Bulbs

Do you know what I love about bulb planting? The modest beginner can create a floral fantasy following these easy steps. In the fall plant the bulb in a hole which is two or three times deeper than the width of the bulb. Plant all bulbs with the 'pointed' end up. Lay the bulbs in drifts. This means that when the flowers appear in spring, they will not be standing like little soldiers in straight lines, but instead the flowers will blend naturally into the landscape. Cover the bulbs with the original soil which was removed to create the hole. There is nothing more to do until the floral display is over.

The reason why successful bulb planting is so easy is that very little can go wrong provided the soil is not waterlogged. Daffodils are distasteful to squirrels and chipmunks and therefore need no special protection. If you have been plagued with pesky rodents digging up your bulbs spread a layer of chicken wire over the bulbs just below the soil surface or use Ro-pel to spray tulips and crocuses before planting.

The purchased bulb, if healthy and large, will have its flowering quality already determined. The skill of the gardener has little effect. What happens in future years however does depend on you. With proper care and cultivation these bulbs will improve and multiply over the years but with poor handling the stock will rapidly deteriorate.
Make sure the site is well drained and fairly rich in humus. Bone Meal is the best fertilizer. If the ground tends to be damp Daffodils will do better than Tulips. Although the choice is up to you try to buy good-sized bulbs. There is no point in planting tiny daughter bulbs unless you are prepared to grow them on for a couple of years before obtaining satisfactory flowers.

When the flowering is over the leaves must be allowed to remain on the plant. This is the stage when food is produced for next year's bulbs. Feeding them with a liquid fertilizer is recommended.