Planting spring-flowering bulbs in the fall is a good idea. For many people, thinking about planting flowers for springtime color in the garden is the last thing on their minds as chilly temperatures begin to come.
However, now is the time to plant bulbs that will give your yard a burst of color and help you say goodbye to the grey days of winter.
Visit your neighborhood nursery first. Choose dense and heavy bulbs without signs of fungus, mold or rot. The bulbs you purchase should not only smell pleasant but also be in perfect condition.
Table of Contents
You can go with tried-and-true bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, or you can get Anemone, Allium, Fritillaria, hibiscus and rose flowers.
The bulbs that bloom in the spring provide an eye-catching show while the rest of the garden is just emerging from its winter slumber.
Flowers that bloom later in the spring offer a diverse selection, although they are typically disregarded when arranging a garden. If you’ve noticed that your garden has few flowers to admire by late spring, now is the time to plant bulbs that bloom later in the year.
Choosing high-quality bulbs
You should choose only healthy bulbs to plant after deciding what kinds of spring flowers you want to see. Refrain from using shriveled or frail bulbs. You should also avoid mold-colored or soft-spotted bulbs.
Choose bulbs with care, as their size is important. The larger the bulb, the more flowers it will produce. In general, smaller bulbs are more likely to flower, while larger bulbs provide more flowers.
It’s possible to shop for spring-flowering bulbs as early as late August. Early birds usually get the best deals and picks.
Bulbs for spring blooming purchased in late summer should be kept in a cool, dry location like a basement or garage until planting time in the fall.
Planting bulbs for early spring bloom
Plant bulbs in the fall while the soil is still warm and pliable. The thing is, you shouldn’t.
Bulbs are easily destroyed by rot if planted too soon. They may try to bloom even if you plant them in late August or early September. This is because they’ve been fooled into thinking it’s spring.
They won’t bloom on time if you put them in too soon. Bulbs that blossom in the spring need to be planted in the fall so they can have some cold time underground before the spring growing season begins.
Some spring bulbs can even send out roots in barely above-freezing soil. Because of this, you must dig your holes as deep as possible when planting later in the season, even if that means going a few inches above the suggested depth.
Once the soil has frozen, cover the bulbs with a layer of mulch, such as evergreen boughs, straws, or leaves. There is also the option to use ground cover plants.
As a result of the additional depth, it may take the shoots until later in the spring to emerge.
Planting bulbs for summer bloom
Bulbs to Plant in Spring for Summer Blooms
Many varieties of spring-planted bulbs take only a few months from bulb to showy flowers and lush foliage. This makes them a pleasant addition to any garden.
The dry places in the flower beds can be quickly remedied by planting bulbs in the spring, which is why many gardeners do so. Many are highly sought after for their foliage and ability to be used as cut flowers.
Moreover, they require little care and are simple to cultivate. Among the many spring-planted bulbs are tuberoses, lilies, hibiscus, freesias, dahkias, cannas, calla lilies, anemones, ranunculus, gladiolus, elephant ears, crocosmia, caladiums, and begonias.
Summer-blooming bulbs: how to plant, grow, and care for them
Make sure there is adequate drainage in the area where you wish to plant your bulbs. This will allow them to grow into healthy plants in the future. Roots will perish if you allow the soil to remain consistently saturated with water.
The drainage in a container or pot can be easily improved. A pot with drainage holes, some pebbles in the bottom, and some soil should do the trick.
It is best to check the drainage by digging a 1 foot wide and a 1 foot deep hole in the flowerbed or garden. Next, how long does it take for water to drain completely from the hole after it has been filled with water?
You should aim for between 10 and 30 minutes. Add a lot of organic matter to your soil like old manure, peat moss, compost or leaf mold to help it drain better.
Growing bulbs in raised beds or DIY paper plant pots may be your best bet if your soil doesn’t drain well.
Spring bulb planting will result in summer blooms.
Rhizomes, corns, and true bulbs or tubers do best in loose, organically rich soil that drains well. In spring, bulbs are planted, but if the soil doesn’t drain well, they may rot.
Where to plant summer blooms
It’s important to think about the light conditions where you’ll plant your bulbs. Some need at least six hours of sunlight every day, while others can thrive in either full shade or partial sunlight (2 to 6 hours per day) (less than 2 hours of direct sunlight per day).
Think about their full size as well, including their height and spread. You should put them in a spot where they will have room to grow but where they won’t obstruct the view of other plants.
When to plant summer blooms
Bulbs planted in the spring are often delicate and frost-sensitive. Therefore, if you intend to plant outdoors, wait until the last chance of frost has passed before setting your spring bulbs in the ground. Many green thumbs wait until the last moment to plant their fragile bulbs indoors in the spring.
How to plant bulbs
Putting in a few spring bulbs is easy, but you should observe these rules of thumb.
- Put forth the time and effort to plant them at the correct depth. You should plant bulbs 2.5–3 times as deep as they are tall for optimal growth. That is, if the bulb is two inches tall, plant it such that its base is 6 inches underground.
- Secondly, most bulbs do best in soil that drains properly. Do not put bulbs in wet soil, as this can cause them to decay.
- Finally, adding compost or other organic matter to the soil is essential for successful bulb cultivation. Before planting spring bulbs, work a couple of scoops of compost into the soil.
Conclusion
Although planting spring-flowering bulbs early is the surest way to ensure they bloom in the spring, it is possible to plant them late. They may not put on much of a performance in the first year, but they should improve as they mature.