May
05
Posted under
Flower bulb care
With fall just around the corner and the gardening season winding down, it’s hard to think about planting. But that’s exactly what you should do if you want to see some bright blooms early next spring. Tulips, daffodils, crocuses and other spring flowers start with bulbs planted in the fall.
What’s nice about these early spring flowers is that they are usually done blooming before perennials and other plants take over the flower bed. Keeping that in mind, take a walk around your yard and look at areas where you want to add some early color to your landscape in the spring. Garden catalogs with pictures of different types of bulbs can help you select the type and color of flowers you want in your yard.
Consider different heights and colors of plants and how they might look next to each other. A row of lavender tulips, for example, can provide the perfect backdrop for a row of shorter pink hyacinths. You may want to sketch out your plan on some paper to indicate where you would like to have spring flowers in your yard. This will also give you an idea of how many bulbs you will need to purchase.
If you are as comfortable around a computer as you are the garden, you can try landscaping software. Some programs let you plug in a picture of your home and simulate various plantings. While it might be a bit of overkill if you only want a spring flower plan, it can give you a more holistic approach to your landscaping. You can map out a strategy of what to plant so you will have blooms all summer long, not just in the spring.
You can also take the low-tech, no planning approach of a spring surprise. Try randomly planting different bulbs in flower beds and other areas of your yard. Consider planting some in areas of your lawn that are fairly protected like under trees or near your home. If the grass starts growing, you can always mow around the plants until they are done blooming. After a long winter, it’s a pleasant surprise to see colorful blooms popping out of the ground from bulbs you forgot about.
Most spring bulbs appear on shelves in September and October. If you are a bargain hunter and willing to take a little risk, watch for clearance sales on bulbs late in the fall at garden shops. I have planted these clearance bulbs late in the season with a decent success rate of blooms the following spring. Be sure to plant before the ground freezes.
While you are at the garden shop, be sure to buy a bulb-planting tool to simplify your work. Most spring bulbs should be planted at a depth of four inches or more, depending on the type of flower. Be sure to follow the instructions on the package and check how much space you should have between each bulb.
Once your bulbs are in the ground, you may need to protect your investment from deer, chipmunks and other garden invaders. A publication from University of Vermont Extension by Dr. Leonard Perry suggests placing fine mesh over your plantings to help prevent rodents and other animals from digging up your bulbs. After your flowers bloom, the same publication recommends leaving the leaves on the plants until they turn yellow to ensure the bulbs get enough nutrients for the next season.
With some advance planting and a little luck, your work in the fall will be rewarded the following spring. The bright blooms will help you forget about winter and get you motivated for another season of gardening.
Jan
26
Posted under
Planting flower bulbs
As Winter quickly becomes a distant memory and Spring is just around the corner, gardeners everywhere are anxious to get to work in their flower beds and vegetable gardens. Possibly their first job is to get the shovel out of the garden shed to begin the labor intensive job of digging up the soil and working it into the perfect medium for planting flower bulbs and garden seeds.
Before getting started, there are a few important tips to remember that will make the digging process efficient and safe.
Digging is a great form of exercise that works several muscle groups and because of this it would be wise to do a few basic warm-up exercises before getting started. Incorporate warm-up exercises that will prepare the muscles of the arms, shoulders, and back for the work ahead. If you have ever done any stretches before swimming, you might want to incorporate them into your warm-up for the task ahead. They would be the ideal stretches for the work you will be doing as they target the muscles of the upper body.
Be sure the shovel is sharp as this will enable the tip to enter the soil with far less effort. Use your foot to push the shovel into the soil and be sure you have on a pair of sturdy boots.
Keep in mind that it the soil is too dry, it will be hard to dig and will require a lot more effort. On the other hand, if it is very wet, the soil will be much heavier and will stick to your shovel blade. The trick is to dig a few days after a rainfall when the soil is neither too wet nor too dry.
Start by digging a small trench, and then continue to dig backwards, filling the trench with newly turned soil as you go. Avoid filling your shovel with large clumps of soil that are heavy and will cause unnecessary strain to your back. Limit your shoveling time to around 30 minutes per session and take a break. During that break be sure to straighten up, and with your hands on the lumbar, bend your back slightly backwards and repeat a few times.
Although digging your garden is hard work, there are many benefits when you take the time to dig your garden properly.
By digging the soil, you are loosening it and changing it’s basic structure. It goes from being very compacted to loose and aerated and allows for a better flow of oxygen to plant roots. Proper digging will also improve the water-drainage of the soil. It’s important to dig deep enough as the roots of many plants can grow very long. A good rule of thumb is to shovel your trench to a size equal to the depth and width of the shovel blade.
By turning the soil you will also be turning dead and decaying plants from the previous year back into the soil. Eventually this debris will decompose and serve as rich compost for the next crop of plants.
Once you have turned the soil, it’s important to break down the large clumps of dirt and smooth it out with a rake. This will result in much easier planting and at the same time will make it easier for newly sprouted seeds to break through the surface of the soil.
As you turn the soil, be sure to remove all stones, weeds, and twigs that might hamper the sprouting and growth of your new plants.
Once you are done digging, and the soil is smoothed out, you are ready to begin the planting phase. It you have taken care to properly turn and prepare the soil you will greatly improve your chances of having a healthy, productive garden.
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Oct
04
Posted under
Planting flower bulbs
Flowers are a favorite of many backyard gardeners. Thanks to their ease of planting and relatively low cost, flower bulbs are a popular choice for flower gardens. Not only are flower bulbs beautiful, but planting them is a very simple undertaking.
Planting flower bulbs is so easy, in fact, that its almost foolproof. The most important consideration is timing. Flower bulbs need to be planted when the ground is coolnot too hot and not too cold. Its best to plant them about six weeks before the ground freezes.
The next consideration is location. Youll want to choose a place where the soil drains wellbulbs do not grow well in areas with standing water. Bulbs also need a location that is well lit and sunny.
Make sure that the soil is loose. It does not require any fertilization or special treatment. However, you might want to add compost or peat moss if youre working in a new flowerbed.
The next consideration in planting flower bulbs is purely cosmetic. Youll want to consider the placement of the various flowers. Generally, bulbs should be densely plantedthey do not look as nice planted alone or in thin lines. Taller flowers should be planted behind short ones. Consider the finished product as you are planning your flower beds. Think about which color combinations work best together, as well as which varieties of flowers best complement each other.
Once you have determined placement, you are ready to plant. Dig your holes about six to eight inches deep (follow package directions). Place the bulb in the ground with the pointed end facing up. Cover the hole and pack it firmly to release any air holes. Water the ground thoroughly.
As you can see, planting flower bulbs is a fun and easy project. With a little patience and creativity, you can have a beautiful and enjoyable flower bed.
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Sep
20
Posted under
Flower bulb care
At Ultra Growth we like to plant our bulbs without much fuss or expense, using as few gadgets as possible. We prefer a garden shovel and pointed trowel. Most gardeners do not plant enough bulbs to make much of an impact in their early spring flower beds.
In fall when the garden is still full of foliage from the summers perennials and annuals, it is hard to remember how stark the beds can look in early spring. The following is a sure fire step by step guide to planting your spring bulbs.
1) Spring flowering bulbs thrive in full or partial sun. Good drainage is a must for healthy bulbs. Do not plant your bulbs in soggy or low lying areas of your garden as water will pool in these areas during spring thaw.
2) Once you have chosen a site, prepare the soil by adding some compost and/or peat moss mix. This is also a great time to add Ultra Growth Compost or Ultra Growth Soil Conditioners. You really want to make sure you have good drainage and healthy soil at this point.
3) Bulb size will dictate how deep to plant them, i.e. large bulbs 8 – 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) deep and smaller bulbs 4 – 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) deep.
4) When spacing your bulbs size also matters, i.e. large bulbs should be spaced 3 – 6 inches (8 to 16 cm) apart and small bulbs from 1 – 2 inches (3 to 6 cm) apart. Always plant your bulbs pointy side up. If you are confused as with tubers like windflowers just lay them sideways and they will right themselves as they grow.
5) Now that you bulbs are planted, cover them with soil and water well. When the soil starts cooling later in the year apply 2 – 3 inches ( 6 to 12 cm) of some type of a mulch as this will help to prevent the soil from drying out as well as help stabilize the temperature of your bulbs throughout the winter.
By following these basic steps you will have great blooms from your bulbs year after year . When buying bulbs you want to look for healthy bulbs that are firm with no soft spots or white mold as these are signs of poor quality bulbs. Do not forget your bulbs are an investment in your garden and a part of your home.
Bulbs do not require any fertilizers at the point of spring planting but for really vigorous growth you can apply Ultra Growth Plant Food and a bulb booster rated at 5 – 10 – 10.
Make sure you do not allow any of the actual bulb booster fertilizer to come in to contact with the bulbs as the fertilizer will burn the bulb. By using Ultra Growth Plant Food and soaking the bulbs prior to planting will give you amazing results once your flowers poke their heads up and start their growth.
If you follow these steps you will have a beautiful spring display of bloom. After the flowers have faded, deadhead the plants so that they are not wasting energy producing seeds. Leave the foliage in place to allow the plant to recharge itself for next springs performance.
This will take some restraint as leaves may not look that presentable. Another idea is to look at your bulbs like annuals and simply pull out the clumps and put them into cold storage until next spring or even that fall. This can help you decide the perfect place to for a particular set of bulbs as you can experiment throughout your garden.
Hopefully this information will help you to ensure great results at a time when nature is just starting to show her colors, Spring. Personally we can not wait to get back to our outside gardens.
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Jun
10
Posted under
Flower bulb care
It will take some good old fashioned work to properly clean out and prepare your flower beds for a new season, but it will be well worth it and will go a long way toward ensuring next years crop of flowers will be healthy and vibrant.
In order for your flower bulbs and seeds to have the best growing medium possible there are a few important steps to take that will enhance the quality of your soil.
Start out by removing all the leaves, weeds, and debris that have accumulated over the course of the Fall and Winter. Also, be sure to remove any animal droppings if your pets have been using your flower beds for their own personal bathroom. Be sure to soak the beds to remove any animal urine. This whole process might take a few days, but it’s well worth the effort.
When you mow your grass, save all the clippings. They will be instrumental in keeping your flower beds healthy and free of weeds. Once you have taken steps to clean all the debris from your flower beds, add the grass clippings and spread them evenly over the top of the beds. Don’t wait too long to do this as the weeds might start popping up again. Some people feel that using grass clippings might actually encourage grass and weeds to grow in their flower beds, but that’s not the case.
Once you have spread the clippings out evenly, add some compost and fertilizer high in nitrogen and spread it on top of your grass clippings. Find some red worms(usually bait shops or fishing supply stores have them)and put them on top of your layers of cuttings, compost, and fertilizer. Soak the beds until the worms have disappeared below the surface.
You will accomplish several things by using this method.
First of all, the grass clippings will smother the weeds and stop them from returning. The worms will get busy and will loosen the soil as they work their way through it. In the process they will add their “castings” and the nutrients that result will do wonders for your flower bed.
After a week or two, work the soil until the clippings, compost, and fertilizer are well mixed. You should end up with a nice loose composition of all three. Be sure to coax any worms you turn up back into the soil. Be sure to keep the flower bed moist until you are ready to plant. You can keep working in grass clippings until you are actually ready to plant.
Flower bulbs love nice loose, damp, rich soil that will result from all your hard work. It might take a bit of time to prepare your flower beds properly, but the effort will be well worth it later in the Summer.
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Jan
27
Posted under
Planting flower bulbs 
Spring is the most fun time to indulge your children by spoiling them with an over abundance of your time. My three boys range in age from 10 to 15. Every year when spring break at school finally rolls around most parents are trying desperately to find the perfect vacation destination and it may be as close as their front yard. My boys and I have a tradition of time spent with each other. The first day of spring break we go shopping for plants, flowers, bulbs and yard decorations. We decide together what will look great in the flower gardens this season.This year we decided to make a bird house and add to our already existing flower beds. I know it sounds like something out of a parenting hand book but it truly does work. My oldest son actually took it upon himself this year to draw the design for the flower bed addition. And he drew it four months ago. Even the neighborhood kids came over to get involved. My husband made a great three story bird house for us and we painted it together as a family. We took advantage of my thirteen year olds newly acquired knowledge of power tools to cut and put together landscaping timbers for the flower garden addition and we all got our hands dirty planting all of our new plants. The beautiful hand made bird house was the final touch. So by the end of the week we had added to the appearance of our home but the reward was truly the time we spent together. Its the Brady bunch for 2007! All joking aside- parents are so wrapped up in work and life to really enjoy the company of their children that they feel they must buy back time with expensive vacations and gifts. But at the end of the day if you ask your children what they really want and you allow them true speak honestly, their answers may surprise you.
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