Tips For Bulb Planting Success

When the bulb displays arrive at Hyannis Country Garden, we smile because these spring-blooming flowers are a fall-planting tradition. The air is cool, the sun is warm, and planting bulbs is a life-affirming acknowledgement that even as the days grow shorter, we look forward to spring and the return of colorful blooms when winter ends. Here are some ideas and tips for planting bulbs on Cape Cod.

Many people want their daffodils to grow in full clumps right away, so they plant the bulbs very close together. This is a long-term mistake, however. Each bulb won’t be able to spread if they are close to each other right from the start. For the best return and spreading of daffodils, plant the bulbs about 12 inches apart.

If your soil is sandy, spread a layer of Bulb-tone over the entire where you’re planting bulbs, topped by two inches of compost. Some of that fertilizer and compost gets dug in when you dig and fill the holes for the bulbs, and some stays on the surface to amend the soil from the top down. Follow with a one inch layer of mulch next spring to control weeds.

Here’s what you need to know about Muscari, aka grape hyacinths. They sprout foliage in the fall. Many people worry that the bulbs are doing this by mistake, but rest assured these plants know what they are doing. Leave those fall-sprouted leaves alone. Don’t cover them or think that they need protection through the winter. They’ll be fine and the newer foliage and flowers will cover the slightly winter-worn leaves in the spring.

If you plant allium bulbs in between perennial plants such as catmint and daylilies, you’ll be congratulating yourself next June! These tall flowers aren’t bothered by bunnies, and they make lovely cut flowers too.

Tulips don’t spread and last for years like daffodils do, but they are the perfect flower for making us smile, even if the Cape Cod spring weather is cold and damp. If you’ve had trouble with the critters eating your tulip flowers in the past, grow them in large pots, boxes or barrels on decks, patios or porches where the rabbits can’t get them. After they finish flowering in the spring you can transplant the bulbs into a garden or toss them in an open compost pile…where they will most likely surprise you with a few flowers the following year.

If you’ve never planted garlic before, see our blog post from the past about how to successfully grow these bulbs.

For more fall-planting ideas and help with your bulb questions, register for C.L. Fornari’s virtual Sunday Seminar on September 12th. Details about this talk and how to register here.