Springtime in your yard can be a spectacularly colorful event, but your work right now makes it happen.
Cleverly bunched tulips and crocuses will be so welcome in early spring.
Whether you buy bulbs locally or from a catalog, examine them closely. They should be firm and free from deep blemishes, cuts or soft spots. They should feel heavy. It is more economical in the long run to buy fewer high quality bulbs than bargains.
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Plant them as soon as they reach your home. If this isn’t possible, store the bulbs in the refrigerator. They shouldn’t be allowed to dry out, but they need to breathe, so open the bag or put them in a paper bag.
Bulbs prefer well-drained soil in sun or light shade. Those planted in shady areas may grow taller and last longer. Before planting, work the soil to a depth of 1 1/2 feet. Add compost and peat or sand if the soil is very hard and compacted.
Bulbs look best clustered. Keep smaller bulbs separated by two to three inches, and larger ones by four to six inches. Plant them twice as deep as their diameter in average or heavy soil, deeper in sandy soil. Fertilize with a bulb-booster product after planting. An all-purpose 10-10-10 fertilizer can also be used.
Water the planting area thoroughly after putting out bulbs. Winter or spring rains will then provide all the moisture needed until the bulbs sprout. In spring, when plants are a few inches high, begin watering regularly throughout the growing and blooming period.