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Planting Garden Bulbs
Bulbs are a great addition to any garden and have the added benefits of coming up year after year as well as producing more plants to transplant in other spots of the garden.
Many gardeners, however, are intimidated by bulbs and never even plant one!
Planting bulbs is actually quite easy. You simply need to do a bit of planning and follow simple directions for planting each type. The truth is that most bulbs will bloom and you really have to screw up pretty bad to get them to not come up.
One big mistake that many people make is not looking at the package. The depth that each type of bulb needs to be planted at is different and will be clearly marked on your bulb package as well as the ideal time of you to plant them. Typically, the larger the bulb, the deeper you need to plant it. The directions will usually say something like “plant 3 times as deep as the bulb” but each variety of flower may be different so be sure to follow the instructions on the package.
Don’t skimp on the hole - you will probably be digging down 5" to 8" so make sure you have the appropriate tools and are prepared for this type of task. Digging even a small hole can be hard work when the soil is filled with a tangle of tree and shrub roots. When placing the bulb in the hole, you should put the pointy end facing up. With some bulbs however, it is very difficult to tell which end this is but don’t panic, even if you put the wrong end in, nature will take over and somehow get the flower to grow right side up.
It’s also a good idea to keep your bulbs inside the package until you are digging the hole they will be planted in, especially if you are planting many different types of bulbs at the same time. All bulbs can look amazingly similar when out of their package and you many end up planting the wrongs ones.
Most flowering bulbs like a sunny spot with good drainage so you need to plan where you will plant the bulbs before you even purchase them. Make sure you have enough of an area for planting so that your flowers will not get overcrowded and will be happy and healthy. There are some exceptions to this so you should read the bulb package again to determine the exact conditions which are optimum for your plants.
Once you have decided on the perfect place for your bulbs, you need to make sure you prepare the soil. Make sure you loosen the soil in the hole and add some compost or other organic matter. At this point fertilizer is not necessary as each bulb is like a little life package that contains it’s own nutrients to nourish the plant. If you are fertilizing other plants around the bulb, take care to make sure none of the fertilizer gets in the hole as this may damage the tender young root system of the plant.
Once you have planted the bulb, cover it over loosely with soil. Dig a little trench around the bulb and water thoroughly - enough so that some water sits in the trench. Once this water has drained fill in the rest of the soil, pack lightly and water thoroughly again.
When planning where to plant your bulbs, remember to plant taller flowers in back of shorter ones. If your garden is in the middle of the yard and can be viewed from all angles, then put the taller flowers in the center.
Most bulbs only bloom for a few weeks but you can make sure your bulb garden has flowers all season by planting bulbs with different bloom times next to each other. One method that some gardeners use is to plant the bulbs on top of each other in the same hole with dirt in between. If you plant things right then when one bulb stops blooming, another will be bursting with color.
To keep your bulbs vibrant and healthy, remember to water as per the instructions and Fertilize them after the first year with compost or the type of fertilizer recommended for that flower. If your bulb garden gets too crowded, you may need to divide the bulbs and use the divisions to start another bulb garden somewhere else in your yard!
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