Bulbs for Spring Blooms
Iris and Allium, Narcissus and Hyacinth, Crocus and Crown Imperials, Tulips and Daffodils, and the list goes on! These are just a handful of spring blooms grown from bulbs. But in order to cherish this spring color, the work begins in fall with planting.
What is a Bulb?
Spring flowers like tulips, daffodils, and all those mentioned earlier get their start as a bulb. It’s the part of the plant that store food and energy and where the flower grows from, like a neat little packaged stored underground. They produce flowers with relatively little effort from humans, growing then for the season before dying back to the ground.
There are two seasons of bulbs: spring-flowering and summer-flowering. Spring-flowering refers to plants that, as the name suggests, flowers in the spring. They include the aforementioned flowers (iris, allium, narcissus, etc.) and rely on the coldness of winter in their dormancy to flower as it warms up ever so slightly in spring. Summer-flowering bulbs, you guessed it, flower in summer. These bulbs, such as dahlias or gladiolus, cannot survive the cold temperatures of winter and are therefore planted in spring.
Like all flowers, each type has its own season for parading its colors. To enjoy the longest time of color, plant different bulbs with different mini-seasons of blooming. This can vary by the plant type (i.e. early blooming crocus vs late spring allium) or even a specific variety within a plant (early vs late flowering tulips).
Even with differences in bloom times, everything the flower needs to grow lies within the bulb. If you were to cut one open, it might look similar to an onion, filled with layers around a shoot. Some types of bulbs may look a little different, growing from corms (crocus and gladiolus) or tubers (dahlias). Still, their function as a vessel of food and energy storage underground is the same. For the sake of this article, we’ll talk specifically about planting true bulbs.
When to Plant
As we mentioned earlier, spring-blooming bulbs require the coldness of winter to ready them for spring growth. It’s best to plant these in the fall before the first frost (usually September or October, sometimes as late as early November). Summer-blooming bulbs should be planted in the spring after the last frost, then dug up after they bloom as they won’t withstand the cold winter.
Tips for Planting Bulbs
When planting your spring-blooming bulbs, keep these guidelines in mind:
Sunlight Requirements
Most bulbs need a good amount of sunlight – exposure for at least half the day. For early and mid blooming flowers, planting around the base of a deciduous tree may be suitable as long as the tree is not in full leaf when blooms are growing. Make sure the location still receives the sunlight it needs.
Soil Requirements
Bulbs love most the loose, well-draining soils. If your soil is more clay-like, add organic soil amendments when planting. It also may be helpful to add fertilizer, typically a 3-5-3 is good as bulb plants enjoy phosphorus.
How to Plant
In Central PA, the best time to plant bulbs is between late September and late October – before the first frost of the season. They need time to develop a root system before the ground freezes.
When planting, it’s best to dig a hole twice the depth of the length of the bulb. For example, if your bulb is about 2 inches from tip to root, dig a hole 4 inches deep. Pop your bulb in the fresh hole with the tip facing up (unless it is a fritillaria bulb and has a hole in the top, more on that below!), and cover it with soil and top with mulch to help insulate.
Fritillaria bulbs, such as daffodils and hyacinths, should be planted sideways as the hole on the top from a previous stalk may hold water, which can lead to rot.
Water your freshly planted bulbs well once, then that should be enough until growth appears in the spring. Once new growth emerges, water when dry. If you plan to grow bulbs in the same spot year after year, fertilize with a bulb-specific fertilizer.
Sourcing Your Bulbs
Ashcombe Farm & Greenhouses offers a wide selection of spring-flowering bulbs in the fall, starting in early to mid September. Pick out your favorites or a new find from our Garden Supply Department to enjoy spring color!