May
19
Posted under
Flower bulb care
Dutch Miracles? Hmm… Red Emperor’ tulips? Mount Hood daffodils? Snow crocus? You stand in front of rows and rows of Dutch bulbs, wondering which spring-flowering bulbs are just right for your garden. Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocus and so many others – the choice is incredible. You want to try all of them, but the reality of budgets and limited space is usually the deciding factor.
You pick up a tulip bulb and turn it over, meditatively, in your hand, wondering how this new variety would look in your yard. There, contained in a compact package, is one of nature’s miracles. Within that hard, relatively small bulb, you hold an entire flowering plant. Leaves, stem and flower bud are all tucked neatly inside, waiting for just the right conditions to commence its flowering cycle. Imagine the wonder of a child, as you explain these “magical” bulbs. They’ll delight in the simple planting process and spend the winter anticipating a spring flower show.
Here in Zone 5, bulbs are available at garden centers right through the autumn, but selections are best in September and early October. To avoid premature sprouting of foliage during the fall, store bulbs in paper bags in a cool, dark, dry basement until mid to late October.
Is your garden formal, informal or somewhere in-between? Long rows of stately tulips, bordered by earlier blooming daffodils, hyacinths and minor bulbs will create the right look for formal beds. Incorporating bulbs into the informal landscape is a less exact science and a lot more fun. For naturalizing, toss a few handfuls of narcissus or crocus bulbs across the lawn and plant them where they land – children love this part. Cluster groups of daffodils and grape hyacinths (Muscari) under a birch clump.
Most Dutch bulbs lend themselves to group plantings, equally at home around the kitchen garden or planted in pockets throughout the foundation beds. For maximum display, plant minor bulbs (crocus, scilla, etc.) at 20-30 per square foot, tulips at 12 per square foot, hyacinths at 8-10 per square foot and daffodils at 6-8 per square foot.
While a bulb planter is fine for popping in a few minor bulbs, or naturalizing bulbs into a lawn area, I find a spade is generally the most practical tool for the job. This is especially true when planting bulbs in “pockets,” in groups of 6-30 (depending on variety). In general, minor bulbs are planted 3-4″ deep, while major bulbs (tulips, narcissus, hyacinth) are planted 6-8″
Oct
18
Posted under
Flower bulb care
When most people think of bulbs they often think of daffodils or other similar flowers. However, the bulbous variey of flowers goes well beyond that.
While tulips, hyacinths and snowdrops also belong with the ‘true’ bulb family, there are many flowers that have corms, rhizomes or tubers. These include agapanthus and hippeastrums, dahlias, cannas and other lilies, irises, begonias, anemones and amaryllis, to name just a few.
Not only do bulbs do the work of reproducing the plant, they store food for those months when the leaves die and the plant is dormant. Thus, when the conditions are right the new plant has all it needs to thrust new shoots up into the sunlight.
Most bulbs need moist, rich, free draining soil and a sunny position to grow happily. Many flower in the spring, but such is their diversity, it is possible to have bulbs flowering in every month of the year.
To grow bulbs such as tulips in a temperate region, keep them in the refrigerator for four to eight weeks before planting out at the coldest time of year. In cold ares, plant in late autumn. Tulips like warm, dry summers alkaline soil. They may be affected by aphids, or a fungal condition called ‘tulip fire’ if there is too much moisture about. Their vibrant colors make them well worth a place in the garden.
Bulbs will usually do well if their natural habitat is approximated in the garden. For instance, daffodils are meadow flowers, so like plenty of sun. They will naturalize successfully in the lawn and flower early before the grass becomes too competitive. It’s best not to mow for at least six weeks after the flowers die, because the leaves provide food to the bulb for next years’ growth.
Woodland bulbs like bluebells and snowdrops will do better in a semi-shaded or a dappled sun position. They do well under deciduous trees. Spring-flowering bulbs may be planted near a well-used path or where they can be seen from a window to save trekking over soggy lawns to admire them.
Most bulbs can be grown successfully in containers, but need at least four inches ((10 cm)) of soil below them and 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) above. It’s a good idea to plant bulbs in a pot and bury it in the garden to prevent them from being accidentally hoed during a weeding session. If you have trouble with rodents eating your bulbs, plant them inside a wire cage buried in the garden.
Many bulbous varieties grow easily and are quite tolerant. Do your research, however. Some of the more unusual ones can be found via mail order or on the internet, so take the time to look for them. You’ll be pleased with the result.
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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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Jul
10
Posted under
Flower bulb care
When you think of any kind of gardening, the first thing that pops into your mind is flower gardening. Flowers and gardens being naturally synonymous with each other. And dedicated gardener that you are, youll naturally be doing your own flower gardening this year.
Flower gardening need not be limited only to summertime. If you plan carefully and plant ahead of time, your garden can be filled with an abundance of flowers for most of the year.
If we start by seasons, then for spring flowers, the best thing you could do would be to plant bulbs. Any nursery will have them, and if youre more inclined towards the exotic, and rarer flowering bulbs, theres a good chance you can have them ordered specially.
Favorites amongst bulb lovers are early springtime Crocuses, and cheerful Snowdrops. Tulips though, are by and away the most famous of bulbs in demand by flower gardeners, and are available in a variety of shades, including a black-colored one, which is really more of a deep maroon and one of those rare flowers I was talking about earlier.
Remember that all spring flowering bulbs should be planted in mid autumn, as this is the best time for them. Come any closer to winter and youre in danger of losing your bulbs altogether.
Moving through to summer, we find that perennials are a firm favorite for flower gardening as they yield blooms almost continuously throughout the season, and sometimes beyond. With a little luck and care, youll also find that most of your perennials will last through to next year, and the year after that, and, well you get the picture right? Youll also find that as the years and the seasons wear on, your perennials will become fuller, and generally will become more abundant than the first year you planted them.
As autumn gently closes in most flower gardens are left bereft of anything but a few small hardy plants. If you’re into more dedicated flower gardening however, that need not be the case for you. Hardy, drought resistant plants like Asters number among the many types of fall flowers available, and will look stunning in late summer/early fall, Generally, autumn plants will grow to a good 3-4 feet in height, and have vivid colors, as well as the more genteel pastel colors to choose from. Ornamental grasses are another favorite and will nicely complement your fall flowers.
To round off the year and your efforts at flower gardening, don’t despair as there are many winter blooms available. Amaryllis, Hyacinth, and Narcissus are a few of the more common known flowers and are available in bulb form. If you want something a little more out of the ordinary, you could always try Winter Jasmine, or Winter Honeysuckle.
So, take heart, take plenty of notes, plan, and buy to your heart’s content. By the end of it all you truly will have a flower for every season, and your flower gardening efforts will be rewarded most bountifully
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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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