Now that summer is winding down, it’s time to think about putting the garden to bed. Yes, there’s plenty to do like adding mulch to flower beds, fixing up and putting away irrigation components, cleaning out the vegetable gardens and possibly planting cover crops. The list can get long, but before you get swept away in all of the feel-good fall vibes that cooler weather brings, take a moment to think about next spring.
Right now, we’re all exhausted from the growing season and relentless heat (and grasshoppers!) but come March, that thirst for early color will be strong. September and October are the best months for planting bulbs. Do yourself the favor of popping in some bulbs over next month so that when spring first begins to break through winter, you’ll have plenty of color to help you celebrate.
When choosing good bulbs for your yard there are a few things to consider. As with any other plant that goes in, you’ll first want to determine a suitable location. Bulbs don’t want to sit in water for too long as it will rot their root structures, but they also don’t perform well when planted with a strong southern exposure to the sun. That exposure, or being too close to a structure that gets really warm and reflects that heat, can encourage them to break dormancy too early and then become vulnerable to the treacherously fickle weather we have here, especially during the spring.
Once you’ve got a good spot picked out, head on over to the garden center and see what’s available. You’re going to want to be discerning as the bigger and ‘juicier’ the bulb, the better the flowering will be. Definitely avoid any bulbs that look puny, shriveled, damaged, or possibly moldy. Even if it’s your favorite type of flower, it’s just not worth the poor results and likely short lifespan.
Go ahead and grab a good handful or two of one type since a solid block of one color is more impressive and eye-grabbing from a distance than a mixture of colors. When temps are still pretty chilly, it’s likely you’ll be appreciating your bulbs from indoors through a window so think about that view as you lay out your choices.
While a nice swath of one color is great, don’t hesitate to mix in other options for different parts of your yard. It can be both fun and rewarding to plan for a nice long bloom period by planting bulbs with varying bloom times. Crocus, dwarf iris, snowdrops, Siberian squill, and species tulips are great choices for your earliest blooms. For the second round, consider grape hyacinths, tulips, daffodils, fritillaria, and hyacinths. To usher the garden into summer some of the later spring bloomers include alliums, bearded iris, Dutch iris, and plenty of species of tulips.
After your choices are made and purchasing is complete, it’s time to get them in the ground. Don’t let them sit in their bag on the counter for several weeks before you get them planted. They’re likely to dry out and you want them as happy and healthy as possible for planting since they have a lot of root establishment to get done before the winter sets in.
The packaging of your specific bulbs should give you guidance on just how deep you’ll want to plant them but, if you’re without any finite instruction, just know that all bulbs root below 4 inches so plan on going deeper than you’re used to with say, annuals. Excavate the area down to the recommended rooting depth, add in any amendments like compost or fertilizer that you want at this point. If adding a phosphorus fertilizer, go with ½ pound of 0-46-0 per 100 square feet. You certainly don’t have to add fertilizer if you don’t want to and just know that the bulb is already set to produce its spring flower. Any fertilizer you add will benefit your second-year blooms and onward. If your soil is a really heavy clay, consider adding a good amount of compost to help break it up (sand will not work for this) when you plant.
Go ahead and set your bulbs in place at this time, making sure the growing tip is facing up. As you backfill your soil and any added amendments, give it all a good stirring to ensure uniformity. Pat it all in place gently, but firmly, and then water the area well but not to the point of soaking and puddling. The last important part is adding a good 3-inch layer of mulch on top. We don’t have to get fancy here. If you’ve got a lot of leaf litter, go ahead and use that. You’re just making sure to give your bulbs a nice blanket for the winter to insulate them from those temperature swings that could throw off their internal schedules or damage them through heaving and freeze.
In spring, after your flowers are done, you’ll want to remove the flower heads but leave the foliage in place. Yes, I know it is kind of ugly. The solution here is to plant fun annuals around or in between them or even a good fluffy groundcover. These will help disguise the straggly leaves whose job it is to resupply your bulbs with enough energy to make great blooms again the following year. At this point you can also apply a nitrogen fertilizer at ¼ pound per 100 square feet before the foliage completely withers.
After the second or third year, consider digging up your bulbs in August and dividing them to keep them vigorous and allow them enough room to flourish. You can plant the newly divided bulbs in a fresh location to enjoy the following spring. Not all bulbs are great for dividing but many are. Talk about a worthwhile garden investment!
