When planting your perennial bulbs, care should be taken to ensure they make it through the winter months (if fall planted bulbs). Depth of planting and spacing are important when you put the perennial bulbs in the ground. Here are some tips to help you succeed with your perennial bulb plantings:- For most bulbs, a planting depth of five inches (for smaller bulbs) to eight inches (for larger bulbs) is best.
- The soil in the area you are planting should be prepared prior to planting so you don't have to disturb the perennial bulbs later.
- Two to three inches of mulch should be applied over the planting area after the bulbs are in the ground, to keep the area moist and weed free. Perennial bulbs will rot in wet ground, however, so make sure the area drains well.
- Most spring and summer bulbs are planted in the fall, so that the bulbs have time to develop a good root system over the winter. You should keep this in mind when planning and ordering perennial bulbs for your garden. Fall blooming perennial bulbs, however, are generally planted in the spring after the last frost date.
- Some bulbs require cold treatments before planting if you are in a zone that does not normally freeze during winter. This can often be accomplished by putting your perennial bulbs in the refrigerator for several weeks, but care should be taken they are not stored with vegetables or fruits that put off ethylene gas, which can cause "flower abortion" problems with the perennial bulbs later on.
For more information about perennial bulb gardening, I strongly recommend you consider picking up a copy of Anna Pavord's lovely book: Bulb.In the book you will find nearly six hundred different entries about different bulbs and tubers you can grow, including detailed descriptions of the blooms, the plant size, hardiness levels, native areas they are found in, and their bloom seasons. The book is wonderfully written and each entry contains photographs of individual bulb blossoms. Easily one of the most definitive books on the topic, and a necessity for any serious perennial bulb gardener! Click here to get it on sale now at Amazon.com!
