BROWSE HOW TOs

How to Plant Native Flower Bulbs

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Native flower bulbs provide brilliant displays of color and texture to environments all over the globe. Whether you plant them in the structured rows of formal beds or naturalize them in hillside plantings, native flower bulbs supply your soul with much-needed beauty. Choices abound for cool or warm climates. By following a few basic planting steps, gardeners can delight in the beauty of native flower bulbs.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Garden tools
Soil test results
Bulb fertilizer
Organic matter
Healthy bulbs
Water
Mulch

Step1

Research native flower and bulb choices based on your location and how much effort you want to put in to the project. For example, some native flower bulbs such as tulips, hyacinths and crocus require a cool dormant period, and you must dig and refrigerate them if you live in a warm climate like in Southern California.

Step2

Determine fertilization needs by sampling your soil. Dig up a sample (one cup is adequate for testing) and submit it for analysis at a soil testing site such as a university extension center, nursery or soil laboratory.

Step3

Prepare for flower bulb planting by working the soil 16 to 18 inches deep. Integrate organic matter such as peat moss or compost into the soil if it has a high clay content, and follow soil sample recommendations for applying fertilizer.

Step4

Plant the flower bulbs with the pointed end up. A good rule of thumb is that bulbs should be at a depth of two to two and a half times the size of the bulb. Arrange bulbs either in formal beds or naturalize them by tossing and planting them where they fall.

Step5

Water the bulbs thoroughly after planting. In climates with harsh winters, it is a good idea to cover them with a light layer of mulch to protect the flower bulbs from being heaved out of the soil during the freezing and thawing process.

Tips & Warnings

Check plant nursery reliability with the Better Business Bureau. Guaranteed nursery stock helps prevent the spread of disease and loss of plants.
Plan ahead as soil sampling results often take several weeks.
Never transplant bulbs from roadsides or parks as many native plants and bulbs carry protected or endangered species status.
Never put bulb fertilizer directly on bulbs. Protect the bulb from fertilizer burn by surrounding it with a thin layer of soil.