding enough soil to raise it several inches above the surrounding ground. Use stones or bricks to keep the raised soil in place. Light, sandy soils that dry out fast, may be improved by forking in a 3-inch layer of peatmoss to a depth of 8 inches.
It is advisable to add food to the soil at planting time, even though next spring’s flowers are already formed inside the bulb. It is needed to help the bulb develop flowers for the second spring. Special bulb food is packaged for your convenience. Spread it over the planting area and work it into the soil with a rake.
Once the soil is prepared, the fascinating business of planting begins. You can dig either a trench or a round planting hole the correct depth for the type of bulbs, and space bulbs in it about 4 to 6 inches apart. Or, you can make an individual hole for each bulb with a trowel or dibber. Do not leave air pockets below the bulbs. Set them firmly in place, gently tamp the soil that you fill in over them, and water it well.
Planting depth varies with the species and varieties, also with soils and exposures. Concise planting instructions are often included with the bulbs you buy. Daffodils, hyacinths, and late tulips should generally be planted with the base of the bulbs 6 inches deep; early tulips, 5 inches; small bulbs, about 3 inches. Planting can be an inch or two deeper in light, sandy soils, especially in sunny locations. Deep planting does not delay flowering.
As soon as the bulbs are planted, they start into growth and send out roots. Water is necessary for good root formation which decreases the danger of injury by heaving of the soil in winter. Fall rains are generally adequate.
At this point, many greenthumbers hang up their gardening gloves for the winter. Others believe in mulching. In most parts of the country spring-flowering bulbs need no winter mulch unless they are planted very late, in which case the mulch prevents the soil from freezing for some time enabling the bulbs to produce roots. A mulch may also be used to prevent the ground from freezing until late bulb arrivals can be planted. In areas where alternate freezing and thawing of soil in winter is common, the planting may be mulched after the soil freezes, evergreen branches being excellent for they can be whisked off in spring before growth starts. Pine needles and buckwheat hulls are good, too – even dried leaves serve the purpose, providing they are held in place with branches or boards. After deciding whether to join the mulchers or the nonmulchers, your final step is to stack your tools and look forward to a garden full of spring.
by D Wilson – 61637
