Spring Bulbs - Beautiful flowers for the season
There is nothing more beautiful than seeing flowers bloom after a cold and dreary winter. Tulips, Hyacinths, Crocus, Snowdrops, Scilla, Daffodils and Narcissus are among the most popular Spring bulbs that are planted. You can add these lovely flowers to your home and landscaping or even in between your shrubs and give them a brilliant array of colours. All it takes is a little time and effort during the Fall right after the Summer is over.
When planting Spring bulbs, it’s important to keep in mind that the colder of a climate you live in, the earlier you want to plant. Generally, in the colder northern climates, it’s a good idea to plant in September or October. In the warmer southern climates, you may want to wait until December, or possibly later. The only rule that everyone needs to follow is that you must plant your Spring bulbs before the first frost. Why do you need to do this? Spring bulbs need at least a couple of months of temperatures that are below 40 degrees so they can produce their spikes.
Spring bulbs are available in dozens of colors and blooming times. The flowers that are going to open the earliest are the Crocus and Snowdrops, almost immediately followed by Tulips and Daffodils. If you are planting your Spring bulbs in a garden, try to keep at least five in a group together. Try to choose an area in your grass that isn’t going to be mowed for a while so the foliage on the flower can have enough time to mature.
Your Spring bulbs prefer a lot of sun and like to be in a well drained soil. The soil should be at least six to eight inches deep. Plant your Spring bulbs by placing them into the soil, never ever push them down. As a general rule, you should plant them twice as deep as they are high. The larger they are, the more space they will need between them. Cover them with soil and then sprinkle a good food on top of the soil. Water them thoroughly and then keep the soil moist.
Here are some chilling tips (keeping them at 40 degrees or below) for specific Spring bulbs: Tulips need 14 weeks of chilling. Crocus need 4 weeks of chilling. Snowdrops and Scilla need 6 weeks of chilling. Hyacinths need 12 weeks of chilling.
That should be enough to get you started! Get out there and gather your Spring bulbs and get them in the ground so you can color your landscape or garden and enjoy the beauty of the springtime months of March, April and May.