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'Tis time to think about bulbs!
September and October are the best months for planting bulbs because they can become well-rooted before the ground freezes. Some good fall choices are early-blooming tulips, late-blooming tulips, glory-of-the-snow (a minor bulb), hyacinths (for fragrance) snowdrop and squill. Be aware that some bulbs, such as lilies, must be planted in spring. Autumn crocuses must be planted in mid-summer.
When shopping for bulbs, look for those that are the largest of their variety. Avoid bulbs that show mold, mechanical damage or excessive dryness.
For best flowering, the bulb bed should get plenty of sunlight and soil should drain well. Plant bulbs so the space between the soil surface and the top of the bulb is four times the height of the bulb. If, for example, the bulb is two-and-one-half-inches high, it should be planted 10 inches deep; a three-inch bulb should be planted 12 inches below the soil surface.
Bulbs are planted deeper than seeds, therefore soil preparation methods are different. Excavate the bed to the depth needed and add fertilizer and soil amendment at this level.
Colorado's highly clay soils should be heavily amended. To improve soil texture, add peat moss or compost, mixing it with one-third of the soil removed from the bed. Soil amended in this way offers less resistance to the shoots as they grow, and provides better drainage for root growth.
The bulb, itself, contains enough food to produce the flower within. Extra fertilizer that you provide helps produce larger bulbs next season.
After the ground freezes, cover the bed with three inches of mulch to protect it from freezing and thawing.
After the flowering cycle ends next spring, remove dead blooms as soon as they wither. This prevents seed production, which diverts food that otherwise would be used to produce more vigorous bulbs. Leave the foliage, however, until it dies back naturally. Once the foliage dies, the bulb is dormant.
After the second or third year, the growing bulbs begin to overcrowd each other and they lose much of their vitality. When this happens, the bulbs should be dug up in late August and allowed to dry in a shady place for a few days. If none of the bulbs are as large as those first planted, discard and purchase new bulbs. This is especially true for hyacinths, which are rarely worth transplanting.
For more information on Gardening, contact your
local Colorado State University Extension office.
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