Planting Spring Bulbs

by Murray Anderson

This time of the year we spend most of our time thinking about getting our homes and gardens ready for winter so it seems strange to be thinking about spring flowers. However, the months of October, November and even December are exactly the right time to be planting spring bulbs, since bulbs need at least 12 weeks in the ground before they flower. Planting spring bulbs isn't a very tricky process, but a getting a good crop of spring flowers does require more than just digging a hole in the ground and putting the bulbs in. Here's some tips on planting your spring bulbs.

Planting your spring bulbs

Choose your bulbs the same way you choose onions. Pick the largest ones and be sure each bulb is firm (no soft spots) and has some of the papery covering on it. Avoid any bulbs with black or green mildew on them or bulbs that have started to sprout a green stem.
Spring bulbs like full or at least partial sun and need good drainage so choose planting areas well away from low lying parts of your garden where moisture will accumulate during the spring thaw.
You need to plant bulbs at the proper depth depending on their size for them to grow well. Larger bulbs (such as tulip, hyacinth and daffodil) should be planted so their bases are 8 to 10 inches deep, while smaller bulbs (crocus, narcissus, small iris) should be 4 to 6 inches down.
Dig holes for your bulbs using a narrow trowel or a bulb planting tool (a handle with what looks like a tin can with both ends cut off) for individual bulbs, however, if you're planting bulbs in a group, a small spade will do the job).
You want to give your bulbs space to grow, so plant individual large bulbs about 3 to 6 inches apart and keep smaller ones 1 to 2 inches away from each other.
It's better to plant your bulbs with the narrow or pointy end up, but a nice thing about bulbs is if you can't figure it out, just plant them sideways and the bulbs will work it out themselves.
After putting your bulbs into the ground cover them with some of soil you removed from the hole then water them well. You don't really need to add any fertilizer at planting time, (although many people do like to put some compost or slow release fertilizer in the hole to help the bulbs grow strong), but later in the year it's a good idea to cover the area with a mulch of compost, manure or shredded leaves to keep the temperature stable during the winter and prevent the ground from drying out.

Make the most of your bulbs

Spring bulbs look more natural when they're planted in random pattens rather than in straight rows. One way to do this is to simply pick up a handful of bulbs, throw them on the ground and plant the bulbs exactly where they land.
If your garden is small, you can get it to do double duty. Plant your larger bulbs at their proper depth then cover them with a couple of inches or earth and plant a second layer of smaller bulbs. In the spring the smaller bulbs will bloom first, then be followed by the flowers from the larger bulbs.