GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — A great garden or yard doesn't just happen. It requires effort, passion, and of course... planning.
That certainly is true with bulbs. If you want them to bloom in spring it's necessary to plant them in fall, but just putting bulbs in the ground will not get it done... you need to do it right.
Below is a list of mistakes to avoid so your bulbs have the best chance to flourish when the snow melts.
1. The pointy end goes up! The flat end of the bulbs is where the roots come from, so you’ll want that downward. The stem will comes from the pointy end so you want that pointing up. Can’t tell the difference? Late the bulb on it’s side and the roots will find their way down while the stem and flower will make their way to the surface.
2. Planting too few. Spring bulbs look best en masse, or in other words… a lot of them together in one spot. Instead of spreading them out, plant them in clumps of at least 5. There’s no such thing as too many!
3. Don’t plant your bulbs solo… layer them with a perennial or other bulbs on top! Spring bulbs can grow through other plants. After the bulbs bloom they will go dormant just when other perennials are starting to leaf out and blossom. They make a great team so you aren’t left with a bare spot in the garden.
4. Plant at the right time! Spring bulbs are best planted when nighttime temperatures are in the 40s and 50s. For us, late September through October is best.
5. Don’t plant them too shallow. A general rule of thumb is to plant the bulbs to a depth 2.5 times the size of the bulb itself.
a. Tulips, Allium, Daffoldis: 6”
b. Hyacinth: 4”
c. Crocus: 2”
6. Mark your bulbs with a plant marker so you know where they are both before and after they bloom.
7. You don’t need fertilizer! Bulbs are a self-sufficient flower factory. Everything that flower needs to bloom is stored within the bulb itself… like a chick growing inside an egg. Fertilizer will only attract pests.
Be sure to check in next week when we specifically talk more about how to keep ravenous chipmunks and squirrels from eating your bulbs before you can enjoy them!
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