Nov 14, 2024
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Written by "Botanical" Brian Pirtle
Photo Credit: Maarten van den Heuvel on Unsplash
Planting your bulbs in the Fall is a gardening practice that tests patience and delivers plenty of delayed gratification. As a reward, the garden bursts with beauty and color throughout the spring.
Bulbs are easy to grow and require very little care or maintenance. With some basic knowledge anyone can grow beautiful bulbs
What is a bulb?
The term “bulb” refers not only to true bulbs, but also to tubers, corms, and rhizomes. In summer these plants go through a resting stage of their life cycle that continues through the winter. When the soil temperature reaches a certain warmth in the spring the bulbs pop up and start a new stage of their cycle which includes showy blooms.
When and where should fall bulbs be planted?
The best time to plant fall bulbs is between mid-November and mid-December. This minimizes the chances of the bulbs rotting or being eaten by a pest and gets them in before the ground freezes. Most bulbs are versatile and can be grown in many different conditions with at least six hours of sunlight. Avoid poorly drained areas as this can cause rotting. Bulbs also do well in containers. Plant bulbs in large groupings to get the best effect.
When do fall bulbs bloom?
By planting many different types of bulbs, you can have bulbs blooming from February till June. Crocus and snow drops are some of the earlier bulbs to bloom. I have seen them poking their heads up right through the snow. Then in early spring the hyacinths will bloom and fill the entire yard with their intoxicating fragrance. Next the daffodils emerge in shades of yellow and peach followed by the showy tulips in a wide range of colors and flower shapes. One of the last bulbs to bloom is Allium, which is in the onion family and has an enormous, round, purple flower the size of your head
How to plant fall bulbs?
There are different ways to plant bulbs. They can be planted in individual holes dug for each bulb with a bulb planter or trowel. I like to use a drill and auger when I’m planting a large quantity of bulbs. Another way to plant bulbs is digging the soil out of an entire area to the proper depth, then placing the bulbs in the area, then putting the soil back in the area. This method is useful when layering different sized bulbs. A good rule of thumb is that the hole for the bulb should be two and a half times deeper than the size of the bulb. So, a 1” bulb should have a 2 ½ inch deep hole. Plant bulbs with the pointy side up and add bone meal or bulb food when planting to increase flowering and encourage the bulbs to return next year.
Try planting bulbs this fall and with a little patience and very little care you will get rewarded with a bounty of beautiful flowers next spring.