Planting bulbs: Your seasonal guide for vibrant spring blooms
Spring bulb plants delight with their flowers. To enjoy the array of colors, you need to know when to plant the bulbs in the ground. So, what does the gardening calendar tell us?
Bulb plants are not too complicated to grow if we take a few valuable tips into account. Before planting the bulbs, remember to remove weeds from the soil, dig to a depth of about 12 inches, and level the area where you want to plant the flowers. Adding fertilizer, de-acidified peat, or compost to the soil is also advisable.
All these tasks should be done 2-3 weeks before the planned planting. When should we plant the bulbs of individual plants?
When to plant bulb plants? Here's a cheat sheet
Late summer and early autumn are the best times to plant bulb plants. Remember that the planting times for individual species differ and may change if weather conditions are unfavorable.
Let's start with September. This is the best month to plant snowdrop bulbs, placing them at a depth of 2-3 inches. Hyacinths should also be planted in September, burying the bulbs at a depth of 3-6 inches.
Plant tulip bulbs at a depth of 3-5 inches and Siberian squill bulbs at 3 inches between the end of September and the beginning of October. In October, plant ornamental garlic bulbs at a depth of 6 inches.
What about spring?
Not all bulb plants need to be planted in the fall. Mid-April is the perfect time to place crocosmia bulbs in the ground at a depth of 2-3 inches. Later, in late April and early May, plant gladioli and Ixia at a depth of 4 inches and lilies at 4-6 inches. Cannas, whose bulbs are placed at a depth of 2 inches, should be planted in mid-May when there is less risk of frost.
