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[F32]Fall Bulbs For Planting
by B. Keith Johnson, B.
The coming of autumn does not have to mean hanging up your garden shears and garden gloves for the year. The fall of the year is actually the time when many of the most popular bulbs bloom, and planting fall bulbs can provide your garden with much needed color almost until the moment the first snow falls.

The fall of the year is also one of the most pleasant times to work in your garden, since the heat of summer has passed. Many gardeners love spending the late summer and autumn days working in their garden.

In addition, fall bulbs are a great investment for the home gardener. After all, the great thing about bulbs is that they are able to remain in the ground, ready to spring forth when their optimal growing conditions are met. Even when they are not growing and blooming, the bulbs are still there, readying themselves for the next season.

It's really a good idea to probe a little deeper into the subject of Gardening With Fall Bulbs. What you learn may give you the confidence you need to venture into new areas.

When planting fall bulbs, one of the most important considerations is finding a suitable location for them. Even though bulbs are very hardy, specific bulbs have their own requirements, and those special requirements must be met in order for the bulbs to thrive and show their best blooms. The soil is probably the most important consideration. Bulbs always do best in a well drained soil, and when bulbs fall to grow it is usually because they have rotted due to overly wet soil.

Most bulb varieties grow best in full sunlight, and it is also important to properly prepare the planting bed. Many experienced gardeners prefer to excavate the area to a depth of between 12 and 15 inches, and then lay down a layer of well aged manure or compost. After this layer is put down, the bulbs are spaced properly, then covered with either the original soil or with a good quality compost or potting soil.

While this method is a great way to plant bulbs, it is also a very time consuming one. If you are looking for a less item consuming method of planting fall bulbs, you can use a bulb planter to make three to four inch wide holes. To use a bulb planter, you simply use a twisting motion. After the proper depth has been reached, the bulb planter is removed and the bulb can be planted. Even though bulb planters are a real time saver for most gardeners, they do not perform well where the soil is rocky.

The most popular types of bulbs to plant in the fall season are tulips, daffodils and crocus. In addition to these well known varieties, however, there are a number of other choices as well, including hyacinths, iris and alliums. These types of bulbs are easy to grow and they bloom beautifully. The chionodoxa is another popular fall bulb, and even though its earliest blooms are only a few inches in height, as it matures its blooms become ever larger. In addition, chionodoxa are resistant to deer, so they are favored by gardeners whose gardens are often visited by these creatures.

When word gets around about your command of Gardening With Fall Bulbs facts, others who need to know about Gardening With Fall Bulbs will start to actively seek you out.

No sooner has autumn set in than we gardeners begin to think of spring and spring bulb planting. There is a wide selection of bulbs available for planting now and blooming in spring, the following is just a small selection those available…

Allium (flowering garlic),
Anemone (wind flower),
Crocus,
Cyclamen,
Galanthus (Snowdrop),
Hyacinth,
Iris,
Narcissus (daffodil),
Scillia (bluebell),
Tulip,

Now, choosing the right bulbs involves more than just selecting colours and flowers you like. Bulb size and more importantly, bulb health are equally significant factors in selecting your spring garden bulbs. I suggest you carry out my personal quality test for bulbs before you go ahead and plant.

Healthy bulbs should be firm and heavy for their size. They should not feel overly dry or light. Certain bulbs (daffodils etc) will have loose and peeling skin, this is normal and nothing to worry about.

In the case of bulbs, "bigger is better", big bulbs usually mean a large amount of stored food to produce brilliant blooms the following season. Smaller, bargain bulbs may take two years to produce blooms good enough for your garden.

The colour of the bulbs skin should be uniform with no dark or light patches. Any bulbs with weak or spongy areas should not be planted, this is often a tell tale sign of rot.
If the bulbs you select appear to tick all the above boxes then you are well on your way to a colourful return from this season's bulb planting.

Weather permitting; you should try to plant your bulbs quite soon upon arriving home from the garden centre. Bulbs continually deteriorate the longer they are out of the soil. If you cannot plant them right away, store them in a cool place such as your garden shed or garage. Never store them in closed bags as they might rot. Bulbs need to breathe; this is why you will see garden centre displaying bulbs in perforated or net bags.

Article Source : Pg. 80

About Author
Both B. Keith Johnson & James Kilkelly are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

B. Keith Johnson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Alternative Medicine, Bodybuilding Supplements and Alternative Medicine. B. Keith Johnson is a contributing author for . Visit his other sites for
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