Year-round gardening:
“One daffodil is worth a thousand pleasures, then one is too few.” — William Wordsworth
Nothing says spring like crocus and daffodils. Early blooms poking up through the snow are welcome, not just for gardeners but also for hungry pollinators emerging from nests as the days lengthen and the air warms.
Planting bulbs in autumn will bring those blooms into your garden. Mid-September to early October is the optimum bulb planting period; bulbs will have time to establish some roots before winter chills the ground.
Most bulbs are best planted in masses. While individual plants are quite small, grouped together they make a vivid impact. That doesn’t mean you need to have acres to dedicate to tulips. You can interplant with other plants; just make sure you don’t plant one bulb here and another there. Interplanting can also camouflage fading foliage that may persist into midsummer. Plant your bulbs behind a perennial that will shield the fading foliage from your view. There are a few very large specimen bulbs, like Allium schubertii, that are an exception; they are large enough that single bulbs can be great accent plants.
Many bulbs are perennial, blooming for years, but be aware that many tulips don’t perennialize well. While tulips will continue to send up foliage for years, the likely bloom period will be one or two years. Many landscapers use tulips as annual flowers, digging them up after the bloom is spent. For perennial tulips, purchase Darwin or species tulips for multiple bloom years.
Consider purchasing some bulbs for indoor forcing. Most bulbs require a chill period, so you may need to refrigerate the bulbs for a few weeks before indoor planting.
Most bulbs are best planted in full sun. To plant, dig a hole that is 41/2 times the height of the bulb. Put a bit of fertilizer in the hole and place bulbs pointy side up. Fill the hole back in and water. Keep the site moist watering as needed. Once the ground freezes, a layer of mulch will help retain moisture.
Critters can be a problem; deer may browse the spring blooms while squirrels and voles can dig the bulbs up for winter food. You can choose deer-resistant varieties, like daffodils. For squirrels and voles, plant the bulbs in a chicken-wire enclosure. The plants can grow up through the openings in the wire, and the digging will be deterred when they hit metal. When planting, be sure not to leave the papery bulb layers around the plant site. That is like a sandwich wrapper announcing there is food in the area.
For more information on bulbs:
• Fall-Planted Bulbs and Corms – 7.410 — https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/fall-planted-bulbs-and-corms-7-410/
• Growing Bulbs Indoors- https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/growing-bulbs-indoors
If you are concerned about deer, check out the searchable data base at- https://njaes.rutgers.edu/deer- resistant-plants/
Bulbs Likely to Perennialize — http://www.hort.cornell.edu/combos/howto/bulbsperennialize.htm
Join extension on Sept. 21 for our Lunch and Learn class on fall planted bulbs for lots more information, and ideas. To register online, search for epcextension.eventbrite.com.
Submit gardening questions to csumg2@elpasoco.com or call 719-520-7684. The in-person help desk is open 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at 17 N. Spruce St. Find us on Facebook at Colorado Master Gardeners-El Paso County.
A mass planting of bulbs at Beijing Botanical Garden.
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