Bulbs | ongardening.com

Now that the spring-blooming bulbs have enriched our gardens and faded away, it is time to prepare next spring’s display.

Spring-blooming bulbs should be lifted, divided and replanted every three or four years, so if your existing bulbs could stay in place for another year or two, you can take time off—or attend to other garden priorities that are waiting for attention.

If your garden is still a Spring Bulb Free Zone, or if you wish to bring new or additional bulbs into the picture, now is the time. Let’s review.

The Daffodil (Narcissus) is the most popular spring-blooming bulb. A multitude of great choices is available. The American Daffodil Society advises that there are between 40 and 200 different Daffodil species, subspecies or varieties of species and over 25,000 registered cultivars (named hybrids). These are divided among the thirteen divisions of the official classification system. Visit the ADS website, http://daffodilusa.org/, for full information on the divisions, which are the many delightful forms of the blossom. That website also has good advice on growing this garden favorite.

Visit Wikipedia (search for Narcissus) for fascinating (I think) information on sixteen selected species of Narcissus.

Another very popular spring-blooming bulb is the Tulip, which needs a chill period to grow well. The Monterey Bay area has insufficient cold days for Tulips, so plant pre-chilled bulbs. Most mail-order suppliers offer pre-chilled bulbs, and will ship them at planting time. Order early to be sure to get pre-chilled bulbs of the cultivars you prefer.

There are many beautiful spring-blooming bulbs beyond these favorites, so try other popular choices: Hyacinth, Crocus, Grape Hyacinth, Allium, Siberian Squill, Crown Imperial, Snowdrop, Anemone, and Freesia.

Planting spring-blooming bulbs begins with choosing a location that has full exposure to the sun and is well drained. Build a berm or raised bed to ensure good drainage. If your soil is heavy with clay content, dig in a generous, three or four inch deep layer of organic compost. Bulbs that will remain in place for the next bloom season also will benefit from a top dressing of a good compost material.

Plant the bulbs deeply: three times the height of the bulb. This works out to four-to-six inches to the bottom of the hole for a typical daffodil. Water them in and place mulch on the surface to retain moisture and discourage weeds.

Garden centers are beginning stock spring-blooming bulbs now. As always, the selection is broader when ordering from a catalog or on the Internet.

In next week’s column, we’ll consider opportunities for creative landscaping with spring bulbs.

More – Mail order sources for bulbs

Brent and Becky’s Bulbs – Spring/Fall 2013 Catalog

John Scheepers, Inc. – Beauty from Bulbs

Van Engelen, Inc. – Wholesale Price List

White Flower Farm – Fall 2013 Garden Book

The fall season invites gardeners to plant bulbs to blossom in the spring and create bright swaths of color for the new gardening year.

Right now is an excellent time to design bulb bed(s) and select spring bulbs for the garden. There is a lot to consider.

One strategy is to favor the most familiar bulbs, choosing either old favorites or recent introductions. The most popular bulbs include Daffodils (Narcissus), Tulips (Tulipa), Hyacinths (Hyacinthus) and Dutch Crocuses (Crocus vernus). Garden centers offer many varieties of these plants: the long popularity of daffodils and tulips in particular has motivated hybridizers to develop a range of colors and interesting forms.

The next most familiar bulbous plants include Lilies of the Valley (Convallaria, from rhizomes), Spanish Bluebells (Scillas), Grecian Windflowers (Anemones, from tubers), Snowdrops (Galanthus), Dwarf Irises (Iris reticulata, from bulbs), and Grape Hyacinths (Muscari). There are many appealing options within these genera, as well.

Adventuresome gardeners can explore a long list of less familiar bulbs, each of which brings unique characteristics. Visit my website, ongardening.com, for links to additional options.

A different group of geophytes are summer-bloomers. This group includes Gladioli, Calla Lilies, Dahlias, Tuberous Begonias, and Crocosmias. They are planted in the early spring about the same time we plant tomato seedlings.

Other geophytes we enjoy are fall-bloomers, which are planted in the late summer: Autumn Crocus, Winter Daffodil, Guernsey Lily, Saffron Crocus, and some species of Snowdrops.

With planning, you could enjoy glamorous geophytes during much of the gardening year.

Some spring-blooming bulbs need a chilling period to bloom their best. Winter in the Monterey Bay area rarely provides a chill that is long enough and cold enough for these plants, so schedule six weeks of cold storage. The kitchen refrigerator will suffice except for larger projects, when gardeners will appreciate the luxury of a second refrigerator. Consider organizing a chilling co-op with gardening friends.

Many mail order bulb sellers offer pre-chilled bulbs to be shipped at the right time for local planting. A welcome service!

Here are the basics of planting bulbs. Choose a site that receives all-day sun, and drains well. Select larger bulbs of the preferred genus. Plant the bulbs at a depth that is about three times the bulb’s diameter, and take care to position them with the pointed end up.

Bulbs can be planted very close together and may be arranged in either formal or informal patterns. Fertilizers are not required, but a small amount of bone meal in the planting hole could help. For clay soil, add compost to improve drainage. Water to settle the soil then let the seasonal rains take over.

Prepare now for a spectacular spring.

More.

Information About Uncommon Geophytes

North Carolina State University

The Plant Expert

Pacific Bulb Society Wiki

Mail-order Suppliers of Uncommon Geophytes

Brent and Beck’s Bulbs