I found this article by Peter Bowden “Spring starts now” which is a reminder that now is the time to plant your bulbs if you want them to bloom in the spring. He takes you through the essentials starting with advice on how to pick a suitable spot and then recommended soil amendment. There are plenty of pictures to show how to do it correctly.
Picking and preparing the planting area
Make sure your planting area is sunny and well drained. Well-drained means that the area dries rapidly enough after rain to avoid standing water.
Build up the soil in your planting area with the addition of compost, peat humus or peat moss which will help retain soil moisture, particularly in sandy soil.
Don?t forget the Bone Meal!
The most important soil amendment for bulbs is bone meal. I use bone meal when I plant shrubs, trees, roses, perennials, and especially flowerbulbs. The phosphorus in bone meal is vital in restoring and expanding the bulbs after the flowering period. You need to mix bone meal into the soil BELOW the bulb so the roots grow down through it. Bone meal doesn?t dissolve like chemical fertilizer, so your only chance to use it is when you?re planting. The phosphorus in bone meal lasts 4 or 5 years. By then, with proper feeding and care, the bulbs will need to be divided and replanted.
How deep do I plant the bulbs?
The rule of thumb for planting bulbs is to dig the hole two to three times as deep as the bulb is tall.
In heavier clay soils, plant more shallowly going only twice as deep as the bulb?s height. In sandy soil, plant 3 times as deep as the bulb is tall. Don?t be too fussy though since bulbs will actually reposition themselves at the proper depth as they grow over time.
Read the rest of his article at timesunion
Image source Tejvan Pettinger
