Plant Bulbs in Fall, Voila! They Brighten Your Life in Spring!
The authors of the American Meadows website encourage everyone to head to their favorite nursery and purchase some bulbs. They are easy to plant and ever so much fun to watch grow throughout the late winter and early spring.
Then, when they blossom, you’ve got a bouquet of color in your yard. Be sure to plant a bunch of bulbs so you can harvest a few for brightening the inside of the house!
The good news is that planting flower bulbs is fast, easy, and nearly foolproof. One reason fall bulbs are so beloved of both beginner and master gardeners is that, with so few issues to consider, gardeners can put all their effort into the fun part of gardening — design.
- When the bulbs arrive. Bulbs should be planted as soon as the ground is cool. In most parts of the country, this would be around the time of the first frosts, when evening temperatures average between 40° to 50° F. But you should plant at least six weeks before the ground freezes. You can, if necessary, store bulbs for a month or longer, if you keep them in a cool dry place. When in doubt, however, the bulbs belong in the ground. They won’t last till next season.
- Read the label. Try to keep the label together with the bulbs until planting. Without the label, you can’t tell the red tulips from the white ones just by looking at the bulbs.
- Where to plant. You can plant bulbs just about anywhere in your garden — so long as the soil drains well. The Dutch say, “bulbs don’t like wet feet.” So, avoid areas where water collects, such as the bottom of hills. Bulbs also like sun. But the spring garden is very sunny — the leaves aren’t on the trees yet. Get creative!
- Prepare the planting bed by digging the soil so it’s loose and workable. If it’s not an established garden bed, chances are the soil could use the addition of some organic matter such as compost or peat moss. These are available at most local garden retailers.
http://www.americanmeadows.com/how-to-plant-flower-bulbs
