Are you wondering when to plant Spring flowering bulbs? Now is the time to plan your Spring flowering bulbs garden site so you can get them in the ground in November.  Plan now for next Spring’s show.

Last year I planted tulip bulbs called  ‘Angelique’. Tulip AngeliqueThey are a beautiful full bloom tulip with two layers of petals. They received many complements from passersby. The bulbs are in a pot so I was able to move the pot to the back yard in a cool dry place after the blooms faded. I will bring them out the end of October.

This year I will add a few more new bulbs to a new area I plan on preparing. There are wild irises and daffodils that come up as volunteers on our property. I plan on adding some light blue irises, and some dark purple Tulips into the mix. >

Buying bulbs
Bulbs that are dried and crunchy or wet and moldy are obviously not healthy and will not offer up the blooms we are looking for. Look for bulbs that are firm and large.

Site selection
Bulbs like at least six hours of sun a day. Another consideration is an area that drains well. If allowed to sit in a damp environment the bulbs will rot. For best results, choose an area of your yard that meets this requirements.

Preparing the site
Rather than planting each bulb individually, clear a site to the recommended depth for the bulbs you would like to plant plus another few inches for the roots to get established. A rule of thumb is that a bulb is planted two to three times as deep as the bulb is tall. This measurement is from the base of the bulb to the surface of the soil.

The width of the site will be determined by the number of bulbs you plan on planting. This method also enables you to plant multiple layers of bulbs at their specific depth requirement. For example, generally Tulips are planted at a depth of 7 inches so the prepared site needs to be between 10 and 11 inches deep. After tossing soil on top of the tulip bulbs, daffodils could be planted at a depth of 5 inches and so on.
Double Tulip "Dream Touch"
Planting the bulbs
Plant your bulbs during the month of November. Plant them with the pointed side up. With some spring flowering bulbs it is difficult to determine which end of the bulb will produce a root. If this is the case,  place the bulb on it’s side and the shoot will find it’s way to the surface. Water the flower bed deeply. Mulch the site to keep frost from harming the bulbs.

Tip: Planting another round of bulbs two weeks after the first planting will give you a second show when the first round fades.

Once the bulbs have performed
After the blooms have faded and the leaves have dried we can do one of two things – cut the dried leaves back and leave the bulbs in the ground until next year or dig up the bulbs and store them in a cool dry place until next fall. If planting other flowers on top of the bulbs is your plan, then it’s a good idea to dig the bulbs up. A dormant bulb that receives water and fertilization will rot which means there won’t be any blooms next year.

Time to look at all your fabulous flower options and choose the flower bulbs that will become eye candy for you next Spring. Get out there and dig!

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