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.
If you have different varieties and colors of flowering bulb, make stakes out of old miniblinds and write the color and type on the stake. It is always harder to remember the type and color after they bloom.
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.
Can I plant tulip bulbs in the Spring? Will they rot?
When is the best time to plant tulip, lily, crocus and iris bulbs? I ordered about 60 of these bulbs and they said they are fall harvest. Does that mean to plant them in the fall?
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.
I would like to start planning on planting my bulbs. Where is a good source to get info on the types of bulbs? Do bulbs only bloom in the spring?
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.
I live in zone 9 and really want to grow callas. Can I start them indoors to get a good start now (January 1) for spring planting? We get a few days of freezing and have already lost quite a few bulbs planted outside in summer.
By Gayle
When can you plant a scilla flower bulb?
By Lisa
This is a page about forcing bulbs in winter. Forcing bulbs in winter is easy to do and helps bring a bit of spring to your home early.
This is a page about growing summer blooming bulbs. Warm soil and sunny summer days are the perfect conditions for the emergence of the summer blooming bulbs, such as: calla, crocosmias, gladioli, and dahlia.
This is a page about forcing bulbs. Many gardeners enjoy forcing bulbs indoors, allowing them to enjoy beautiful flowers long before they would bloom in the spring.
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.