It's a fact of life: to enjoy the fabulous
bulb flowers that bloom in spring -- such as
tulips,
daffodils,
hyacinths,
crocus,
amaryllis, and others -- you must plant
them in the fall. That's the hard fact. The
fun fact is that nothing is easier to grow or
more colorfully rewarding than flower bulbs.
Even the most unskilled gardener can create
a breathtaking and beautiful spring garden with
bulbs.
Spring-flowering bulbs must be planted in the
fall because they require a sustained "dormant"
period of cold temperatures to stimulate root
development.
SHOP
FOR SPRING BLOOMING BULBS
As a rule, the colder your climate,
the earlier you plant. In colder northern climates,
for example, plant in September or October. In
warmer climates you may need to plant your flower
bulbs in December (or even later). The only universal
rule is that, spring flowering bulbs must be planted
before the first hard frost.
It's best to plant bulbs as soon
as possible after bringing them home. If you must
store them, keep them dry and cool -- between
50 and 60 degrees (F). For long storage periods,
a refrigerator vegetable compartment can be used,
but be sure to keep them away from ripening fruit.
The gas emitted by fruit's ripening process can
destroy bulbs. Also take a moment to review our
new scientific
name section.
In addition to tulips
and daffodils,
you'll also want to plant other exotic Dutch bulbs,
such as spring-flowering scilla, puschkinia, muscari,
fritillaria, allium,
camassia, and eremurus.
Your local climate will affect which flower bulbs
you choose to plant. Not all flower bulbs have
the same cold requirements. Ask your spring flower
bulb supplier to recommend the flower bulbs that
do well in your area. The USDA publishes a climate
zone map covering the entire U.S. This can be
found reproduced below:
Please look at all of these great gardening categories
that we are now pleased to offer:
|
