Dec
13
Posted under
Flower bulb care
Want Spring Color This Winter? Just Force The Issue
Spring is but a distant memory. What sticks out in our minds is what kind of spring it was. The bulk of spring, April, is a wet cold miserable time to be in the garden. Crops in out gardens and in the fields of farmers were ruined. But oh what a month May is. Beautiful warm temperatures and the most co-operative nature has been to gardeners in along time. As the leaves fall in colored splendor they remind us that spring is just around the corner. Around a cold dark sometimes snowy winter though. However if we just look back at May and see how nature cooperated and made up for the rains of April we can have spring spring up a little early indoors. The trick is to plan now and plant now.
A visit to any garden center in the fall will give you great ideas for spring bulb gardening. Tulips in rainbows of colors, daffodils and narcissus that deer refuse to eat. Crocus and snowdrops defy their dainty stature by poking their heads up through the snow. And watch out for hyacinths! They give many gardeners an itching reaction almost as strong as their fragrance. In fact in Holland employees are paid extra to work sorting hyacinths!
With all that beauty displayed on the package who can wait until spring for all that color?
Well it turns out that nature is beat Madison Avenue to the marketing game when it comes to the “I want it now” consumer. While you cannot have spring now you can have it in a few weeks if you simply force the issue. Spring bulbs can be coaxed to bloom indoors well before St. Patrick Day arrives.
The easiest to force are paper whites. I fact these pungent flowers will not survive outside at all. Paper whites do not need soil to bloom just a vase with a narrow neck to hold the bulb. Below the bulb water should be place just to be low the bottom of the bulb. Warm rooms will encourage the roots to descend into the water and green shoots to emerge from the top. Paper whites can also be grown in shallow bowls that do not have drainage holes. Line the bottom of the bowl with stones, place paper whites in odd numbers close together on the rocks. Fill in between the bulbs with more rocks. Add some water to the bottom of the bowl and the bulbs will be gin to grow. These indoor blooming narcissus also come in yellow.
Many other bulbs can be forced indoors as well. Tulips planted in shallow containers filled with lightweight soil can be planted now. After planting water well and place
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Jul
23
Posted under
Flower bulb care
Flowering bulbs are easy to “force” into bloom. A row of pots on the windowsill in winter is a respite for eyes weary of gray weather. Amaryllis, paperwhites, crocus, and lilies are all great bulbs to “force.” Follow these steps for beautiful blooms:
1) Select pre-chilled bulbs. Bulbs need a “cool” period to stimulate bloom. Artificial cooling mimics natural seasons. If you cannot find pre-chilled bulbs, you may chill them yourself. Chill flower bulbs in a garage, or any cool, dry place. Do not chill bulbs in a refrigerator with fruits or vegetables, as fruits and vegetables emit the plant hormone of “death,” ethylene, which will “kill” your bulbs.
2) Choose a container. The container should correspond to your selected bulbs. For forcing crocus, a long, but short rectangular vase is best, while paperwhites do best in a tall, slender vase. A container may be clear or opaque; keep in mind that part of the fun of forcing bulbs is to watch the roots grow!
3) Fill the container with 1-2 inches of rocks, pebbles or glass marbles. These will provide a place for bulbs to “sit,” while in reach of water. Sitting in water will make bulbs rot.
4) Put your bulbs into the container with the pointy side up. This is the side from which the stem will sprout.
5) Add water until the level just reaches the bottom of the bulb, and check frequently.
6) Place the container in a window with bright, indirect light.
7) Provide support for tall plants such as amaryllis as they grow above the vase.
After your bulbs have finished blooming, you have two choices: keep or compost. Compost is the easiest choice, as coaxing your bulbs to bloom again another year takes effort! In northern climates, you may keep lilies, paperwhites and crocus alive until they are warm enough to plant in the ground. Plant outside, with the bottom of the bulb about 4-6 inches deep. Those bulbs will naturalize. To keep amaryllis, pot in a light potting soil and grow outside in bright, indirect light during the summer. In October, “dig” up the amaryllis, clean and dry it. Leave in a cool, dry place for six weeks, then re-pot, bring inside, and wait for it to grow!
In southern climates, plant lilies, crocus and amaryllis paperwhites outside as soon as they are finished blooming. All will continue to grow outside!
If you like to start fresh each year, throw your spent bulbs in the compost heap and plant your summer garden!
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Feb
07
Posted under
Planting flower bulbs
Flower bulbs can produce some amazing flowers throughout the whole year for little care and effort once planted. This yearly display can start with the earliest flowering bulbs in the spring such as snowdrops and crocus and proceed into winter with bulbs forced indoors to bloom. These you can see available in stores around Christmas time.
For this article we will discuss flower bulbs as being most of the group of flowers that grow from enlarged underground masses that store food over the winter for the plant. In another article we will address the actual differences among all such “bulbs”.
Flower bulbs, if planted in a bed, need a soil that has good drainage. A sandy loam soil is ideal but bulbs will do well in just about anything short of cold clay soil, soggy spots and very rocky ground. Even amongst the rocks you can find pockets to plant some of the smaller flower bulbs. Adding plenty of organic matter always helps your soil as we have mentioned in other articles.
Some expert gardeners suggest a flowerbed where the bulbs will be planted should be prepared to a depth of two feet. This allows you to plant even the largest of bulbs to a good depth. But if the location is a low spot to which all other areas drain, and it holds water, this will not be a good spot to plant your bulbs regardless of how well you prepare the soil. Flower bulbs will readily rot where the soil holds water and is soggy.
Whatever spot you pick be sure it allows your flower bulbs to be in full sun. As most spring-flowering bulbs come up before the trees have their leaves, it may not be as great a concern for them. It is certainly a consideration when planting summer-flowering bulbs. Keep this in mind when planting near evergreens and man-made structures.
Some flower gardeners prefer to use bulbs to “naturalize” an area. To do this, you simply dig a hole big enough and deep enough for the bulb you are planting. You can also dig a hole big enough to hold four or five bulbs at a time. Put a little bulb fertilizer in the hole, place your bulbs in, replace the soil removed and cap with the sod you removed in making the hole.
And lastly the rule of thumb for planting flower bulbs is three times as deep as the bulb is big. You may wish to consider planting some bulbs even deeper. Barbara Damrosch of Theme Gardens fame prefers to plant her bulbs, especially tulips and daffodils, deeper at ten inches. She prefers this to keep them from sprouting in the fall, being worked out of the ground by the freezing and thawing of it, and also to help protect the bulbs from being eaten by animals.
© 2005, Sandra Dinkins-Wilson
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Jan
20
Posted under
Flower bulb care
Early November marks the best time to plant spring bulbs in your gardens. Daffodils, crocus, and tulips liven up your garden well before many trees and plants have started sprouting. A little bit of work will give you rich rewards in the spring when you are searching for a hint of green on the trees. And you’ll have plenty of flowers to cut for springtime arrangements.
Planting bulbs in November allows the bulbs to cool for a time. This cooling period allows roots to develop but protects the bulb from any frost on the surface. Soil temperatures should be below 60 degrees. And of course, try to plant bulbs when it’s a comfortable, sunny day. This’ll make things a lot neater but also keep the bulbs from getting wet until you ready to water them.
Bulbs should be planted in full or partial sun. The garden should never be soaking wet so choose another area if the spot has poor drainage. You also need to consider how much sun a flowering plant will receive in the spring. Too much sun causes the flower to die off too soon. So maximize your placement for the longest possible enjoyment of your flowers.
There’s two ways to plant bulbs. If you are planting a large number of bulbs, dig a trench with a spade. If you are planting just a few bulbs, it’s much easier to use a bulb-planting tool. This tool removes a cylinder shape of dirt allowing you to just drop the bulb in the pre-formed hole and replace the dirt. It’s easy, kind of fun, and really quick. Trenching can take a little more time but it’s definitely the only option for planting large volumes of bulbs.
You might want to have a bulb arrangement plan if you want a blanket of color or a organized grouping of flowers. This should all be decided before digging. At this point, bulb planting might seem complicated but it really isn’t.
Some general rules of thumb: large bulbs are planted 8-12 inches deep and 3-6 inches apart. Small bulbs are planted 4-6 inches deep and 1-2 inches apart. Dig your trench or hole and sprinkle some bone meal or bulb fertilizer in the hole. Place the bulbs where you want them, making sure they are at the correct depth. Cover the bulb with soil and water them. Add 2-3 inches of mulch. That’s it!
It’s easy. Your only problem could come in the form of your friendly, neighborhood squirrel. Some folks industriously plant bulbs only to have an equally industrious squirrel come right behind them, diligently digging up an expensive and tasty snack. If this happens and you actually have some bulbs left after squirrel dinnertime, just gently move the mulch out of the way and add a layer of gravel. Replace the mulch. This will usually deter digging.
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