Troubleshooting Spring Bulb Gardens
Get the Most Out of Daffodil and Tulip Gardens each Growing Season
Aug 18, 2009
When it comes to improving the landscape around a house, one fix is planting a spring bulb garden. One simply digs a few holes, plants a few bulbs and allows nature to do the rest. Then once the weather turns warm, beautiful flowers will blossom every year. However, there are issues that gardeners tend to experience with their spring bulb garden. Here are some solutions to some of the most common problems.
The Bulbs Don’t Grow the First Year
When purchasing bulbs, be sure to purchase high end quality bulbs. They should feel heavy for their size and feel quite firm when given a squeeze. When storing them (or shopping for them) be sure that they are kept in a cool dry place.
Also, when planting the bulbs, be sure to plant them deep enough. They should be planted three times as deep as the height of the bulb. This will insulate the bulbs from animals digging them up, or frost making them barren.
The Bulbs Grow the First Year, but not the Second Year
There is an attrition rate with bulbs. If 100 percent of the bulbs bloom the first year, expect that only 50 percent of the bulbs will bloom by the third year. To get the best chance of repeat growers, buy bulbs like the Darwin Hybrid Tulips which is known to be a vigorous grower.
Also, as the weather turns warmer add a bit of 10-10 fertilizer or compost over the soil. The nutrients will seep below to the bulb and nourish them.
Animals and Pets Dig Up the Bulbs before they have a Chance to Grow
There are some tricks of the trade to deter such critters. Some people swear by dousing the bulbs in hot sauce, others like to sprinkle cayenne pepper on the bulbs (cayenne pepper is one of the base ingredients to hot sauce), others still add hot sauce over the soil after it has rained. For structural protection, try bulb cages. This will keep out rabbits, squirrels, deer and other animals that live in forests found in the suburbs.
After Blooming Quickly, only Withering Flowers are Left
This is an easy fix. Simply purchase bulbs that bloom early, mid and late during the season. This will keep the bulb garden full of radiant color for as long as the season allows. Also, be sure to mix up the colors so that a patch of one color isn’t created next to a patch of another color (unless that is what is intended.) Finally, spread the bulbs so that they are not in rows. Rows tend to look sequential and uninteresting to the eye. This will give the garden a nice depth.
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