Fall is for planting...bulbs! A little bit of planting in the fall months can create dramatic spring floral displays.

• Pick a sunny spot with good drainage. Most need lots of sun before, during and after they bloom.
• Don’t let bulbs stand in water – they will rot.
• Rich, loosened soil is preferable. You can add organic matter, such as peat moss, manure or compost to your soil.
• Plant bulbs as early as possible in the fall. Planting depth is usually provided on the packaging. If not, a general planting rule is to place the bottom of the bulb at a depth of 2½ times the bulb’s diameter (widest portion).
• Place the bulb so the root end faces downward. Fertilize, cover with soil, water well and mulch.
• When planting bulbs, small groups will give a better show once they flower. For example, plant 11 or 13 crocus together, or put tulips or daffodils in groups of 5. Always plant an odd number of bulbs when planting in groups, and make sure the bulbs do not touch.
• If planting bulbs in a flower garden, plant taller flowering bulbs (allium or tulips) in the back, mid-size flowering bulbs (daffodils) in the middle and shorter flowering bulbs (crocus) in the front.
• If you want to naturalize bulbs in your yard, you can gently toss a few bulbs and plant them singly or in small clusters wherever they fall.
• Fertilize bulbs once a year using a complete fertilizer, such as a 5-5-5, a 10-10-10 or a 10-12-10. You might want to use bone meal, which is high in phosphorus (the middle number in the fertilizer “code”) a mineral bulbs need.
• Problems with mice, voles or chipmunks? Plant your bulbs in a wire cage in the ground to keep critters out. You can make a wire cage using hardware cloth. You can also soak bulbs for 10 minutes in a product that will repel the critters. Allow bulbs to thoroughly dry before planting.
• Once your bulbs have flowered, do not remove the leaves until they’ve yellowed and died naturally. Bulbs need their leaves after flowering so they can produce and store nutrients for growing and blooming next year!
• Be sure to mulch your bulb garden before winter. Mulch helps protect bulbs from cold temperatures, and from drying out too much.