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Bulbs are generally among the easiest of all plants to care for, and this hardiness makes bulbs one of the most popular among all kinds of gardeners. Even though bulbs are easy to care for, however, it is still important to care for them properly to ensure you will have a garden full of dahlias, lilies, daffodils, tulips and other bulbs.
One great thing about bulbs is the colors they come in. Bulb plants come in a wide variety of colors, and a flower bed full of bulbs can be one of the most colorful parts of any garden.
As with any type of plant, it is important that your bed full of bulbs receive plenty of water, plenty of sunlight, proper fertilization and a good quality soil. Providing these basic elements is the best way to get your bulbs off to the best start.
When it comes to watering bulbs, it is important to remember that all bulbs need regular watering during their growth and blooming period. For most bulbs, the active growth period begins shortly after they go into the ground, and it continues until the foliage on the plant has died back. The die back generally occurs after the flowering has stopped, or in the autumn of the year.
If there is not enough rainfall available, the gardener should be sure to supplement the water with deep watering, deep enough to reach the root zone, as the roots will be growing underneath the bulb. In addition, providing a good layer of mulch will assist the roots in retaining their all important moisture content. It is important to note here, however, that the bearded iris should never be mulched, since mulching it will cause it to rot.
Proper fertilization is also very important to successfully growing bulbs. The fertilizer should be applied at the time the bulb is planted, in the bottom of the hole, and covered with a thin layer of soil. The bulb should never be placed directly on top of the fertilizer. In addition, the bulbs should be fed with a high nitrogen content fertilizer at the start of the growing season. Providing this extra feeding will help the bulbs to produce more attractive flowers.
After the bulbs have completed their blooming cycle, they will have used up a great deal of their nutrient content. For the bulb to do well the following season it is important for those nutrients to be replenished. There are two steps gardeners should take to ensure that their bulbs will bloom well the next year.
The first step is to be certain that the foliage is left on the plant, even if the foliage looks poor, until the foliage has yellowed and pulls off easily. That is because the leaves will continue to make food for the plant as long as they are green, and this food will help the plant bloom better the next year.
The second step is to provide a good quality fertilizer right after the flowers have begun to fade away. It is important to fertilize with a bulb food which is high in phosphorus and potassium, as this will help the plant thrive the next year.
In order to be their most effective, the phosphorus and potassium in the bulb food must be able to reach the root zone, and for this reason the fertilizer should be placed as close as possible to the roots. For a planting that has already been established, the fertilizer should be stretched slightly into the soil to help it move deeper, and the feeding should be followed by a deep watering.
There's a lot to understand about Caring For Your Bulbs. We were able to provide you with some of the facts above, but there is still plenty more to write about in subsequent articles.
The information about gardening with bulbs presented here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce what you know about gardening with bulbs or it will teach you something new. Both are good outcomes.
Bulbs are among the most popular of all flowering plants, due to their hardiness, low price and beauty. It is hard to beat the color variety of a garden bed full of bulbs, and planting bulbs that bloom in different seasons can guarantee a season full of beautiful flowers.
This article focuses on a few of the most popular varieties of bulbs. Some of the most popular bulb varieties available to the home gardener include:
Hyacinths (Dutch Hyacinth) The Dutch hyacinth is one of the most instantly recognizable, and most popular, of all the varieties of bulb plants. The Dutch hyacinth blooms in the spring and features the well known foot high spires with their small bell shaped and very fragrant flowers. Hyacinths come in a wide varieties of colors, including red, pink, buff, white, blue and purple. The Dutch hyacinth grows best in colder areas, and it can last from year to year. In these cold water climates, the hyacinth is best planted in September of October.
IN areas where the weather is milder, hyacinth bulbs will not last from one year to the next. In these more temperate areas, hyacinths are best treated as an annual and replanted each year, preferably in October, November or December. It is best to plant hyacinth bulbs four to five inches deep, and to space them from four to five inches apart as well. Hyacinths grow best in full sunlight, and they benefit from regular watering, especially during their blooming and growth periods.
Iris The most frequently seen variety of irises are the bearded varieties. Bearded irises are striking plants, and they appear in a dazzling array of colors and combinations of colors. Irises appear in a variety of sizes as well, with very small varieties and very large ones as well.
Irises should be planted in July or August in cold climates and in September or October in warmer areas. Irises are actually rhizomes, and they should be spaced from one to two feet apart, with the tops placed right below the surface of the soil. Irises grow best in full sunlight or light shade, and they benefit from a regular watering schedule during their growing season.
Lilium The lillium is the scientific name given to the Asiatic and oriental hybrid lily, and they are very popular bulb plants. These Asiatic lilies bloom early in the summer, and they range in height from a mere six inches to a towering 4? feet. These lilies feature blossoms ranging in size from four to six inches and in colors like white, yellow, orange, pink and red.
Oriental lilies bloom later in the year, usually in midsummer or early autumn. Oriental lilies have stems from two to ix feet in height, and they feature large and fragrant flowers up to nine inches in length. These beautiful flowers feature pink and white petals with stripes and speckles, and they provide a striking addition to any garden.
Lilly bulbs should be planted as quickly as possible after they are bought, since these particular bulbs do not keep well. If it is necessary to delay planting, the bulbs should be stored in a cool place. It is important to examine the bulbs carefully before they are planted, and any shriveled bulbs should be placed in peat moss or moist sand until they have recovered.
Asiatic and oriental lily bulbs are best planted spaced about a foot apart. Smaller bulbs should be covered with a layer of soil two to three inches thick, which medium sized bulbs need a layer of three to four inches and large bulbs should be covered with four to six inches of soil.
The most commonly seen problem encountered when growing bulbs is a viral infection, and unfortunately that infection is incurable. The best way to avoid infection is to buy only the healthiest bulbs from the best sources. Any lilies showing mottled or very stunted leaves should be destroyed.
Lilies tend to do best in full sun or partial shade, and like other bulbs they benefit from regular watering during their growth and blooming phases.
As your knowledge about gardening with bulbs continues to grow, you will begin to see how gardening with bulbs fits into the overall scheme of things. Knowing how something relates to the rest of the world is important too.