Planting bulbs

You can plant bulbs either indoors or outdoors. Outdoor bulbs can be planted in the fall (September/October) and in the early spring (March/April) depending on your climate. Indoor bulbs can be stored in a paper sack in a dry spot in the refrigerator in July and then planted in well-draining, shallow pots in the fall (keep indoors with plenty of light); they should be blooming by Christmas or January.

When planting bulbs outdoors, you’ll need to find a suitable location. Bulbs require well-drained, somewhat sandy soils. They also need direct sunlight for at least four to five hours a day, if not more, in cool climates.

For planting true bulbs and corms, scoop out or dig a hole approximately two to three sizes deeper than the size of your bulb. Sprinkle a small amount of bone meal at the bottom of each hole, then put down a thin layer of sand on top of that. Place the bulb flat side down in the hole and then back fill with compost mixed with sand. Tamp lightly, and water well. Make certain to space your bulbs according to their mature sizes: approximately 2 inches apart (more for larger bulbs).

You can also plant bulbs outdoors in pots. When potting, put down a layer of crushed stone or pebbles on the bottom of a wide (not necessarily deep) pot; add a thin layer of

soil mix (adding sterilized sand if the mix doesn’t already come with it); then sprinkle in a light layer of bone meal on top of that, which adds the much-needed phosphorous to encourage healthy blooms. On top of that, place another thin coating of soil mix, and then place your bulbs root side down, about an inch apart, into the pot. Cover with soil, tamp lightly, and then water thoroughly.

For rhizomes and tubers, you will want to follow the same soil and phosphorous mix procedures as you did for planting bulbs, but your planting depths will be different. These types of bulbs are planted horizontally, so you will need to dig trenches as opposed to vertical holes. Lay them as flat as they will sit, and back fill as you did with the true bulbs.

Make certain to water them steadily, but do not flood the area. Adding a layer of mulch (wood chips, straw, shredded bark) around the bulbs after they have come up helps keep in moisture at the soil level and discourages weeds.

Fertilize your bulbs once they are fully grown by sprinkling either organic or granular fertilizer--a 5-10-5 ratio is good, and you want it high in phosphorous--about 6 inches away from the root center. Work up the soil about an inch, put down the fertilizer, and then backfill and water well.

Once the season is past, trim down the dry, dead growth of bulbs that will overwinter in the soil to the base of the plant, and put on a fresh, heavy layer of mulch. For summer bulbs, you will need to remove the bulbs from the soil and store them in a cool, dry, dark place. You can place them in a paper bag filled with dry peat moss or vermiculite. Do not store them in sealed plastic bags, as this will encourage rot and fungus growth.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF BULBS

Tubers: Tubers have skin that is rough and thick, and their roots sprout from different spots all over the tuber. They are usually bumpy, fat, and round. Some tubers are orchids and dahlias.

True Bulbs: True bulbs are complete plants stored inside of leaves or scales, which are often papery and thin, though some like the lily are thicker. True bulbs are teardrop shaped (or nearly so) with roots sprouting from the flat end and the stem growing out of the pointed top. Some examples of true bulbs are the iris, daffodils, and tulips.

Rhizomes: Rhizomes grow horizontally and are thick, stem-like bulbs. Stems and shoots grow up off the top or sides of the rhizome. Cannas are rhizomes.

Corms: Corms look similar to true bulbs with roots growing out of the base and sprouting out of the top of the bulb. Some examples of corms are crocus and gladiolus.

BULBS FOR INDOOR PLANTING

Narcissus (paper whites: small, delicate blossoms)

Amaryllis (large, wide blooms)

Crocus (short and stocky plants)

Hyacinth (thick stems, clustered blooms)

Tulips (tall plants, large blooms)

BULBS FOR OUTDOOR PLANTING

Crocus (fall bulb)

Daffodil (fall bulb)

Hyacinth (fall bulb)

Tulip (fall bulb)

Orchid (fall bulb)

Gladiolus (fall bulb)

Iris (fall bulb)

Dahlia (summer bulb)

Lily (summer bulb)

Begonia (summer bulb)