Whether you want to impress your guests with a colorful yard, or you just find it relaxing to surround yourself with plants while enjoying coffee, learning how to plant spring bulbs might just be the right thing for you!
First of all, it is easy. It is affordable, and since you have a variety of bulbs to choose from, the main thing you should rely on is your own creativity.
Having a step by step guide is something I would appreciate when I was starting, so I decided to share it with all of you who’d like to try having their own flower garden.
Even if you are completely new to the world of gardening, I encourage you to try and read a few tips about when to plant spring flowers.
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Table of Contents
What are Spring Bulbs?
Bulbs can be defined as plants that have a storage structure adapted to the underground. Spring bulbs are the type of bulbs that are dormant by spring, and their growing period is until the early summer.
Their life-cycle goes through three main stages. The first one is the ”dormant” period (the one where the bulb is completely in the soil).
The second stage is growth, and the third one is the one I like spring planting bulbs for – the flowering.
They are also a great way to refresh your entryway for spring or to gear up your backyard for spring.
Where to plant spring bulbs
The place for planting spring bulbs depends on various factors. It largely depends on your choice of what to plant in the spring. Also, the type of soil and space you have determined.
Keep in mind that you should consider the plant when flowering, not only where you will plant it.
For instance, if you want to make certain color-shapes, think about it in advance, decide if you want color-clusters, and then put the spring bulbs in the soil accordingly.
When to plant spring bulbs
If you are not much of a gardener, it might come as a surprise to learn when to plant spring bulbs. To have blooming bulbs in the spring, the best practice is to plant them in the autumn.
For example, if you want early spring bulbs (to flower in March), you will plant them in the last days of September.
On the other hand, if you want a blooming garden during the whole spring, you should be planting spring bulbs while there is still some warmth left in the soil, from October to December.
And if you are wondering if you can plant bulbs in the spring, you can, but to have them in full bloom during the spring season, you should try to stick with the September-December planting cycle.
Where to buy Spring Bulbs
It’s best to have local garden shops that offer flowers to plant in spring. However, that’s not always the case, so it’s useful to know that flower bulbs to plant in spring can be bought in multiple online shops.
Still, the one I’d recommend is Home Depot. They have a century-long tradition of bulb-related experience, and they deliver for both US and Canada. – Get spring bulbs here
I would point out a few useful tips to be careful about when buying spring bulbs:
- Make sure you plant only the firm bulbs once you get the delivery. If the bulbs are soft when you touch them, they probably won’t grow in spring. It goes without saying that you should check if the bulb had some sign of the disease. – Get them here
- You should separate the healthy spring bulbs from the ones that are not that good as soon as you get them. And note that the bulbs without roots growing already are a better option when choosing what to plant in spring.
Materials you need to plant spring bulbs
- Garden gloves are needed to protect your hands and the bulbs while working with the soil
- Garden shoes, you need them especially if you plan planting bulbs on the lawn
- Bulb planter, an essential tool, so to speak. You need it for digging holes for bulb placement into the heavier ground.
- Pots, depending on the number of bulbs you want to plant, pot size and color can vary to your own preference.
- General-purpose compost, so your plants get all necessary nutrients for healthy growth in the pots.
How to plant Spring Bulbs – Step by Step
- One of the reasons why bulbs are the best flowers to plant in spring is because anyone can do it. Even a complete beginner can do it, as long as you keep in mind that the bulbs have to be in the ground deep enough (up to three times of their own size), and with the correct distance of at least two-bulbs-space in between.
- Unless you can make a difference between the top and bottom side of the bulb, as one of the herbs to plant in spring, the easiest way is to put it in the soil on the side. This way you will avoid unnecessary doubts.
- The soil can be a decisive factor for your bulbs’ growth. Although it is not difficult to position the bulbs, you’ll have to make sure that there aren’t air spaces around them. The soil mustn’t have clumps, and it has to be replaced after planting.
How to plant Spring Bulbs in Lawns
As the answer to one of the ‘’what to plant in the spring that will look good in my lawn” questions, you can go with different bulbs too!
Use the bulb planter to dig holes through the lawn (you’ll need to invest a bit of strength if the soil is heavy, especially if it is clay).
You can decide the position of the bulbs by taking a handful and spreading them randomly.
Once you make the holes, put the bulbs in (remember, they should be planted on the side, or facing down) and cover it with the soil you dug with the planter beforehand.
How to plant Spring Bulbs in Pots
If still in doubt what flower to plant in spring, or better said, what flowers to plant in spring, narcissuses, and crocuses would be my first recommendation.
Moreover, if you are considering pots as a place to plant your spring bulbs. There are several things to keep in mind here.
First of all, you need to think about the type and the size of the pots. Also, you need to determine the right place with enough sun to place your pots. All these things should be adequate for the type of bulb you want to grow.
For example, if you are planning on using clay pots that have large drainage holes on the bottom, you’ll have to shrink the hole by covering it.
Besides, you need to have soil that differs from the one in the garden.
It is called general-purpose compost, and don’t forget to water the compost after planting the bulbs (placing each bulb on the side, just to be safe).
Aftercare of Spring Bulbs
Note that how to store spring bulbs depends on the place you choose to plant them. There will be slight differences in the aftercare of the plants too.
For example, you need to pay special attention that the soil in the pots has enough moisture, and in the lawns, there is a higher probability that rodents mess up with the bulbs.
It is also important to cut the flower stalks up to the ground level after the flowering has finished. Make sure to do this only after all the stalks have lost the green color.
