Daffodils, tulips and crocus are the last things on my mind right now. Instead, I’ve been thinking of pumpkins and apples. Processing the garden herbs and harvesting the last of the produce. If you garden, then you know that this is a busy season where you’re trying to wrap everything up for the year. But if you want some beautiful blooming flowers next spring, then now is the time to plant spring blooming bulbs.
I grow a variety of bulbs in my garden each year but I like to add more every fall. Especially at our cabin. The road is lined with King Alfred Daffodils. In April when you drive past our place, the show is beautiful. Each year we add more to increase the display. So it’s time to plant more of those bulbs. While closer to home, I want to plant some new bulbs in the soon-to-be kitchen garden.
It’s amazing that so much beauty can come from such a plain looking package. And planting and caring for your bulbs is so easy to do. If you’ve never planted bulbs before, here are the steps to get started.
Steps to Plant Spring Blooming Bulbs…
Step 1: Assess your current flower beds
The first thing you need to do is assess where your garden is right now. Do you already have some bulbs planted? If so, what do you have planted and where are they? You don’t want to accidentally dig up good performing bulbs. What new flowers would you like to add in and where do you want to place them? Spend some time planning your flower beds.
Step 2: Purchase your bulbs
Once you have figured out what you need, it’s time to purchase your bulbs. For the best selection it’s a good idea to pre-order your bulbs from a bulb company such as Brecks Bulbs, Michigan Bulb Company or Holland Bulb Farms. This late in the season the selection will not be as good but they still have some bulbs to choose from and many of the companies have marked the prices down. Or you can take a trip to your local garden center to pick up some bulbs You will still find a selection of bulbs at Home Depot, Lowe’s and even Costco. So grab your bulbs before they’re gone.
Step 3: Prepare the Ground
I have a tendency to push off the bulb planting until it’s cold outside. And then I get in a hurry and dig a hole and dump the bulb in. That is not the optimal way to plant spring blooming bulbs. If you want beautiful flowers than take the time to prepare the ground appropriately. The first thing to do will be to choose a well drained sight and work your soil. Loosen the dirt and remove any rocks. Mix in some compost or steer manure to improve the soil. Dig your holes about two to three times the size of your bulbs. So for a 3 inch daffodil bulb you will want your hole to be at least 6 inches down. For a 1 1/2 inch crocus dig down at least 3 inches. If however you put off the bulb planting until late in the season, you can actually dig the holes to the deeper level to add some additional insulation.
Most spring blooming bulbs can benefit from some fertilizer, so once you have prepared the hole add a bit of bone meal or bulb food to the bottom. This will help the bulb begin to develop it’s root structure. We want our bulbs to create healthy roots before the temperatures drop too much.
Step 3: Plant those little bundles of Joy
After you’ve dug your holes you will want to place the bulbs inside. The flat side of the bulbs go down and the pointy side should face up. This is easy to tell for bulbs such as daffodils and tulips but some smaller bulbs can sometimes be deceiving. My advice, if you can’t tell which is the upside, would be to plant them sideways. The plant will find it’s way up and it will get there sooner than if it’s facing the wrong direction. Fortunately most of the time it’s easy to tell which is the root end from the top.
After placing the bulb in the hole, gently cover it with soil. Be sure to pack the earth down as you fill in the hole. Next you should water your bulb. This helps to settle the dirt and gives your bulb a good start. Depending on how late in the season, you can also cover your planted area with a layer of mulch for some added protection.
Step 4: Sit back and wait for the magic to happen
Now all you have to do is wait. That’s the nice thing about bulbs. Once they’re in the ground there’s not a lot to do. So while you’re waiting you can finish up your fall garden chores or you can plan your garden for next spring. You could also work on your garden journal for the year if you got behind.
Planting bulbs now is so rewarding in the spring when the plants begin to peek out of the ground. It is well worth the extra fall effort to get the bulbs planted. So get some bulbs purchased, grab a spade and get those bulbs in the ground. You will thank me next spring when you see all those happy smiling daffodil faces and tulips waving at you.