Tips for Planting Fall Bulbs

To me, planting and maintaining bulbs was very intimidating. I was under the impression they were hard to plant, and even harder to maintain. I recently tried to grow Paperwhite Daffodils indoors, and it didn't work very well. It might be because I left them in the packaging for almost two years, and they were screaming for help by the time I finally released them from their dark prison. From this research, I learned that they are a winter blooming bulb and I planted it wrong. They are supposed to be the easiest bulbs to force to bloom indoors, but I still failed. I will try again.

Since I don't want any other bulbs to have the same fate as my poor Paperwhites, I am writing my best tips (from all the research of course) on how to plant your fall bulbs to have beautiful colors for Spring.

• Pick the best bulbs for your area. Believe it or not, there are actually zones for the common weather patterns all over the U.S. Here in California, I am in Zone 10 and have a different planting schedule. For more information on the details of the zones, visit: http://www.naturehills.com/plant_zone_map.aspx. I knew this existed for vegetable gardening, but I never knew it was also for bulbs. Anyway, this tip is about making sure you pick the bulbs for your area and follow the package for planting. As I learned from my experiment, it pays to know before you plant!

• Pick your bulbs carefully. You want firm bulbs, not mushy or moldy. The firmer the better.

• Another great tip is to make sure you have the right kind of soil for the bulbs you will be planting. Some require soil, some are happier in sandy conditions, or like my Paperwhites, it is recommended to plant them in pebbles outdoors. When you have chosen your bulb, be it any variety of Amaryllis, Tulip, Lily, Buttercup, or Iris; make sure you make their new home happy.

• Now, make sure their happy home is indeed happy so they can sleep the winter away and wake refreshed in the spring. Make sure you set your soil with fertilizers. If your soil doesn't already have some in it, then place some in the hole prior to placement of the bulb. Make sure there is proper drainage if you live in wet areas. You don't want your bulb to get moldy and unhappy, or you may not see the beauty it can be for spring.

• Always plant the bulb pointy side up. The pointy side is the stem, not the roots. (Again, I did this wrong, and my Paperwhites had issues.) Depending on the bulb, will depend on how deep you plant them. Always read the package for details on your new little friend(s).

• Don't be shy when picking a nice spot for the planting of your beautiful garden. Keep in mind the placement of any trees in your yard that might either give shade or full sun when leafless in the spring. This might benefit your bulbs when they come out for the few weeks a year.

• After you plant them, give them some water. This will not only give them something to start their new happy lives with, but it will also help remove any air pockets that formed during planting. If you are having an unusually dry winter, then you may need to water them again.

• If you have rodent issues in your flowerbeds, daffodils are the best to plant. Rodents, and many other animals, don't care for them.

• I have also learned, that if you find a bulb or three that you forgot to plant, and it is already the middle of winter, do not wait for the next year. Plant them right away. Plants are living things and need the ground and proper attention to thrive. (Yes, I have guilt... poor Paperwhites.) The bulbs need the cool temperatures to start the biochemical process in them to properly grow and bloom in the warmer spring season.

• One last tip for you. If you don't know what color splashes you would like or where to plant them, take a picture of your garden in the spring and use it for reference in the fall. This will help you plan out how beautiful your garden can become in the spring.

For more information on some of the plants mentioned, visit these sites to see how beautiful they can be!

Sources:
http://www.tulipworld.com/
http://www.backyardgardener.com/store/plants/daffodils.html
http://www.americanmeadows.com/FallFlowerBulbs.aspx
http://www.theplantexpert.com/springbulbs/Daffodil14Paperwhites.htmlhttp://urbanext.illinois.edu/bulbs/springbulbs.html