There is a new phrase in town
Dig a hole
Drop the bulb
Done!!!!!
Sounds easy, well…..it is almost that easy. It has been
found (by surveys of major bulb vendors and experts) that most failures with
bulbs can be traced back to problems at the time
of planting. Give yourself time to do proper planting, and don't ignore
the details.
First,
what is a bulb? A bulb is the
self-contained life source for the plant. A ‘true ‘bulb is the more rounded
fleshier store house. Tulips, allium & snow drops are in this category. However,
not all ‘bulbs’ are bulbs.
Corms are usually smaller and flatter in shape. Crocus &
Gladiola are common corms.
Tubers are more varied in shape and size with most being
cylindrical. Many come in clusters. Begonias & dahlias are the most
common.
Now on to the fun aka the ‘DO’S & DON’TS OF ‘DIG, DROP, DONE’!
Before you DIG you
must buy!
DO be adventurous. While you
may not want orange, reds or yellows in your summer garden these bright primary
colors are perfect tonics after the dull winter.
DO be as fussy picking your
bulbs as you would a melon. Avoid bulbs that feel spongy or with visible mold.
DO shop early to get the best
variety.
On
a budget? DO opt to select more of 1 or 2 -3
varieties in 2 or more colors. This will
create more impact than a few crocus followed by 3 or 4 tulips and/or hyacinth.
DON’T plant too soon. Some look to the calendar to plant saying end
of September to Mid-October is the time. Others wait until the evening
temperatures average 40- 45 degrees, then there is the ‘rule’ that says once
there is a ‘soft’ frost its ok. With the warming climates Mid-October until the
ground is too cold or frozen to work works best for my gardens.
DO keep in a cool dry place
until you are ready to DIG.
DIG. A variety of tools are
available to make this task a little easier.
DO choose
a place wisely. Bulbs will rot in wet or poorly draining
soil. Full sun is required for most
bulbs however what may be a shady spot in the height of summer may be the
perfect spot early in the season. Visualize where you will get more ‘bang for
your buck’. Plant near entrance
doorways, along the most used paths or close to your house.
DON’T plant too deep or too
shallow. A good rule of thumb is a depth 3 x the largest diameter. A bulb 1 inch across will be planted 3 inches
deep; 2 inches would go 6 inches. Mix a
fertilizer such as BulbTone’ in with the soil. (Tulips should probably be planted 4 times as deep as they are wide--the deeper the better for tulips!)
DO prepare for pesky rodents
such as chipmunks and use a product that will repel the perpetrators of bulb
planting peril. It’s worthwhile to drench bulbs in taste repellent products,
sprinkle repellents on the growing plants in spring, and surround or cover the
bulbs with chicken wire. Or
DO use bulbs that animals don’t
like: Alliums, Camassia, Fritillaria and Narcissus
DROP:
DO mass plantings. DROP a handful in then place pointed
side up and leave a space about 2x the size of the bulbs between each neighbor.
DON’T sweat the small stuff, If a
bulb should fall on its side while you are in the throes of planting, let it
go. It will find its way.
DO plant with a companion
plant. Remember foliage should remain
until all withered. Many nurseries have fantastic sales at the end of the
season. Day Lilies make perfect companions as do many Sedums.
Design tips for spring bulbs
Combine
flower bulbs with perennial for a succession of bloom. In addition, there's a big
bonus: the emerging perennial foliage hides bulb foliage as it yellows and dies
off.
Try a double-decker
effect. You can plant small bulbs in a layer right on top of large bulbs.
If you plant bulbs that flower in the same period you can create an interesting
double-decker effect (picture bright pink tulips blooming above cobalt blue
Grape Hyacinths). Or you can stagger the bloom time by planting mid- and
late-season bloomers together, creating a spring display that blooms in
succession, for a whole season of color!
Keep
in mind the bulb color, time of bloom and height of the plants and consider which bulbs
will mix best with nearby perennials and spring-flowering shrubs. Your
combinations can be color echoes, such as the 'Ballade' tulip with bleeding
heart, shown right, or color contrasts such as yellow daffodils with blue
muscari.
Concentrate
your display where it will be most effective in spring. Lots of bulbs in one or two
areas of the garden close to the house will give you more bang for your buck
than the same number spread all over the garden.
Avoid
planting bulbs in rigid toy soldier-like rows. Generous
"bouquets" are far more dramatic than a smattering here and there.
Combine different bulbs by planting low-growing grape hyacinths and scillas in front taller tulips and daffodils.
Plant
drifts of color in triangular patterns with the point of the triangle showing towards the front.
Try
planting in layers.
Place large later spring bulbs, such as tulips, daffodils or ornamental onions at the bottom of the planting hole, cover them with a layer
of soil, then, on top, plant smaller early flowering bulbs such as scilla that
require shallower planting.
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