It’s about that time to plant bulbs! Bulbs are flowers that are planted in the fall and flower in the spring. Before your bulbs develop they will resemble the picture to the left and won’t have flowers on them yet. When planting your bulbs you only need one simple tool, a bulb planter, which can be found at your local gardening/ hardware store. An example of bulbs that can be planted in the fall would be tulips and daffodils. Bulbs should be planted about six weeks before your first frost. Planting bulbs could be a great way to spend your Labor Day weekend this year.
Follow a few simple steps when planting bulbs:
- Prepare your soil before planting. Make sure your soil does not have any weeds in it and it should be turned so that there are no clumps in it and so the soil is loosened.
- Digging the right depth is key to successful growing. This is why a bulb planter comes in handy, but if you prefer to do it yourself you should make a hole that is about 6 inches deep. If your hole is too shallow, your bulbs will freeze over the winter but if they are too deep your bulb will be unable to break through in the spring. Once your hole is made, place the bulb inside of it with the roots facing down. Then slightly cover the hole with soil.
- Now you must wait until the spring to see the results of your planting process. If your area is experiencing a harsh winter (a lot of snow, and cold temperatures) you may need to cover your bulbs half way through the winter, to help protect them.
Good luck growing your bulbs!
