How to Plant Flower Bulbs in a Garden
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Planting flower bulbs in a garden will bring color and life to your yard and is an easy project that can be done by anyone. Read on for some tips on planting spring-blooming bulbs.
Estimated time: 1 hour (not counting the time needed to gather materials)
Tools: Spade, shovel, tray, or container large enough to hold the bulbs you wish to plant, bulb planter (optional), marker
Materials: Bulbs of the flowers you want to plant; optional: bulb food; water
Steps [in order]: Remove any existing plants from the area where you will be planting the bulbs; mark the spot where bulbs will go with a marker; move any rocks or debris out of the way so that they won’t interfere with planting; remove bulbs from packaging and soak them in water for a half-hour or longer (optional); dig a hole at least as deep as the length of the bulb, and up to two times its height; drop the bulb into the hole, pointed end up; cover the hole completely with soil; water well.
Planting flower bulbs in a garden can give your yard color and life. Bulbs such as tulips will blossom in springtime, while lilies will bring color throughout summer. You can purchase both types of bulbs at most gardening supply stores. Read this article for tips on how to plant flower bulbs flat in a row across an open space, which is known as “drifting.”
Steps [in order]: Mark out the space you want to plant with a marker; remove any existing plants or debris from that area; dig up the soil, loosening it at least 12 inches deep and removing any rocks or roots in the process; mix in some sand if your soil is heavy clay (optional); mark lines across the garden where bulbs will go using marker; place bulbs on top of soil according to your plan.
Planting flower bulbs flat can give a burst of color to your yard. Flowering tulips are great for this type of planting because they all bloom around the same time. You could also plant crocus for early spring color, then follow with tulips later in the season. After blooming once, many bulb flowers will return year after year, making them a great choice for naturalizing.
Steps [in order]: Gather the flower bulbs and other materials needed to plant them; mark out the area where you want to plant your bulbs using a marker; remove rocks or debris from that area as well as any grass or plants that will be in the way of where you will be digging; loosen up the soil as deep as possible—at least 12 inches down, but as deep as 24 inches is even better if possible (depending on what type of bulb it is); mix in some sand if your soil is heavy clay. If this step is not done, the weight of wet soil could cause the bulb to tip over when placed into a hole.
Flower bulbs help bring color to your yard. If you plant them in a row, they will naturally drift over time (give it at least 3 years before this process begins). As bulbs multiply, you can separate the clusters and share them with friends or family members.
Steps [in order]: Remove packaging; soak bulbs in water for one hour or longer; prepare marked spot where bulb planter (a small tool with narrow tines) will be used if needed; open hole using bulb planter (optional); drop drained bulb into the hole; gently push the soil back into place around the base of planting to prevent tipping over until roots establish themselves.
Many types of garden flowers are planted by first digging holes about six inches across and about six inches deep. You want the hole to be a little larger than the bulb you are planting, especially if it has a large root system. Bulbs planted closer together, about one inch apart from each other will look more natural.