Planting Spring Bulbs

• Roses

• Poinsettias

• Planting Spring Bulbs

September – October

Planting Spring Flowering Bulbs

Autumn is time to focus on refreshing your gardens. It’s while the soil is still warm and the nights are cool, that bulbs can take root and be ready to provide you with the first blooms of spring in lots of pretty colors! Available in our garden center in September & October, you can choose your favorite bulbs and easily plant them on a lovely fall afternoon! Read the bulb package for bloom time – early, mid and late spring – and height before making your selections. Choose a location with 4 – 6 hours of sunlight and good drainage. Add compost or sand if necessary, and work into soil.

Check the package for planting depth and spacing. A good rule of thumb is to plant bulbs at a depth of 3 times their height (generally 5-8”) and to space them 3 times their width apart, unless specified on their package. Plant with flat side down and tips pointing upward. Consider covering bulbs with a mesh or chicken wire as an animal deterrent if you have pesky critters. Sprinkle Espoma Organic Bulb-tone over the bulbs before covering with soil. Water well after planting to encourage root growth.

A clever way to mark plantings of tulips and daffodils to prevent over planting in the same location, is to surround them with crocus and grape hyacinth. Their leaves come up in the fall, marking the existing bulb planting.

Summer Bulb Care

Summer bulbs that can be saved:
Caladium
Canna
Dahlia
Elephant Ear
Gladiola
Glory Lily
Magic Lily (Amaryllis)
Summer Hyacinth

Dig summer bulbs right after the first light frost. Use a garden fork to loosen the soil and separate bulbs carefully by hand. Shake off excess soil and trim foliage to 1 or 2” above bulb. Set in warm, dry location out of direct sun, for a few days to dry. Bulbs may be dusted lightly with a fungicidal powder.

Store bulbs in breathable boxes or paper bags, lined with newspapers and slightly damp
peat moss. Layer bulbs with more peat moss. Do not allow bulbs to touch one another. Top with several sheets of newspaper. Store boxes in a dark place, where temperatures are 45-50 degrees. Check bulbs periodically – discard any rotting bulbs.

Replant in spring when over night temperatures are consistently above 45 degrees.