Tips for Planting Bulbs

Bulbs
Chose healthy bulbs. Avoid bulbs that are dry and withered, spongy or moldy. Usually, the larger the bulb for its type, the more flowers.

Location
Choose an appropriate location. Most flowering bulbs prefer full sun, in spring before the trees get their leaves full sun is availble in places where it is not later in the season. Some bulbs actually prefer cooler shady locations, like: Woodland bulbs (Anemone nemorosa (Woodland Anemone), Arisaema (Jack-in-the-Pulpit), Erythronium (Dog's Tooth Violets), Galanthus (Snowdrops) and Trillium).

In areas with cold winters, you can plant bulbs as long as the soil is soft enough to dig a hole. However they will have more time to begin growing roots if planted before mid-November. In areas without a freezing winter, you may need to purchase pre-chilled bulbs, but you won’t have to plant your bulbs until early spring.

Planting Tips
Bulbs look best when planted in groups. Dig a large area and plant several bulbs at once. Plant them in a "cage" to keep the rodents from eating them. Plant bulbs with the pointed side up. The pointed end is the stem. You may even be able to see some shriveled roots on the flatter side. If you really can't tell, don't worry about it. The stem will find it's own way, sooner or later.

Avoid rot by planting bulbs in well-drained soil to a depth of about 3 times their diameter. For Daffodils, that’s about 6 - 8 inches. Smaller bulbs can be planted to a depth of 3-4 inches and so on. To encourage strong root growth, mix bone meal or superphosphate into the soil at the bottom of the hole at planting time. You could mix in some water soluble fertilizer as well, but it’s not necessary if you’ve already amended your soil.

Replace the soil on top of the bulbs. Water the bulbs after planting, to help them settle in and close any air pockets. Through the fall and winter, you only need to worry about watering your bulbs if you’re having a particularly dry season. Come spring, you should be well rewarded for all your efforts.

Put markers to indicate where you plant bulbs so you don't try to plant something else in the same location and disturb the bulbs.

When your bulbs have finished flowering, cut back the flower stalks (not the foliage) to ground level. Resist the temptation to cut it the foliage back while it is still green, even though it may be unsightly and floppy. The bulb needs this time to photosynthesize and make food reserves to produce next year’s flowers.

If your builbs become overcrowded - the best time to move or divide them is during their brief dormant period just after the foliage dies off.