Forsyth
County North Carolina
Top Q&A Homeowner Questions December 2007
Q - Is it too late to plant daffodils, tulips and other spring flowering bulbs?
Really you should plan for and select spring flowering bulbs in winter, when the nursery catalogs cascade through the mail chute. Nurseries keep your order on file until you’ve forgotten about it, then in late October or early November your bulbs arrive in the mail at the optimal time for planting. For local purchase, bulbs appear in the stores in late summer and of course that’s when you can find the best variety and quality of bulbs, not only for in ground or container planting but for indoor forcing as well. In Winston- Salem now in early December you can still find bulb varieties at Lowes, Home Depot, Ace Hardware and elsewhere, but the bulbs are picked over. Still, it’s not a reason not to plant.
Q - What are the soil requirements for successful blooms? A - Bulbs like good soil drainage—not too wet, not too dry. If the soil is not well aerated, the bulbs will not thrive and naturalize, or spread. For clayey soil add compost or aged pine bark to 25% of the soil volume. For sandy soil add compost to increase water and nutrient holding capacity. Bulbs prefer to be planted in soil that has a pH rating in the 6-7 range In Forsyth County call the Cooperative Extension Service at 336.703.2850 and request a soil test kit. Follow the directions and mail to the address given or hand carry to the Extension office. This service is still free in North Carolina. Knowing the pH of your personal soil is an excellent thing, regardless of the time you test it. You can always amend your soil and retest.
Q - Where should bulbs be planted? A - Bulbs just seem to fit in. They can be used in borders with annuals or perennials, ground covers, rock gardens and wooded areas.
Q - How deep should the bulbs be planted? A - In new beds it’s suggested to excavate the soil to a one foot depth prior to planting to ensure good aeration and drainage for the roots. How deep you plant various bulbs depends upon their sizes. Small sized bulbs such as daffodils 1” in height should be planted 5 inches deep and large bulbs, 2” in height need to be planted 8” inches deep. Newly purchased bulbs usually come with planting instructions and a chart with suggested planting depths and recommendations for spacing. Fertilize the bulbs with slow release bulb booster to increase bulb growth and to encourage naturalization. Cover the bulbs with soil, water thoroughly, and then cover the planted area with 2-3 inches of mulch. It’s a hard lesson to learn, but tulips have to be considered annuals in piedmont North Carolina and you will have to plant fresh bulbs each fall if you want a big tulip thrill in late March and April. Adapted from materials provided by Toby Bost’s handout, “Spring Bulbs.”
Q - Where can I learn more about bulb cultivation and piedmont gardening in general? A - Carolinas Gardener’s Guide by Toby Bost and Jim Wilson A Southern Garden by Elizabeth Lawrence is a delightful and informed source for gardening in piedmont North Carolina. http://uncpress.unc.edu/books/t-6128.html Spring flowering bulbs for North Carolina: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/quickref/flowers/spring.html Terra Ceia Nursery for North Carolina grown bulbs and planting guides:
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A - Even December is not tooooo late to plant spring flowering bulbs in the Piedmont. You can put bulbs in the ground as long as the soil is workable. November to mid-December is the best time. In Winston Salem I have planted bulbs in lightly falling snow after Christmas and had excellent blooms in March and April.