Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Busting to plant bulbs
The fall planted bulbs are starting to show up at local nurseries. These are those spring bloomers like tulips and crocus.
But there’s also garlic, which will be ready to harvest in early August.
While catalogs, which are filling up my mailbox, offer a wider variety than some of our local stores, it’s important to make sure you’re getting a good product.
When your bulbs arrive, inspect them immediately. Your bulbs, rhizomes, and corms should be firm. A little surface mold is fine but making sure there are no gushy areas is essential.
If you detect a bad odor or discover some mushy parts, then rush to your phone and call the company. Any reputable nursery will exchange them. This goes for bulbs you bought locally too.
- It’s important to plant your bulbs right away giving them time to establish before winter sets in.
- If you must, they can be stored for up to 2 weeks in a cool, dry place with the bag open to allow air circulation. Any longer than that and odds are you won’t have good luck.
- Most bulbs flower best in full sun, early bloomers can be planted under deciduous trees since they won’t leaf out before the flowers appear.
- Although don’t bother to plant them under a Black Walnut tree, it produces toxic juglone that kills many plants.
- After planting your bulbs, water them in. You won’t see anything above ground till next Spring but don’t forget them. If there’s been no rain, give them a drink.
- To deter squirrels, you can lay some chicken wire over the area.
New tulip varieties from Whiteflower Farms.
