How to Plant Fall Bulbs

There may be no more welcome sign of spring than the first few flowers that poke up through the ground - sometimes even through the snow - to herald the arrival of warmer weather. But in order to enjoy these first beautiful signs of the season, you need to plan ahead. That means you need to plant fall bulbs.

You need to plant bulbs in the fall because many perennials that bloom early in spring need the cold winter to complete their growth cycle. It will do you no good to toss tulip or hyacinth bulbs in the ground in April. Here's how to plant fall bulbs to ensure a burst of color right when you need it most next spring.

Plan where you are going to plant your fall bulbs. Choose a spot at least five feet from your house, so the warmth from your foundation won't affect the growth cycle during the winter. Pay attention to the sun - not where it shines now, but where it will warm the ground in the spring. Remember that there'll be no leaves on the trees to obscure parts of your garden.

Decide which colors you want in each part of the garden and choose matching fall bulbs. Plant early-blooming flowers like crocuses - which are often shorter - toward the front of the garden, and plant fall bulbs for taller, later-blooming flowers such as tulips behind those.

Because fall bulbs need to sit in the cold ground, the best time to plant is after the first frost. You don't want to put them in the ground too early and have them fooled into blooming because the ground is warming as it does in spring.

Dig a hole for each of the fall bulbs so you can get an idea of where each plant will grow. If you plant one bulb at a time, filling in the holes after you dig them, it's harder to see the big picture of your overall garden plan.

Add some fertilizer to each of the holes before you add the fall bulbs and replace the soil. As a general rule, the small bulbs should go about five inches deep and three inches apart. Larger bulbs should be placed eight inches deep and approximately six inches apart. Make sure you put the bulbs in the ground so that the pointed end faces up. If there is no pointed en, place the bulbs on their side, leaving sufficient room to grow between bulbs.

Make sure you give your fall bulbs plenty of water after you plant them. Plan to add about three to four inches of mulch over the top of the bulbs. This can be chopped leaves - there are plenty of those around in the fall. The mulch layer will hold in moisture and protect the bulbs from scavengers.

Once you've got your fall bulbs planted, you can sit back and wait. Spring will be here before you know it.