Gardening Topic for October 2007
It's Never Too Late to Plant Spring Bulbs

Provided by the Western Massachusetts Master Gardener Association
www.wmassmastergardeners.org.

It is pleasant to think, as you view a winter-white world, that under that snow bulbs are ready to send up some of the most beautiful flowers in nature. Spring bulbs, especially daffodils, have inspired poets, been the object of artists, and serve as symbols of hope. October and early November are the recommended times to plant bulbs, but if the soil can still be worked and the temperature is 50-55 degrees F, bulbs can be planted. The bulbs need time to send out roots, which they begin to do immediately when planted. Root formation is stimulated by cool temperature. Mulch can be used to give late-planted bulbs a bit of protection and time to send down roots, which extends the planting season. Hay or straw should be removed before snow as such mulch gives rodents cover as they look for dinner. As with all gardening pursuits, a little planning will put the right plant in the right place.

A good plan is best started by perusing a reliable bulb catalog. We think first of daffodils and tulips but we should also look at other wonderful options. Camassia (Camassia sp.), Spanish bluebells (Hyacinthoides hispanica), and blue squill (Scila siberica) are often never considered. Many sources can be found on-line and while most of the importers have found markets by October (they send their catalogs in spring), they usually have choices available. Good bulbs can be found, sometimes at discount, later in October from garden centers. Consider that we live in a climate that is both wetter in winter and more erratic with temperatures than the native origins of most bulbs. Holland was not where they originated. True, Holland has historically developed most of the varieties we love but the genes go back to far more restricting environments. Think of dry, difficult sites in Persia, Turkey and along the Mediterranean; cold, dry winters. Some bulbs will go on to reproduce and reward for many years but others may only give a few seasons. Some, like tulips, might be treated like annuals. This is because the bulb that blooms uses most of the energy and there is a long period before the bulblets that may form would be able to bloom. There is also the period that follows flowering, which can be very unsightly, and the temptation to cut off the withering leaves or mow the lawn may kill the flower's chances of making a bulb of sufficient size. Once the foliage dies back naturally, the bulb stays dormant during the summer heat.

Bulbs, corms, and tubers all have one major common requirement. They need stored food to bloom. Consider the size and health of the bulbs you buy. The bulb is alive but if it looks shriveled or moldy, it is on its deathbed. It will also need to photosynthesize and store food for the coming year after it blooms. You need to plan for the unsightly stage. If you want to cut off the foliage or braid it, you are in essence treating those bulbs like annuals. In Holland, the forming flowers are removed from tulips, as this guarantees that the plant will not expend any energy on reproduction. The stem, which is green and also photosynthesizes food, is left. The plantsmen want every bit of energy in the yearly cycle to go back into creating a bigger and better bulb. Bulblets of many other spring bulbs will grow enough to bloom in the coming year if given the opportunity to photosynthesize.

Like spring ephemerals in the woods, crocuses and snowdrops come and go quickly. They cheer in a special way that complements the joy of seeing the first green in the grass, perhaps before all the snow is gone. Put a small mass by an often-used walk or in a place seen from inside the house. Such planning will guarantee their being seen before they disappear for another year. Bulbs in mass for visual display; bulbs blooming in sequence; bulbs storing their food and leaving unsightly vegetation are things to consider when ordering from a catalog with tempting descriptions and beautiful pictures.

Because bulbs, corms, and tubers are influenced by the abiotic factors of temperature and moisture, which cause their internals clocks to send down roots and to send up shoots, check what your choices need. All require a period of summer dormancy. After putting down roots, the bulb wants to stay relatively dry until wakened by warm, spring rains. Few bulbs tolerate being left in soggy ground. They rot, so think about drainage in the area you put them. Check requirements. We have wet winters. They also can be heaved out of the ground by sudden freezes. Plant too deep and there will not be enough food in the bulb for reproductive flowers. Plant too shallow and the bulb may be lost to exposure. Hope is not what you want from your investment. By planning and placing the right variety in the right place the reward will be blooms next spring. Such information is available if you use a catalog wisely and search for varieties that will tolerate your conditions.

Most people blame the loss of bulbs on moles. The next time that the cat brings one in for inspection, check the animal’s sharp little teeth. The mole is an insectivore. It eats meat! Same for the shrew. However, mole tunnels are highways for the deer mouse and voles to get to your bulbs. Mice have rodent incisors, which reflect their vegetarian habits. They love bulbs! Chipmunks are especially nasty rodents. A stone wall or protective area for their tunnels will give them nocturnal rights to the bulbs, which will add to their stores in the fall. Be aware of their presence by tunnel holes nearby. There are many ways reported to deter rodents from the bulbs: planting them in fine wire-mesh cages (with bottoms of mesh, as chippies do tunnel), mothballs, used kitty litter and garlic powder are but a few suggestions. Deer will leave daffodils alone but they seem to be especially fond of the buds of tulips. Of course, a lot of competing daylily shoots might attract them more. Anticipate the attack and plan your defense.

In planting, consider that a mass of color or complementary colors will always impress more than a few flowers here and there. “Less is more” applies to varieties, not number of bulbs. As you plant, put a minimum of three of the same variety together. The effect will be far more visually rewarding than one or two. Surely people who plant hillsides with daffodils or a meadow with muscari give a great gift to their neighbors. Spring is a long season and knowing the bloom sequence will reward one’s planning efforts. Color is often our first consideration but in a good plan, it is the least important factor to get a striking spring display. Drainage and protection from critters are far more important. Don’t forget the second act of bulbs in the garden when they are simply unsightly. Ferns, tall perennials or high grass in your plan will hide yellowing leaves of a plant preparing for another year.

To summarize:
1. Use a good bulb company catalog to get facts and planting choices for your particular site. If something you love needs full sun, it will need full sun! Avoid marginal zone offerings.
2. Purchase the biggest and healthiest bulbs you can afford and get them into the ground to establish roots in the fall when the soil is still workable and down to 55 degrees F.
3. Make sure the site can be seen so it can be appreciated, and that it has the drainage and exposure the bulb requires.
4. Protect the bulbs from critters, and allow the plant to finish its growing season, however unsightly, without disturbance.

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Provided by the Western Massachusetts Master Gardener Association
www.wmassmastergardeners.org