Fall Planting for Spring Bulbs
Plant spring blooming bulbs in the fall for beautiful garden displays. Most hardy bulbs need a cooling period, so they should be planted in the ground before the ground freezes solid or, in areas where the ground does not freeze (the South, primarily), the bulbs need to be chilled. Here are some pointers for planting bulbs for a gorgeous spring showing.
How to Plant
Depending upon the type of bulb you are planting, you will plant individually or by digging a trench. Most bulbs look best when planted in large drifts. If you can afford to buy more than 100 bulbs and plant them together, I advocate for planting in a trench. Get a garden hoe or a spade and dig some criss-crossing trenches. (Big X's right next to and overlapping each other.) Then, drop the bulbs in the trenches, with about four inches in between them, and cover them up. The criss-cross pattern will help give the illusion of "randomness," while the trench-planting method saves a ton of work. If you want to naturalize your bulbs, and plant little groupings along a path or along a woodline, you can use the same method, but instead of digging a linear trench, you can dig a shallow, circular hole. Then, arrange the bulbs in the hole as you might arrange dinner rolls in a circular pan, and cover them. The last, and definitely most labor-intensive way to plant is placing each bulb in an individual hole. This is the method encouraged by purveyors of bulb digging tools or dibbers. Hole or trench, plant the bulbs at least six times as deep as the bulbs are tall for best results. I've planted two different bulbs per hole before-bulbs of contrasting color or differing bloom times. That makes for a pretty display. In particular, yellow Tulip 'Monte Carlo' is a nice accompaniment to 'Purple Prince."Right Bulb Right Place
Bulbs welcome spring in the garden, often blooming at the same time as wildflowers, before trees leaf out, and perennials beginning to re-sprout for the summer. There are many interesting species and varieties of bulbs, though most people prefer the bright colors of hybrids. You can never go wrong with these old standbys. Plant them in the right location for optimum bloom, and you can enjoy some of these spring beauties for years to come.
Daffodils are happiest in full sun to partial shade conditions. Most daffodils naturalize well, which means they will grow and multiply, perennializing in areas where their foliage is left alone until it dies back, allowing the bulb to photosynthesize and store food.
Grape Hyacinths have the added bonus of being deer-resistant. They also do well in full sun to partial shade, and bloom in April and May.
Tulips come in every imaginable color, size, shape and bloom period. Most tulips are cultivars that bloom for only one season. Species tulips are interesting, though harder to find and less showy. Tulips need full sun to bloom well. Unfortunately, they are also a favored snack of deer and squirrels. You can keep deer away by shaking ground cayenne pepper in with the tulip bulb when you plant it, and again on the leaves as the bulbs begin to sprout.
Keeping Critters Out
A common problem with bulb displays is that bulbs make delicious snacks for wildlife. There are a few ways to get around losing your entire bulb display to rodents.- Use ground red cayenne pepper liberally in and around the bulb planting trenches and holes. This will deter some squirrels.
- Line the planting holes with chicken wire. This will also keep out squirrels.
- Plant bulbs that deer do not enjoy: allium, daffodil, grape hyacinth, crocus.
- Spray all-natural animal repellents. imustgarden.com, in particular, has effective and fairly pleasant smelling offerings.
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