To me, spring-flowering bulbs are no-brainers. They're easy to plant, they don't require much in the way of care, and their color and vibrancy is not only welcome at the end of a long, gray winter -- it's downright necessary to end my suspected case of seasonal affective disorder.
Check out this video on How to Plant 100 Tulip Bulbs in 30 Minutes. That's really all there is to it. Then scroll down past the viewer for more details.
If you're installing a mass planting in a large area, just dig up the whole site to about 6 to 8 inches deep. It's best to lay out a tarp or a few large green trash bags nearby for holding the soil while you plant. This way, your lawn won't get wrecked.
This year, I sprayed my bulbs with Squirrel Stopper from Messina Wildlife. I love how the product is released from the pressurized sprayer in an environmentally friendly way. Plus, it smells nice. A friend likened it to Vicks VapoRub. Squirrels hate it, apparently.
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This is a very important step, I've learned from experience. Last year, my bulbs were snacked on by those beasts and made a lame appearance at show time. Some gardeners put blood meal in the planting holes. The smell of "death" is supposed to repel squirrels. Others install chicken wire over the bulbs to create a physical barrier.
Once the bed is dug up, space bulbs according to the directions on the package. Pointy side up is recommended but really, the plant knows which way is up, so don't make yourself crazy about it.
Replace the top soil and tamp down gently. Water thoroughly after planting if the soil is dry and wait for spring.
If you're spot planting or installing bulbs in small areas, you need to dig down to the depth recommended for each specific bulb using a trowel or any of the various bulb planting devices available commercially. I'm partial to the dibble. You just poke it in the ground to the depth line marked on the spike, twist it around a bit to widen the hole and you’re done. You can read more about planting techniques and tools and see photos here.
With the basics out of the way, tomorrow I'll kick off a week-long series of bulb profiles. Because Garden Detective appears in Newsday every Thursday, we're going to follow a "Garden Detective Week." That is, the series will run Thursday through Wednesday.
Come back to find out what I'm planting this year, learn about unusual new varieties and old standbys and get an 'in' with my wholesale-priced supplier.
