Bulb Planting Basics

There is nothing like walking into an impressively flowering garden bountiful with lusciously rich flowers. The best method to achieve this impressive showcase is bulb planting. Although not for planting procrastinators, this type of plant is terrific for those gardeners looking for a surprise throughout the warmer months. Lying beneath the soil, these flowering plants wait until the perfect time to spring out of the ground and flaunt its colors.

Although previously thought, bulb planting is not only for the spring flowers such as daffodils, tulips and hyacinths. Rather, there are many types of bulb flowers that are available on the market today. Some of the choices are gladiolus, lilies, ornamental onions and so on. For best results, these plants should be purchased in the early spring or late fall seasons. Spring flowering bulbs should be bought in groups rather than individually. To save money while purchasing bulbs, try prepackaged bulbs that come in groups rather than individually. By purchasing in groups, a gardener will be able to plant a few bulbs in one location rather than scattering a few here and there. Scarce amounts that are sporadically scattered will lose the captivating appeal that groups of flowers will provide in a garden. Try price checking at different locations such as online venues, mail order catalogs, or home improvement centers. Some online choices are http://brentandbeckysbulbs.com; http://johnscheepers.com; or www.waysidegardens.com. Some home improvement stores such as Home Depot, Menards and Lowes garden centers have some honorable bulb choices. When purchasing in the store, make sure that the bulbs are firm to the touch and are mold free.

When planting bulbs, a gardener should take particular attention to the type of flowering plant purchased. For instance, spring flowers should be planted in the fall season during the months of September through November. As for fall and summer plants, please plant the bulbs around February through April depending on the weather conditions in the region planting. For those warmer states such as California, Florida and Texas, bulb plants can be purchased a few months earlier for each season and kept in the refrigerator for safe keeping. During the proper planting season per plant variety purchased, one must prepare the soil for planting. It is best to raise the soil with a hoe and add rich dark topsoil. Then, plant the bulb around two inches below the topsoil. Some plant varieties need to be planted further in the ground though, so pay special attention to the package instructions. When planting, remember to not remove the papery casing that some bulbs come with in a package. This papery material sometimes fall off however if it does not, go ahead and plant along with the bulb in the ground. For group flowering, make sure to plant each bulb around 2 inches apart to allow future growth and dividing purposes. For a twelve inch planting pot, around seven bulbs can be planted. For more information about the specific bulb purchased, see the packaging instructions.

If squirrels or other predators are feared please see this article for more information about how to protect bulb plants.

After the flowers have bloomed, it is best to snap off the flowers that are withered already. Make sure to just snap off the withered buds though since the plant needs to get nutrients from photosynthesis through the green leaves that are left. Snapping off the dead buds will allow the flower to work on storing the nutrients in the bulb for the winter months instead of sending the nutrients to the dead bud that will soon break off anyways. Some gardeners prefer to bend the leaves and wrap them around the stem after the blooming season. This has been known to slow the photosynthesis process though, so it is best just to leave them alone. When the leaves are finally wilted and yellowish, then it is time to snap off the leaves but not until that time.

That is all there is to know about bulb plants. Bulb planting is simple and requires very little work throughout the summer months. Just remember to look for quality bulbs in the fall and spring to plant during those times corresponding to the plants needs. Enjoy planting bulb plants and watching the little buds peep through the ground with gorgeous flowering showcases that will captivate many visitors.