Bulb Planting Tips

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bulb Planting Tips

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Alex_Cayden]Alex Cayden
Picking your Bulbs
Where possible, buy earlier to get a good selection. You'll want to invest in larger bulbs, which are more likely to flower in their first year, and avoid any that are beginning to feel soft, or even mouldy. A good selection will maximise your chances of a great display.

In terms of numbers, it's usually best to get no less than six of a single species, if you're looking to create an exciting sight. A lone tulip won't have much impact, and the bulb will only produce a single flower. A container should contain 5-10 ideally, and in a dense flower bed you might want to consider going as high as 30.
Depth and Direction
For their initial planting, bulbs need to be located quite deep in the ground. Estimate the size of your bulb and dig a hole about four times as deep. A two inch bulb should be settled about eight inches underground.
Unlike seeds, bulbs come complete with a definite shoot growth will occur from. To maximise their chances this shoot should be pointed upright. The shoot is usually easy to spot, as the bulb pinches off at one end to form a small tendril growing outwards. In rare instance when you're not certain which side is the shoot then place the bulb on it's side. As long as the shoot isn't facing downwards your bulbs should have no trouble finding their way to the surface.
Signposting
Bulbs are substantially more expensive than seeds, and you don't want to risk damaging or misplacing any of your bulbs in the future. When flowers and foliage die back it's easy to forget just where the borders of your planting patterns lay, and digging up the earth only to damage nearby bulbs is far from desirable.

 

There are a few ways to signpost your borders for convenience. Small wooden signs can be put up to mark borders in a rustic-looking fashion. If you have a particularly spacious garden consider planting a shrub opposite to mark borderlines. A common solution is to place a plastic container in the earth with a few bulbs in it, this way the borders will still appear seamless when in bloom, but there's a clear separation if you look for it.

There's no reason not to introduce a few bulbs into your garden, considering how easy they are to plant and the beautiful effect they can have. With these tips your bulb planting plans should go that bit smoother.
Alex has been writing gardening advice for years, sharing [http://blog.ewburrownursery.co.uk/category/grahams-top-tips/tree-planting-methods/]tips for planting bulbs, trees and shrubs to an expanding audience. Now a featured contributor to English Woodlands, she hopes to have that audience expand even further.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Bulb-Planting-Tips&id=7519067] Bulb Planting Tips