 |
||
|
Cornell University : Cornell Cooperative Extension
|
||
|
||
| Yates Association |
|
|
Planting Bulbs for Spring
Flowers |
|
|
September 26, 2001 The
nights are getting chillier, leaves are starting to fall, children
are back at school, and many of us are preparing our gardens for winter.
We are harvesting the last of the crops, getting rid of the remaining
plant matter and doing what needs to be done to get ready for winter.
However, now is also the time to be thinking of spring flowers and
planting bulbs. Corms
differ from bulbs in that these modified stems are not surrounded
by fleshy leaves but rather by solid tissue. Other modified stems
that are planted and have been called bulbs are irises and callas.
These are really rhizomes which are creeping underground stems. Tubers,
another underground stem type, include potatoes, tuberous begonias
and ranunculus. Thinking of how potatoes grow is an easy way to remember
some characteristics of tubers. They do not have leafy protection
around the stored food, and have growth buds, called eyes. The last
example of a modified stem that has been placed in the bulb group
but is not a true bulb is the tuberous rhizome, or tuberous rootstock.
Canna is an example of a tuberous rhizome, and these have characteristics
of both the tuber and rhizome groups. New York
State has a perfect climate for spring flowering bulbs because they
need to have a period of winter chilling in order for them to complete
their life cycle. The time to plant them is in the fall when they
use moisture to help establish roots. The bulbs go through a growing
period but do not send up top growth because of ever decreasing temperatures.
Winter chills keep the bulb in a period of rest. Springtime warmth
and rain cause the bulb to begin sending up its top growth of leaves
and flowers. After they bloom, the leaves make food then wither and
turn yellow. That is the time to cut the leaves back, and that is
all that needs to be done. The cycle will continue year after year
with little assistance. Spring bulbs are one of the easiest kinds
of flowers to maintain. If you
are planning to have your spring garden full of plants like crocus,
tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and more, hopefully you have already
begun to plan what this garden will look like. You should put in an
order for bulbs so that you can plant them this fall. If not, you
still have time to purchase bulbs at local garden stores. You will
need to know what to look for when buying bulbs, and where, when and
how to plant them. When
you are buying bulbs, look for those that are firm to the touch and
without blemishes or scars. Slight traces of blue mold should not
be harmful to the bulb, but mold throughout can indicate the bulb
has been stored incorrectly for a long time. Bulbs should also have
little or no root or shoot growth, except for a pale growth bud at
the top. The advanced growth would indicate that storage temperatures
were too warm. When
you are ready to plant, be sure your soil is prepared. Bulbs need
to be in areas that have good drainage. That requires soil to be loamy
or sandy. A word of caution about sandy soils: If there is too much
drainage, the soil will be too dry. Loamy soil is best. Add organic
matter to your soil if you are not sure. Organic matter not only helps
with soil nutrition but helps with water retention and drainage. Some
people will put bulbs in flower beds, and some like to "naturalize"
a lawn or meadow with flowers. Planting in a bed is easy. Dig the
hole to the proper depth, put in the bulb with the root side down,
and cover with soil. The proper depth will vary with size of the bulbs,
but a general rule of thumb is to plant bulbs 3-4 times their height.
For example, when planting a tulip bulb that measures 1 ½ inches,
dig the hole 4 ½-6 inches deep. After the bulbs are covered,
they should be watered thoroughly. To naturalize
a lawn or meadow, the method is the same, although you would be working
around an existing lawn. You also would want to plant the bulbs randomly
for the natural look. For smaller bulbs, use a narrow trowel, dandelion
digger or garden knife to make a hole and wiggle it until the proper
depth is reached. For larger bulbs, you may have to remove or fold
back some of the sod, and dig to the proper depth. Cover the bulb
with soil and the sod. According to Rodale's Successful Organic Gardening As stated
earlier, bulbs are one of the easiest ways to enjoy beautiful flowers.
The care is minimal, with watering, fertilizing, and occasionally
dividing the bulbs. Dividing spring bulbs should be done after the
leaves have died back, which is in late spring. Lift the clump of
leaves and plant matter with a spade or digging fork, and separate
the "bulblets" by gently pulling them away from the mother
bulb. These small bulbs should be planted in a "nursery bed"
where, with water and fertilizer, they can grow to reach flowering
size. This usually takes a year or two. Then the bulbs can be replanted
into a regular bed. In addition
to planting the bulbs outdoors for springtime enjoyment, bulbs can
be planted so that they will bloom indoors! Having beautiful flowers
indoors can surely brighten up a dreary winter day. According to Rodale,
most spring bulbs can be forced, which is the term used for encouraging
bulbs to grow and bloom indoors earlier than they normally would.
There
are many resources available about planting bulbs not only for spring,
but also for summer and fall. These resources, along with other information,
are available from Master Gardeners at Cornell Cooperative Extension.
If you have any questions about gardening, please call the Master
Gardeners on at 315-536-5123. Leave your name and question along with
your return phone number and a time we can call you back with an answer.
We look forward to your calls. Cornell
Cooperative Extension Yates Association |
