Your Guide to Planting Bulbs in Fall for Spring Blooms!

I know many gardeners love spring blooms in their garden. One simple way to enjoy blooms early in the spring, before many other plants have set their flowers is to plant bulbs in the fall. These bulbs will remain dormant through most of the winter, and just as the weather gets warmer and the snow has melted, will sprout up and display their beautiful flowers. I love many flowering bulbs with tulips, daffodils and hyacinths being some of my personal favorite. I'll cover the proper way to plant and care for your bulbs that will ensure you have a beautiful spring flower show in your own garden!

The first thing you need to do is purchase your bulbs. When buying bulbs size does matter. Large bulbs generally are more likely to produce a healthy plant and beautiful flower. They have enough energy stored up in their bulb to sustain growth after a long winter in the dark soil. A small bulb may not be strong enough to produce a flower, and may not repeat a bloom in the following season. Large bulbs are more expensive, but spending less money on bulbs that may not flower defeats the purpose.

You will also want to have some peat moss and sand on hand for planting day. Bulbs require very well drained soil conditions. If bulbs are placed in areas where moisture is a problem they can rot very easily before they have a chance to grow. For this reason, I always like to place a little bit of peat moss and sand mixed together into the soil around the bulb. Place some of the peat moss/sand mixture in the hole, and then place the bulb on top of the mixture. You can also fill around the bulb with the peat moss and sand, and then place the original soil in the hole to fill it completely.

When you are ready to plant, be sure to read the planting depth directions on each package. Most packages will say how deep to plant the bulbs and the correct depth is very important to ensure the bulbs will come up in the spring. If the bulb is planted too deeply, the soil will be too cold and dark for the plant to grow, and if the bulb is planted too shallow there may not be enough soil on top to protect it through the winter. One rule of thumb for bulb planting depth is to plant the bulb 3 times its depth deep.

After planting, you will not need to do anything, only wait till spring to see the bulb growth start to emerge from the ground. Be sure to mark where you planted the bulbs so that you do not mow over the growth and loose your chance of blooms.

After the bulbs have flowered, you should let the bulb growth die back naturally. Once the bulb growth is shriveled and dry, you can mow over the area. By allowing the bulb growth to dry out, the bulb that is underground will store up enough energy for another blooming season. If you cut the plant to early, the bulb may not grow again the following year.

Bulbs are best planted amongst other plants in a perennial garden. They do not grow well in containers where the depth is limited. If you have an annual flower bed, you can try to place the bulbs sporadically throughout the garden for spring interest! Tulips, crocus, daffodils, and hyacinths can add spring color to any home landscape!