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CAROLINE CAMERON: Think spring, plant bulbs | Local-Lifestyles | Lifestyles

Bulbs will be arriving in the stores soon so this is the time to think ahead to the bright cheer of next…

By News - All rights reserved. All articles referred to are the property of their respective owners , in News , at August 31, 2019


Bulbs will be arriving in the stores soon so this is the time to think ahead to the bright cheer of next spring.  


Caroline Cameron

Bulbs like tulips, hyacinths, crocus, daffodils, snowdrops, scillas and grape hyacinths are native to cold climates and need the cold of winter to bloom.  

These bulbs are planted in a permanent location in the fall. They prefer moist and cool locations but need good drainage. Some bulbs, like daffodils, do well under leaf trees where they get full spring sun and then light shade in the summer, so look for specific instructions.  

When planting, I find it easiest to dig up a larger area and work up the soil, adding in a few handfuls of manure and bone meal. Place them pointy-end up, cover and water well. The recommended depth is important so that the bulbs concentrate their energy on their flowers, instead of multiplying. Don’t drive them into the soil, leave the soil underneath soft so that the roots can develop easily.  

Bulbs from the Netherlands are considered to be the best quality, and they can be counted on for a good show in the first year. The challenge is to keep the show going. They can produce smaller and fewer flowers over time, so add a bit of manure and bone meal each fall and/or springtime.   

A heavy mulch will allow an old bulb bed to recover wonderfully by releasing them from competition by weeds. This is not to say that bulbs can’t share a garden bed, particularly if the other plants are later-season plants, so that they ‘take turns.’ I like to plant tall flowering bulbs like tulips and daffodils to the back of other plants so as they fade, other plants will hide their yellowing leaves as they send their nutrients back into their bulbs.  

Bulbs often look best when they’re planted in masses, as opposed to narrow lines. Mixed complementary colours have great impact. You can plant early-season and late-season bloomers together (usually noted on the package) to stretch out the season. A tall clump with a shorter complementary clump in front also packs a punch.  

It is best to plant six weeks before the ground freezes so that the roots get established, but you can plant later, and if you miss your chance altogether, you can also pot them to overwinter in a cold space.  

All these bulbs, especially the smaller ones, are easily ‘forced’, or tricked into winter blooming, by faking an early winter and spring. Bulbs that are potted and chilled in September will bloom in less than 4 months (each has its own recommended time), and can make a great Christmas gift, timed to add a bit of colour to someone’s cold January. 

Forcing involves placing a few inches of soil in a pot, planting the bulbs ‘snug’ and barely covering. The pot is left in an unheated basement, fridge, or cold frame and kept just a bit damp for the duration. Then bring them into a cooler area of the home, so that they grow strong stems before being given full warmth and sun when they are 3 to 5 inches tall. After blooming, they can be planted in the garden in the spring. 

Picking the flowers or removing the flowers after they bloom helps the plant feed the bulb, and prepare for next year’s flower. A couple of leaves should be left behind when picking the flower, so that the leaves continue to prepare for next season’s flower. 

  

Caroline Cameron lives in Strathlorne, Inverness County, and offers gardening and guiding services around Cape Breton Island. She welcomes your gardening comments and questions at strathlorne@gmail.com and on Facebook at Nature/Nurture Gardening & Hiking. 


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