A DOZEN HELPFUL TIPS FOR PLANTING BULBS
	November 2003

by Rita Camara
Photos by Brad Shifflett

I developed my passion and gardening skills under the influence of my mother. I spent a lot of time working in the yard because, in my mom’s house, a choice had to be made between yardwork and housework. From the very beginning that was an easy choice. When you clean a window something terrible always happens; the window gets dirty again. When you plant a seed, however, a miracle always happens; it grows into something wonderful.

My mom’s house was always full of flowers and plants. She had the talents and skills of a professional florist. Mom would go out into her yard in the morning, cut a few things, bring them in, and create a warm, colorful, and often fragrant atmosphere for her family. I grew up in the midst of growing and blossoming beauty.

We didn’t have a lot of money so my mom used plants from her yard as the main basis for home decoration and improvement. In my opinion, Mom’s greenery was superior to any decoration you could buy.

As I grew up, I developed my own love of plants and gardens. There is something of our parents in all of us. I guess I inherited my passion for plants from my mom.

That Bulb Thing
During this time of the year the attention of all serious gardeners turns to the selection of bulbs. The reason we do this now is because if we don’t buy them early, we won’t get our first choices.

Bulbs are the seminal parts of some flowering plants that develop into next year’s flowers. The dictionary says that a bulb is an “underground stem surrounded by usually fleshy modified leaves that contain stored food for the shoot within.” Common bulbs include such beautiful flowers as tulips, daffodils, narcissus, grape hyacinths, bluebells, snowdrops, crocuses, colchicums, and lanthanum.

Bulbs are also inexpensive. At Costco, for example, you can buy a package of 50 bulbs for less than ten dollars, or a smaller package at Long’s for less than five dollars.

Also, it is easy to plant bulbs. All you need are bulbs, gloves, and a trowel.

Note: Some trowels are marked with measures on them to help you measure the depth of soil appropriate to the average size bulb.

If you want to go hi-tech with the process, for less than $10 you can buy a bulb-hole digger that is designed to dig a nice, round, clean hole just the shape required for the average bulb.

Here are twelve tips and observations that can increase your enjoyment of this year’s bulb experiences.

• When choosing a bulb, select for size and firmness. You don’t want bulbs to be rotten or squishy. The bigger the bulb, the bigger the resulting flower.

• Plant bulbs in your yard to mark areas and boundaries. Bulbs make great border plants. They are also great around a tree — keeping clear of grass that annoying area at the base of a tree you can’t reach with the mower.

• Distribute bulbs naturally. One simple method of achieving a natural look in your flowerbed is to toss the bulbs into the air and then to plant each one where it lands.

• The rule of thumb for bulb depth is that the hole should be three times deeper than the bulb is wide. If the soil is heavy and dense, less peat moss and more topsoil constituent, plant the bulb a little shallower.

• You can also place bulbs in a planter or other container of some kind. An advantage of this for parents of young children is that it provides a convenient way to involve them in the activity. The child can have his/her personal container, and enjoy watering it, checking soil, and rejoicing over the beautiful flowers as they begin to appear. Another nice thing about containers is that they are transportable. You can move them into sunny areas in cool weather and into shady areas in hot weather. Note that large bulbs in any container should be planted about four inches apart. Smaller bulbs may be planted 2-3 inches from each other.

• The bulb must be planted in well-draining soil. For poor soils, e.g., the viscous clay we have around here, follow this process:

1. Dig the hole twice as deep as normal (i.e., six times as deep as the width of the bulb).
2. Line the bottom with a layer of planting mix.
3. Cover the planting mix with a layer of phosphorus. (Bone meal is excellent for this purpose.)
4. Cover the phosphorus with a second thin layer of soil. At this point the soil should be at the appropriate depth for the planting.
5. Set the bulb on top of this layer, with the tip pointing up.
6. Finish filling in the hole with potting soil.

• East County is fortunate to have a mild climate so it is appropriate to plant bulbs in December or January for a spring blooming. Some people plant even earlier than that. Containers are fine for early planting, but plants out in the open may be in danger of being killed by a late frost. Bulbs require a chill-factor so put them in your refrigerator six weeks before planting.

• After planting, water the bulbs well. There is no rule about this. Just keep the ground from getting too dry. Don’t let it sit in water, because constant moisture rots the bulb.

• Keep your flowering areas pretty during the winter. After you plant a bulb, plant an annual on top of it. That way you have green and colorful plants during the time you’re waiting for the tulip (or whatever) to spring from the bulb you have planted. Typically the bulb will begin pushing up a flower at the very time the annual is finishing its blooming.

• Selecting bulbs for your yard or flower bed isn’t rocket science. Just choose the color and shape you like.

• After planting, when the shoots begin to appear, give them a shot of fertilizer to help them continue to bloom. This is especially important when it comes to bulbs. The fertilizer I use is 16/16/16. By the way, the three numbers in fertilizer labels represent the ratios of Nitrogen, Phosphate, and Potash to the inert matter they come mixed in. You can use these numbers to get more or less specific about fertilizer, but any fertilizer is better than none. Some people buy actual bulb food, which, of course, also works.

• Add some snail bait when the plant starts to appear.

Here’s something fun that my husband, Mike, and I like to do. We buy a bag of assorted bulbs and plant them in a plot out in the yard. When spring comes we always have a great time running out to the garden to see what new color has blossomed and bloomed since the previous day. (Mike is a meany and always tries to dash out the door first to see the new colors before I see them. The only way I can prevent this is by dashing out the door first myself.)

Better Than Going to a Shrink!
I find working in my garden to be very therapeutic. I would spend all my daylight hours down on my knees with my plants if I didn’t have work and social obligations that call me away. (And, boy! Would I be psychologically fit after all that therapy!)

I work without gloves (except when I’m having pictures taken for a magazine article as an example to others)! Gardening is a sensual experience that I like to savor. Damp soil through my fingers. Breeze through my hair. Sun on my shoulders. Drops of rain on my neck. Wonderful!

Editor’s Note: For more information than you could ever use about gardening, visit the incredible website “52 Weeks in a California Garden” http://www.latimes.com/extras/homeandgarden/garden_home.html