Many find gardening a relaxing and fulfilling hobby. Growing your own fruits, vegetables, and berries at home offers significant savings over purchasing them at the supermarket while delivering superior flavor and the assurance of an all-natural growth process. Growing flowers is an easy way to add splashes of beautiful color to your environment. Whether food or flower, plants you are in a position to grow in your own garden are typically seeds. However, bulbs operate a little bit differently, and there are some rules of thumb to follow when planting bulbs.

Bulbs need to be planted when they are dormant for the year. Bulbs for plants that bloom in the summer should be planted in autumn or winter. Bulbs that bloom in the autumn are best planted in the spring. When planting bulbs, you should aim to plant them at a depth of about twice their height, about three to four inches apart. Perennials, on the other hand, need to be planted with their roots in the fertile soil, and their tops, or crowns, right at the level of the top soil. They also need more space than other bulbs, so seek to plant them at least six inches apart.

Bulbs tend to flourish in fertile soil that offers ample drainage and a neutral pH of between 5.5 and 7. Most plants do best in soil of this quality and pH. If you test your soil and find it is too acidic, add some lime to lower the acidity. If you find it is too alkaline, you can add sulfur to increase the acidity. All that said, while these are ideal conditions for planting bulbs, bulbs are very hearty, and can still thrive in less ideal conditions. Bulbs even do well in infertile sandy soils, provided ample fertilization is added on a regular basis.

Adequate drainage is necessary to ensure the bulbs do not rot over time. Raised garden beds work well in this regard; adding sand to the soil will also improve drainage significantly. While bulbs will generally do well in most soil without additional fertilization, if you are inclined to fertilize, be very careful not to expose the bulbs themselves to fertilizer, as they will burn. When planting bulbs, keep far from any trees, as tree root systems use most, if not all, of the nutrients in nearby soil for themselves, leaving none for any bulbs trying to bloom nearby.

Bulbs can be successfully grown in pots. Fill the pot half full with the soil of your choosing, lay the bulb flat, and then add soil to the rim of the pot. Do not allow your potted bulbs to overheat by exposing them to too much direct sunlight, and bring them indoors once they begin to flower.

As for maintenance, bulbs rarely require watering. Water when initially planting, and do not water again unless you live in an area that experiences very low rainfall. Prune summer plants when they become affected by frost, and prune evergreens of any dead branches. Once bulbs have successfully flowered, very little further maintenance will be required.

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Category: Gardening
Keywords: planting bulbs