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Step 1
Purchase good quality bulbs that are large, plump, void of bad spots and free of mold. Select bulbs more likely to bloom in a warmer climate, such as jonquil, Narcissus, daffodil, amaryllis, spring star flower and Dutch iris.
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Step 2
Choose an area with good drainage that has at least half a day of sunshine. If the soil stays too wet, the bulbs may rot. You can plant in raised beds if you don't have adequate drainage.
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Step 3
Plant your bulbs at the proper depth, which is usually equal to twice the height of the bulb. It isn't necessary to plant as deep as you would in a colder climate. A depth of 1 or 2 inches is deep enough for small bulbs, and 5 inches is sufficient for larger ones.
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Step 4
Refrigerate tulip and hyacinth bulbs in paper or mesh bags for about 6 weeks prior to planting. Wait until January to plant them so they'll have had a sufficient amount of cold dormancy time. You can plant most other bulbs in a prepared bed during the months of October or November.
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Step 5
Leave the foliage attached to the bulb until it withers and turns brown. This is necessary for the bulb to store nutrients through a form of photosynthesis. Once the foliage has died, you can clean the bed or lift the bulbs for winter storage.
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Step 6
Lift tulip, hyacinth, crocus, freesia, ranunculus and anemone bulbs from their bed in the fall. These bulbs are treated as annuals because they'll usually only bloom once if left in the ground. Remove the dead foliage, clean them up and store them in burlap bags or cardboard boxes in a cool dry area until spring planting time.
