Space bulbs in bed according to size. Large bulbs should be 3 to 6 inches apart, small bulbs 1 to 2 inches. For best appearance, plant bulbs in masses. Cover the bed with 2 to 3 inches of mulch after planting. Mulches insulate the soil, maintain even soil moisture and prevent mud from spattering the flowers. Normal rainfall usually provides enough moisture for spring-flowering bulbs, but in a hot or dry spring, additional water will help to prolong blooming.
Many bulbs normally send up leaves during late fall and winter. No special protection is necessary. In the spring, remove the flowers of tulips and daffodils after they fade to prevent seed formation. Leave the leaves on the plant for at least six weeks after bloom is finished or until they turn brown. If you object to the appearance of yellowing leaves, try interplanting bulbs with perennials or summer annuals for camouflage. Be sure not to dig so deeply as to damage the bulbs.
Many bulbs eventually become overcrowded and must be divided and replanted for best effect. Wait to dig bulbs until the foliage has turned yellow and withered. Divided bulbs can be replanted immediately or stored in a dry, cool area for replanting in the fall. Discard any bulbs that appear diseased. A common and frustrating problem of bulbs is failure to bloom. This can have several causes. Bulbs may rot in soils that stay wet for a long time. Good drainage is essential. Bulbs may stop blooming if they become overcrowded or shaded too heavily.
Sparse blooms on daffodils can be caused by planting too shallowly. If leaves are cut off too soon in spring, the bulb may not store enough food to bloom the following year.
Many varieties of bulbs will not produce flowers a second year in Southern climates. Animals often dig and eat tulip and crocus bulbs during the winter. They rarely eat daffodil bulbs. The only sure way to protect bulbs from animals is to enclose the bulbs in wire mesh when planting.
Daffodils Narcissus species and hybrids are the most successful of the popular spring bulbs for naturalizing in the South. In general, jonquil hybrids, tazetta hybrids, poeticus and species daffodils will grow reliably throughout South Carolina.
Choose cultivars of large-flowered, trumpet, double and late-blooming daffodils carefully. Many will not perform well in warmer parts of the state. Plant daffodils in midautumn in well-drained soil where they will receive at least six hours of sun per day while in leaf. Plant daffodils 6 to 8 inches deep, less for smaller species bulbs. Space the bulbs from 3 to 6 inches apart, based on size.
Jonquil Daffodils: Many people call almost any small yellow daffodil a jonquil. However, jonquils are a particular class of daffodils descended from the species Narcissus jonquilla.
This group of daffodils typically has small, yellow flowers held in clusters of two to six sweetly fragrant blooms per stem and slender rush-like leaves. Excellent jonquil cultivars include the following:. Tazettas bloom prolifically with tight clusters of four to eight or more small flowers in mid-to late winter.
Most have a very intense fragrance. Many tazettas, especially the paperwhites, are used for indoor forcing since they do not require a chilling period. This also makes them ideal for growing outdoors in warmer areas of South Carolina.
Some tazettas are hardy only in coastal areas, while others will grow throughout the state. Poets Narcissus: This is one of the few late-blooming daffodils that do really well in warm climates. Poets narcissus will also tolerate damp soil. They have broad, pure white petals with a tiny cup with a green center and a rim of bright orange or red. They are intensely fragrant, with a characteristic spicy scent. Species Daffodils: Several of the wild ancestors of our modern large-flowered daffodils are very well adapted-to growing in the South.
They can often be seen naturalized near long-gone home sites. Thank you so much for the clarification! Trying to plant a variety of blooms for a mid-May garden wedding, so that no cut flowers are used, what is my best bet? Hi Violet — Two of the many tricky things about gardening: 1. You are also asking about MAY, which in your zone is always the transition point between spring and summer. Here is what I suggest. Connect with a local garden center or even a landscaper and ask them what trees, shrubs and perennials are typically in bloom in mid-May.
Ask to connect with someone with ornamental horticulture experience. This will help you get oriented on the bloom-time chart by matching an approximate date to some of the plants.
Hope this helps! Hi Clare — You can expect tulips to bloom in the same sequence as shown on the bloom time chart. As for when the earliest types will start blooming, it should be around the same time as daffodils begin opening. Exactly when this occurs will vary depending on the location and spring weather conditions.
That holds true no matter where you live! Kath , this chart is amazing. Hi Ahmed. With garden design, it is hard to make blanket statements, but here three general recommendations. In Massachusetts, spring bulbs will bloom in April and May, then there will be a lag before the summer bulbs begin blooming. To make sure you have flowers during June and early July, your garden should include perennials as well as spring and summer bulbs.
Most bulbs look best planted in groups. These groups can then be located in various places in your garden beds. Larger bulbs also tend to produce healthier plants. To prevent the spread of pests and soil-borne pathogens that may affect bulbs, it is also important to use regularly cleaned gardening tools. As mentioned previously, many of our spring bulbs are native to a very different climate. Take for instance tulips, which are native to the mountain ranges of Central Asia and were naturalized westward to places like Afghanistan and Turkey as well as to the north and northeast.
Many of our original species tulips are adapted to these arid regions with gravelly soil or rocky slopes. The hybrid tulips of today are the product of years of breeding and are somewhat more suited to cooler and rainier climates, and with proper site selection, could do well in your home garden.
What is the soil structure and fertility like? This is where a soil test can help because it will tell you the proportions of clay, sand and organic matter in the soil. Get started on your soil test from Michigan State University Extension. Bulbs have a variety of preferences, so do your research and see if the species you have planted do best in a sandy mix, rich loamy or other soil type.
A soil with poor drainage is the enemy of most bulbs. This often leads to rotten bulbs that cannot grow. Adding organic matter either as compost, manure or finely chopped plant matter can help improve soil structure.
If you have very poor drainage, often finding another place for your bulbs is the best course of action. Is it an open space? Will bulbs be exposed to the elements? Often, the soil plays a role in buffering the bulbs from temperature extremes. However, this is not always the case and depends on soil type. Planting bulbs in a depression where cold air settles or where they are exposed to harsh winds may affect growth.
Planting near structures may also affect growth as they can block wind, radiate heat and warm the soil. This can speed up bulb growth in the spring, which can be good or bad depending on late frosts. What is the light like? Full sun, part sun or full shade? Many spring bulbs do best in full sun. Having a proper site for your bulbs is one of the most critical steps in ensuring they will come back.
All bulbs are different, so remember to look up the recommendations for the specific bulb you are planting. If you realize your bulbs are in a less than ideal site, you can take a risk and dig them up and relocate in the fall.
Some bulbs may be unsalvageable due to rotting or because they do not respond well to disturbance. Proper planting time is all dependent on a soil temperature, which controls the bulb growth cycle. For most spring bulbs, fall is the most ideal time to plant. This is when we get the cooling soil temperatures that signal root growth. Bulbs that are planted in the fall will establish roots at the base basal plate and help it get off to a good start next spring.
In the spring when temperatures start to rise, plant growth increases and leads to flowering. The new cycle will begin at the end of summer with organ formation in the bulb. In general, planting when soil temperatures are too warm above 60 degrees Fahrenheit can lead to disease and rot. Planting when soil temperatures are too cold below 40 F can lead to improper root and shoot development.
A good indicator of when to plant is when nighttime temperatures are consistently between 40 F and 50 F. It is always helpful to reflect on any unusual or extreme changes in climate patterns. As mentioned previously, the bulb growth cycle is largely dependent on temperature. Warm temperatures in summer are needed for organ formation, including the flower meristem.
Cooler temperatures in fall and winter signal root growth and shoot elongation. The return of warm temperatures in the spring influences plant growth and flowering. Any interruptions or extreme changes in length can disrupt this cycle. Was it unusually hot or cold this year? Unusually warm or early springs cause faster plant growth but result in smaller flowers and a shorter duration of vegetation, which can ultimately lead to less vigorous bulbs next year.
An unusually cool summer can suppress flower bud development and even cause the formation of vegetative buds instead of floral buds. An unusually cold winter can increase the risk of bulb mortality.
Was it unusually wet or dry this year?
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