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Planting Fall Bulbs for Spring Blooms

Tips for protecting your bulbs from critters — and the weather.

From "The Dirt On..."
episode DTDO-116

A beautiful new display of spring-blooming bulbs requires a bit of effort in the fall.

Here are helpful tips for choosing and planting bulbs:

No matter which species you select, make sure it's right for your zone. Your local nursery will usually carry the appropriate bulbs, but if you order from catalogs, check the hardiness zone for each. If the bulb isn't listed for your area, don't buy it.

Figure A

Plant bulbs in clumps or drifts, not in neat rows (figure A). Not all of them will bloom, so you don't want the "holes" to be evident.

If you're worried about your bulbs freezing and thawing all winter long, cover them with clean straw or fallen leaves.

If your bulbs start popping up too soon, you can't stop them. What you can do is protect them by covering them up with a cloth material to prevent them from cold-weather damage. When the weather warms, you can remove the cloth and let them enjoy the sun.

Figure B

Figure C

Figure D

Protect your bulbs from critters, using one of these devices:

Steel wool cage. Wrap each bulb in steel wool, leaving just the tip exposed, before you plant it (figure B). It will stay protected from voles and gophers underground until it's ready to bloom. When it's ready, it will shoot up out of its "cage" as long as you left a little opening for it at the top.

Mothball jars. The smell of mothballs and moth crystals will deter squirrels but these products are toxic to dogs and cats. To protect your pets and still use the powerful scent, lock the mothballs inside baby food jars with holes punched in the lids (figure C). Plant a few around your bulbs, leaving the lids exposed.

Chicken-wire bed. Keep squirrels and dogs from digging up your bulbs by covering the planting area with chicken wire. Lay the wire on top of your bed after planting, using wire stakes to hold it down (figure D). (You can create your own stakes from a coat hanger by cutting it up and bending it.) The bulbs will pop up in the open spaces of the chicken wire. If you don't like the look of the wire, just cover it up with mulch.

Here are some of the most popular spring-blooming bulbs:

Tulip. These are some of the most versatile and easy to grow bulbs. They come in many shapes, sizes and colors to match any style garden.

Crocus. People love these bulbs because they are such early bloomers. Some will even come up in January. There are purple, lavender, yellow and white varieties.

Daffodil. These are extremely popular and they are really easy to grow. Bright yellows varieties are the first choice for many gardeners but they also come in white and pink.

Hyacinth. The flower has an intense aroma so plant it where you can enjoy the scent. It has a formal look so it's best planted in a border or in containers.

Spring-blooming bulbs must be planted in the fall in order for them to receive their required period of cool temperatures.