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EmailSee our how to grow fall-planted (spring-flowing) bulbs with our handy chart.
Fall-planted bulbs produce the first blooms of next year's season. The bulbs spend the winter making roots and come up early in the spring.
So if you think that autumn's the time to stop gardening, think again! It's bulb-planting time!
Tips for Planting Bulbs
- In the fall, you'll find bulbs to purchase everywhere! Make sure you buy your bulbs from a reputable nursery, garden center, or catalog. Second-rate bulbs product second-rate flowers or don't sprout at all.
- Plant anytime before the ground freezes. In the lower South, where you may not have hard freeze, early November is a good time to plant.
- See the chart below for type of bulbs by hardiness zone. In the warmer South, note that some bulbs need to be treated as annuals instead of perennials (e.g., tulips); they'll bloom once and then they're done. Still, they are a beautiful sight to behold and worth it! Other bulbs (e.g., daffodils) will act as perennials and come up year after year.
- For inspiration, visit our Flower Guides which include many common bulbs.
- Ideally, plant your bulbs soon after you purchase them.
- Select a site with lots of sun and well-drained soil. Work a few inches of compost in the soil.
- Plant bulbs generously in case some do not sprout. And plant them in random order and spacing for a more natural appearance. If you love groves of daffodils and blanketed landscapes of tulips, be prepared to buy and plant a large quantity of bulbs!
- In general, plant bulbs at a depth of three times the width of the bulb.
- After planting, apply fertilizer low in nitrogen, such as a 9-6-6 formulation. If your soil's sandy, plant bulbs slightly deeper; in clay soils, slightly shallower.
- Water well after planting. Apply mulch to keep the weeds down and hold in moisture.
- Do you have voles or chipmunks? Consider planting your bulbs in a "cage" fashioned with chicken wire.
Also, see our chart on how to grow spring-planted bulbs!
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Comments
i live in massachusetts. is
i live in massachusetts. is it too late to plant bulbs?
October is the ideal time to
October is the ideal time to plant bulbs in your zone but you can plant up til the ground starts to freeze. Some of our readers say, "If you can get them in, they should do fine!" Most bulbs need well-drained soil and full sun. Ideally, you have loosened the soil and worked in organic matter.
I planted my bulbs in
I planted my bulbs in October, I live in Southern Ontario, and they have started to grow. I can see nearly all of them sprouting up through the soil. Is this okay? Will the frost kill them when it happens?
Most spring blooming bulbs
Most spring blooming bulbs are resilient. The leaf tips may be damaged, but as long as the flower buds are below ground they will be fine come spring.
I planted Tulip bulbs in the
I planted Tulip bulbs in the Fall and they are emerging now! Hooray! Do I need to fertilize them throughout the Spring?
Lucky you! No, you do not
Lucky you! No, you do not have to fertilize tulip bulbs in the spring. You could apply fertilizer low in nitrogen, such as a 9-6-6 formulation, again next autumn.
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