Winter can be pretty depressing sometimes for a plant lover like myself since so many of them have died or gone dormant and the landscape is blanketed with snow. Towards the end of the season, though, I get to witness lovely surprises like the first buds swelling on the trees and crocus leaves and flowers peeping up through the snow or bare ground. When you plant the crocus and other spring flowering bulbs in autumn, you are preparing the way for a beautiful color show in late winter and spring.
Common Spring Flowering Bulbs That Should Be Planted in Autumn:
- Crocus
- Daffodils
- Garlic (separate the cloves before planting)
- Hyacinth
- Snowdrops
- Tulips
Make sure that you give your bulbs a chance to get some roots forming during the fall before winter hits and everything slows down. Plant them before the ground becomes frozen.You will want to water them a little so that the plant can function, but not enough that the soil is very moist since this increases the chances that the bulb may rot before it can really get growing.
You should first inspect and test your potential planting site. Send a soil sample to a soil laboratory so you can check the nutrient levels present. This will tell you how much is currently present so you can buy the right kind of fertilizer. This should be worked into the ground so that the roots will be able to reach and use the nutrients. You will especially want to be aware of your phosphorus levels as this is necessary for the best possible flowers.
When you plant spring flowering bulbs, they should usually be placed in a hole that is either two or three times the length of the bulb. Check the package for planting instructions to be sure for your specific kind. Look at the bulb and place it so that the tip is upward and the roots positioned downward.
What is your favorite kind of bulb to plant?
Image by katerha under a Flickr Creative Commons Attribution License
