Planting bulbs is relatively straightforward. Dig a hole, drop in a bulb, and cover it with dirt. Well, at least it's almost that easy. To get them off to a good start, follow these bulb-planting tips:
The Bulb Planter: This cylindrical hand-held tool is designed specifically for planting bulbs. Simply push it into the ground and pop out a soil core. Bulb planters come in handy if you're doing a large planting, but they are difficult to use in compacted soils. Most have depth measurements stamped on the side of the cylinder.
The Dibber (also called the dibble): The beauty of the dibber lies in its simplicity. Shaped like a carrot, it's only job is to poke holes in the dirt. A dibber is a great choice for planting small bulbs but can be difficult to use in compacted soils.
One year, my mother was given a potted Easter lily. After the blooms were spent and shriveled, she gave me the plant, to do with as I liked.
With spring finally here, it's time to get outside and plant some flowers, vegetables and bulbs. I usually forget what I have planted where.
When planting your spring bulbs it's almost impossible to remember exactly where you planted them. Buy a box of straws and stick them in the soil above the bulbs, leave 2" showing above the soil. I planted pink straws with my tulips, yellow straws with my daffodils and so on.
For years, I have used this pencil for measuring the depth to plant small bulbs like these freesias. The tiny ones need to go in 1 inch and the larger ones at 2 inches.
When is the best time to plant bulbs, in September or October?
Hardiness Zone: 5a
By debbie johnson from WI
Don't plant your spring blooming bulbs until after the the 2nd frost in your area otherwise they might try to bloom in late fall and you could mess up their cycle.
What are your tips for growing and saving money on bulbs? Please post them below.
Trade bulbs with friends, neighbors and family. Especially good when someone is dividing their Iris plants up.
Bulbs are a wonderful addition to your landscape, they will multiply and provide beautiful colors, shapes, and fragrances in your garden for years to come. Planting dozens of bulbs can seem a bit overwhelming at first. Read the following article for tips on buying and planting bulbs.
This is a page about digging up and storing tender bulbs. While some plants that grow from bulbs, corms, or tubers do well in colder zones during the spring and summer, they may need to be overwintered to save them for next year.
This is a page about planting bulbs indoors. Bulbs can be grown indoors so that they bloom early, often in time for the holiday season.
This is a page about fall planting guide for spring bulbs. To have beautiful flowering bulbs in the spring you will want to plant them in the fall.