Planting Spring Blooming Flowers

Tubers, Rhizomes, Corms, Bulbs 

  
Getting spring blooming flowers in the ground in the fall seems, to many, a misstep in thinking. But that is exactly when spring blooming bulbs need to be planted.
So many times while I was working at the garden center I had folks come in and ask for tulip bulbs or daffodils bulbs, or hyacinths ‘plants’ in March.  Sadly, March is when these beauties are strutting their stuff, but  March is not the time to plant them.

There are so many spring blooming flowers in the market place this time of year.  But not all spring bloomers are bulbs. 
Many of the smaller flowers like crocus and anemones grow from corms. When planted in the fall, the corms will develop roots.  Adding bone meal into the planting hole will help these and all spring bloomer’s roots grow. 



Tubers are a form of root that looks like this: Daylilies  dahlias, begonias, and some lilies grow from a tuber.  In my zone 6 garden however, dahlias and begonia tubers would not survive the frozen soils.  Zone 8 climate is milder and dahlia tubers will over winter safely. I need to plant dahlias and begonias after the last frost, in May.
Rhizomes grow plants like iris and ginger. 

Iris are hardy in my garden, but ginger, being a tropical (Zone 10) can be started in containers indoors and moved outside after the threat of frost passes (May 15 in zone 6).  Iris rhizomes are plants at the soil surface with the bottom in the soil where the roots will take hold.
Of all of the spring blooming flowers, bulbs are probably the best known of the early bloomers, Tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths are the most popular and relatively easy to grow. 

But these two early bloomers are snow drops and scilla. Always exciting to see them in late winter, when everything else is still muddy and gray. 

Muscari, or grape hyacinth, are small in height, usually four to six inches tall.  The scilla will be about six inches high, and the more popular tulips and ‘daffs’ will grow from six inches for some varieties, to 24” for others. 
These height variations will determine which blubs get planted in front of a planting or behind others to be seen.


As this chart shows, the bloom time is also considered in the planting scheme.  Planting bulbs depth is determined by the diameter of the bulb circumference.
Bigger bulbs need to be planted about 3x its size in depth.  


The same reasoning applies when planting a container. Spring blooming bulbs can easily be grown in containers.  I have not needed to give the pot any special care over winter, but if sub-zero temperatures are common in your area, the container may do better in a garage, or unheated shelter.

Planting en mass is a great way to get a colorful impact.  The planting hole is large and bulbs are set in.  If planting layers, cover the larger bulbs at the bottoms of the hole, and continue raising each group of bulbs.  
Digging a hole for a group of bulbs is simply done with a shovel.  However, if individual bulbs are being placed in the landscape, a few tools will make this job easier.






Any color you can imagine comes in a spring bloomer.  Mix pastels, or mass vibrant reds. Plant oranges with purples, or plant white and reds.

    The fragrant hyacinth is my favorite.  And when cut, they brighten any room. I really like the double blooms of daffodils. Look for the parrot tulips or the peony size tulips, stunning.

Any combination is a joy.  Check out garden center displays. Bulb companies have marketed color schemes and the possibilities are endless.  They have also packaged a mixed garden for a succession of blooms in the spring.

Fall planting of spring bloomers is important for good root establishment which enables the bulb to have energy to grow that first shoot, and then foliage, and then blooms.  Getting the bulbs in before the ground freezes is vital for this process. (However, I have known a procrastinator or two who planted bulbs over Christmas break, and the flowers did just fine.)

With 90 degree temps again this week, I find planning for fall premature.  But getting those bulbs into the landscape now will have endless rewards in the spring.
What are your favorite spring bloomers?  Do you put any in containers?  Thanks for stopping by today, and have fun picking up a few new residents for the garden.

Spring Bulbs – Still time to Plant

When I was working at local garden centers in the early spring, I had so many folks come in and want the tulips, or daffodils that were putting on their seasonal show.  The best I could do was show them the few we had potted up in containers.  So I want to remind you that this is the time to plant spring bulbs.  The few hours of planting now in the chill of fall will pay off big time in March and April.
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The basics of planting spring bulbs are  1) Pick firm bulbs.  These are available are garden centers and on line from growers.
2) Plant after the ground is cool, after frost, but before ground freezes.  Getting bulbs in the ground 6 weeks before ground freezes enables the roots to develop.  In areas where you do not have freezing winter soils, you can get the bulbs ready to plant by chilling them 6 – 8 weeks in the refrigerator; then plant.
  3)  Depth of planting depends on the bulb size.  A general rule is to plant to a depth of 3x the diameter of the bulb.  Tulips and Daffs – 7-8” deep; crocus, 4-5” deep.
Soil in the planting area needs to drain well.  Adding compost or peat moss will aid in this.  Any bulb needs a sunny area but as the deciduous trees are leafless in the early spring, sun is usually not an issue.
4) Plant pointed end up.  Roots will extend from the flat end but if you, by chance get this part wrong, these determined guys will not disappoint us and will find ‘up’.  I usually add bone meal to the planting hole. The phosphorous this adds will grow stronger roots for many years of blooms. 
 
5)  Plant bulbs in groups.  A recurring theme in landscape to to plant in odd numbers – 3-5-7 – This seems to be most pleasing to the eye.

6) Consider bloom times of the bulbs you pick.  Some will bloom early, some mid-season, and others will bloom late season.  The bulb descriptions will tell you the approximate bloom time.  By planting in sequence, you can extend the spring color for a couple of months, not just a few weeks. 
    This is my grandson, Luke. His garden pick many years ago was crocus and we still look forward to seeing them each spring.


Tulips have a tradition over 400 years of being ‘Spring’.  Originating in the Netherland, tulips have dozens of colors, and varieties from ‘Parrots’ which are fringed, to simple cups.  Squirrels  will dig up these bulbs and deer find tulips tasty. 
Daffodils, are Jonquils, are Narcissus.  From yellows, to pinks, these bulbs will naturalize and give you more and more blooms each year.  Deer and rodent resistant, Daffodils are quite reliable and showy.  Some are ‘double’ petals, some are dual colors.  I know you will have a hard time deciding which to include in your garden.
These Hyacinth are the most fragrant of the spring bulbs  The blooms last a couple of weeks and are high on 6-12” spikes.  Water in the fall if rain is scarce.  The show appears in March and April.
  These bulbs will usher in the spring with all of the promises of hope and growth we look forward to all winter.
Top right picture is ‘Glory in the Snow’, or Chionodoxa. The Miscari – or Grape Hyacinth is a favorite of mine.  Small, 6-7”  high and come in cobalt blue, ice blue, and white. The small photo on the left is Scilla.  Don’t overlook these minor bulbs.
The planting time for spring bulbs is running short.  In my Zone 5B garden, we can plant until the ground freezes, usually in December.  So count back your 6 – 8 weeks, and mid-November is about the latest we can plant.  So head out to the garden center and ‘think spring’. 

What is your favorite spring bulb?  Thanks for stopping by today.