How to PLant a Daffodil, Tuilp, or Crocus Bulb

Planting any bulb is quite simple wether its a Daffodil, Tulip or Crocus. Ensure the soil is well drained before planting and you should be ok

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Trowel
• Bulbs
• Gloves

1. Digging the holes for the bulbs
   
   If you’re planting only a few bulbs or you’re spot-planting (tucking bulbs
   in among other plants in a mixed bed), use a trowel. Various bulb
   planters are on the market, but frankly, I don’t find them very useful
   unless the soil is loose. If you’re planting lots of bulbs, break out the
   shovel and make a trench.
   Not all bulbs are the same size, so not all bulbs should be planted the
   same depth. The general rule is three times as deep as the bulb’s height.
   This guideline varies a bit based on your soil type. In sandier soils, you
   can plant a little deeper; in heavy clay soils, a little shallower. If you
   forget how deep to plant your bulbs, consult the supplier’s label or
   catalog. Too shallow, and your bulbs may poke their heads above the
   soil surface too early and get damaged by wintry weather; too deep,
   and they’ll take longer to emerge.
   Roots grow out of the bottom of the bulb, so the quality of the soil
   underneath it is more important than what you pack the hole with. If
   you’re amending the soil with organic material like compost or sphagnum
   moss (see Chapter 4), dig somewhat deeper-than-recommended
   holes so you can accommodate this addition.
   Distance apart varies with the type of bulb and the sort of display you
   have in mind. If you crowd the bulbs underground, the eventual show
   may suffer. Certainly, don’t let the bulbs touch one another. The general
   rule is at least three bulb-widths apart “on center” (from the center of one
   bulb to the center of the next). But experience can tell you what the
   bulbs you’ve chosen tolerate and how dense you like your displays.
2. Adding the fertilizer
   
   Use a fertilizer that has a higher phosphorus number, such as a 5-10-5
   fertilizer (see Chapter 4 for info on fertilizer grades). Phosphorus (the P
   in the N-P-K on fertilizer labels) is important for the root growth as well
   as flower production. Just sprinkle the fertilizer in the bottom of the
   hole and scratch it in so it mixes with the soil a bit. (For more on choosing
   and using fertilizer, see “Fertilizing your bulbs,” later in this chapter.)
   If the ground is bone dry, water a day or so before planting so the
   ground is damp but not muddy when you’re planting the bulbs. If you
   want to wait to fertilize, you can scratch the fertilizer into the surface of
   the soil in the spring as the bulbs are growing.
3. Placing bulbs into hole
   
   You want the nose, or growing point, to point up and the roots, or basal
   plate from which they’ll grow, to point down. (If you can’t tell, plant the
   bulb on its side — the plant will figure it out in due course! Botanists call
   this nifty skill gravitropism.) Make sure the bottom of the bulb is in contact
   with soil; if you leave an air pocket, the roots can dry out and the
   bulb won’t grow or won’t grow very well.
4. Backfill with soil then water
   
   As you scoop soil back into the hole, firmly press it in place to prevent
   air pockets. Water well (some settling will occur) and then add a bit
   more soil as needed.
   
   Indicate where you’ve planted your bulbs so you don’t plant other flowers in
   the same place. Mark the locations with permanent nonrusting, nonrotting
   labels like those made of zinc or copper.
5. Caring for your bulbs
   
   Because bulbs come as a package of life — that is, with the embryonic plant
   and flower within, plus stored food to fuel the growth — they demand little
   from you, the gardener. With a little tender, loving care — not a lot — they
   can do their thing and be wonderfully reliable.