It's time to plant fall flower bulbs

After a long, dreary winter, bright and bold colors blooming are a welcome sight when you gaze out your window. Planting any spring blooming bulbs in autumn will require a little planning on your end in order to achieve that guaranteed color.

While the selection of bulbs out there is quite diverse, the top choices (and easiest) to grow include: tulips, daffodils, crocus, hyacinth, iris, gladiolus, lilies and of course, peonies. All these bulbs can be planted in the fall, about six to eight weeks before the ground freezes. In Montana, that means you will want to get them in the ground around the beginning of November.

Why do these bulbs need to be in the ground over the winter? It’s one special characteristic that all these floral breeds have in common: cold stratification. That is when a bulb requires a cycle of cold weather in order to bloom properly the coming season. In the world of horticulture, a bulb must experience the natural conditions of winter in order for germination to occur. Once spring comes along and warm weather hits, the ground will thaw, the stratification dormancy is broken, and you will start to see the beginnings of those flowers come up.

When purchasing your fall bulbs, a reputable online resource in an easy way to go. If you find yourself browsing the garden center, there are a few tips to keep in mind when selecting high quality bulbs.

Look for bulbs that are firm to the touch. Avoid any bulbs that when holding them, feel soft, mushy or have any signs of spots on them (disease). Some of the time you will see a paper-like hull on the bulbs, this is called the tunic. This just serves as a covering and it will slowly slough off once the bulbs are in the ground. Stay away from bulbs with cuts, bruises, or dents. This could lead to bulb rot. Last on the list to consider, is buying bulbs that are adapted to growing in your area.

While all the bulbs listed earlier grow well in Montana, the hardiness zone rating can be checked when you are unsure. The majority of Sanders County resides in zone 6a, a few towns such as Hot Springs and Lonepine are classified as zone 5b. Head to the National Gardening Association website (garden.org) to check your hardiness zone, as well as first and last frost dates via your zip code.

Now that you have your bulbs in hand, that planting process is seemingly easy. When planting your bulbs, you will need a spot that gets at least six hours of sunlight a day. Even the easiest to grow bulbs will fail without adequate sunlight.

Another very important part of planting is your soil condition. It is crucial for bulbs to be planted in well-drained soil. Bulbs will rot if they sit in soil that is too wet. If you have clay-like soil, adding some sand and compost will make your work a lot easier. When looking at how deep to plant your bulbs, the general rule of thumb, is to dig a hole two times deeper than the bulb is tall, and twice as wide as the bulb is itself. For example: if you have a bulb that is two inches tall with a one-inch width, dig a hole about four to six inches deep and about two inches wide.

Knowing which side of the bulb is up and which side is down is a common question everyone has. The pointed end is the side that faces up from the ground. The flat end of the bulb is where the roots will form, so naturally, you want that end facing down to the ground. After you have all your bulbs planted, you will want to cover the bed with a thick layer of mulch – a good three inches should suffice for the cold Montana winters. Hay and straw work wonders, however, pine needles provide the same protection at no extra cost to you. Mulching will also help ward off any critters that enjoy snacking on those precious bulbs. Once the ground is warm come spring, remove the mulch before you see anything sprout.

Following these easy steps will solidify a garden full of blooms the following year. When designing next year’s garden layout, it is good to take note that bulbs look their best when they are planted in groups of 50 or more. To achieve that overflowing view, you will want to plan on growing 15-20 bulbs per square foot. Of course, you can do this by planting all your tulips in one spot and all your daffodils in another; or you can achieve the same look by layering your perennials. If you choose to layer, you will want to follow the High-Low Rule, where you plant early blooming, low growing bulbs in front of later blooming, tall growing bulbs.

Check the growing guide on the bulb packaging to plan accordingly. However you choose to display your fall planted bulbs you will be able to glance out at your garden come spring to see continuous color.