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Green Thumb guidelines: Spring flowering bulbsBy David Coltrain KSU Walnut Creek Extension agent Spring flowering bulbs are a delight to behold. Now is the time to plan for those wonderful flowers next spring. A colorful assortment of major bulbs, including tulips and daffodils, will bloom from early spring until late in the season. The smaller, minor bulbs add a variety of colors and shapes. They provide a natural wildflower look and grow easily in mixed settings or borders. Fall bulbs can be planted as perennials that die down during the summer, remain dormant through the winter and emerge each spring. For a dash of color in your garden next spring, plan your spring flowering bulb garden now. Make your bulb purchases as soon as they are available in the garden centers. Early selection will provide you with bulbs that are in prime condition. The shelf life of many spring flowering bulbs is short, especially when kept under store conditions of low humidity and high temperature. Select a well drained area when planting bulbs. If the area is too damp, or poorly drained to grow good grass, don't plant bulbs there. An application of slow release fertilizer to the bed area is very helpful. Use a slow-release fertilizer at 3 to 4 pounds per 100 square feet of bed area. Tulips, daffodils and hyacinths are the most popular fall-planted bulbs and are grouped according to bloom times, flower characteristics and growth habits. There are hundreds of tulip varieties, about 25 of which are fragrant. Some daffodils work well for naturalizing an area (bloom year after year without replanting). Choose the earliest blooming varieties possible for the best naturalizing results. Early blooming allows the plants to develop and mature its foliage before hot, dry conditions begin. Without proper foliage development and maturation, there will be no blooms the following year. Tulips provide great flowers and colors, but present some problems. Because tulip blooms do not persist very long if spring has hot temperatures, tulips often flower for only a short time. In many areas of the country, tulips live only for a few years because they get bacterial diseases on bulbs from too much moisture. However, in western Kansas, tulips seem to survive and live much longer. The weather conditions in western Kansas are great for growing bulbs since they are dormant during the hot summer temperatures. The best time to plant bulbs is late September to November so the roots become well established before they send up their flower buds. Prepare spring flowering bulb beds for planting this fall. It's important to cultivate the soil and add generous amounts of organic material (grass clippings, leaves, compost, well-rotted manure, etc.) to improve water drainage. Bulbs will rot without proper drainage. Apply bone meal at the rate of 2 to 3 ounces per 10 square feet. Prepare the bed by mixing bone meal and organic matter with the soil to a depth of 6 inches. In our Kansas climate, apply an additional layer of organic mulch 1 to 2 inches deep after the ground begins to freeze. Fall bulbs need 12 weeks of temperatures below 40 F to bloom in the spring. Minor bulbs can be planted after perennials have been cut to the ground in the fall. Plant the bulbs informally by broadcasting the bulbs, as many as 500 to 700 per 1,000 square feet. Plant the bulbs approximately twice as deep as the height of the bulb. For example, if the bulb is 1 inch tall, plant the tip of the bulb 2 inches below the ground. Minor bulbs are great naturalizers and can be planted with perennials or other plants. Space them at least 3 to 4 inches from the crown of perennials. The small plants will fade out before other garden plants begin spring growth. Once planted, the minor bulbs will grow without special care. Fall is the time to fertilize established bulb beds. A recent soil test would be ideal to know if phosphorus is needed. Likely, you will only need to apply nitrogen. Blood meal is an excellent source of nitrogen. Apply blood meal at the rate of 2 pounds per 100 square feet or 1 teaspoon per square foot. Turf fertilizers such as a 27-3-3 or 30-3-3 can also be used, but the rate would have to be cut in half--1 pound per 100 square feet. If you have specific questions or need more horticulture information, feel free to contact me at coltrain@ksu.edu or at 800-460-9079. 10/6/08 Date: 9/29/08 Advertisement
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