Gardening With Charlie
Gardening With Charlie
Bulb-Planting Strategies
By CHARLIE NARDOZZI
(Family Features) By autumn most gardeners have had enough of their gardens. Unless you live the Deep South, Southwest, or Florida, fall is a time to clean up the garden and dream of next year. However, there's one more planting task that can reap dividends next spring. In most of the country October is the perfect month to plant spring-flowering bulbs. Planting tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocuses, or a host of less common small bulbs will insure your garden has color and appeal the following spring.
While the traditional method of planting spring-flowering bulbs is in groups in a bed or among other flowering perennials, here are some fun and unusual ways to plant bulbs in the landscape.
Plant in Layers
If you don't have lots of room, here's a neat trick to not only plant more bulbs but to have them bloom longer in the spring. In a full sun, well-drained soil location, dig a 2-foot by 2-foot hole, 1 foot deep. Add a 2-inch-deep layer of compost to the bottom and plant 9 to 12 large-sized, late-season daffodil bulbs. Cover with soil. Plant 12 to 15 midseason tulip bulbs on top of the daffodils so they're 6 inches deep. Cover these with soil. Plant a final layer of 15 to 20 early-season bulbs, such as crocuses, scillas, or grape hyacinths, on top of the tulips about 3 inches deep. Cover these bulbs with soil. In spring the early-season bulbs will flower first, followed by the tulips, and then daffodils. You'll have overlapping flowering times and the color will last longer into the season than if you planted just one type of bulb.
Plant in Pots
Yes, you can grow bulbs in containers. The key to success is protecting them in winter. Use a 6-inch or larger diameter container that has drainage holes. Fill it with moistened potting soil and plant the bulbs in the container so they are almost touching and their tops are barely below soil level. Place the container outdoors. Before the soil freezes, move the container into a unheated, protected garage or shed. If you live in a very cold area, insulate the pots with straw or burlap to keep the bulbs from freezing. You can also place the container in a cool basement, as long as the temperatures stay below 50 degrees F. The cold temperatures will give the bulbs the chilling they need. In spring place the container outdoors as soon as the weather warms and begin watering.
Naturalizing
Some bulbs will spread on their own if planted in the right location. Planting spring bulbs so they naturalize is a good way to create waves of color in a deciduous forest or lawn. Daffodils, scillas, and species tulips are good examples of bulbs that naturalize well. They flower every spring with little care and will spread if left undisturbed. Plant where you won't mow until midsummer as their foliage needs to die naturally in order to rejuvenate the bulb.
Photo Courtesy of Getty Images
Courtesy of Family Features
