If you’re like me, you’re already dreaming about your early spring garden! Now is the perfect time to plant spring flowering bulbs like tulips and daffodils. Follow these planting tips:

When to Plant
Spring flowering bulbs are only available in the fall, and you can plant them until the ground freezes. The roots will develop until the ground temperature drops to below 45 degrees, so planting now will give them a head-start.

What to Plant
Pick firm, unblemished bulbs. Bulbs that feel heavy for their size are the best choice. Keep in mind that bulbs are tasty treats for squirrels, chipmunks, deer and rabbits. If wildlife is an issue in your yard, consider planting only daffodils or hyacinths which are distasteful to animals.

How to Plant
The best method for planting is to dig and loosen the soil of the entire bed to a depth of 8 to 10 inches. Mix in some bulb fertilizer with the soil, press the bulbs into the planting bed and cover with soil. Plant with the nose of the bulb upward and the root basal plate downward.

A good rule of thumb is to plant the bulb 2 to 3 times as deep as the diameter of the bulb. Daffodils, tulips and hyacinths are some of the larger bulbs and are typically planted 6 to 8 inches deep while the smaller bulbs like crocus or grape hyacinths are planted 4 inches deep.

Water thoroughly after planting to settle the soil around the bulbs and provide the moisture needed to begin rooting.

Where to Plant
Bulbs can be planted neatly in clumps or rows, or in a random manner to give the appearance of naturalizing. Large bulbs are impressive in clumps, and small bulbs look best when they can be planted next to a pathway for close viewing.

*Tip: To help you remember where you planted your bulbs, plant a single grape hyacinth bulb with each clump of bulbs. It produces foliage in the fall to mark where your bulbs have been planted!

Remember that for bulbs to perform well season after season they should be planted in full sun to light shade. Bulbs planted in full shade may bloom well the first year but seldom return. The last bit of advice is to allow the foliage to yellow and die in late spring so the bulb stays healthy and maturing.

Happy (fall) planting!

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