Planting Spring Bulbs in Fall

Fall is such a vibrant time of year, so colorful, bracing and chock full of events. Even though it is nature’s way of putting plant life to bed, it is our time of starting things anew. So you could be forgiven if planting bulbs for spring is really low on your list of priorities. However, by January and February, the dramatic beauty of fall is a waning memory. The hunger for spring and the cheer of flowers reaches serious proportions by March. A brief effort now and daffodils, tulips or crocuses can be peeping out around your doorway, cheering you and all who enter.

Planting bulbs is not too complicated. Tulips, daffodils, hyacinth, crocus and snow drops all surface very early, poking through ice and snow. Purchase them online or at a home center. Now is the time to plant them and they can be planted until the ground freezes, usually early December. Bulbs will grow roots during the fall and winter. Select a sunny, well drained location. Avoid wet, low-lying sites. Plant them a depth of two to three times the diameter of the bulb, although this will usually be specified on their packaging. Daffodils and tulips will be planted at about 8 inches deep and smaller bulbs will be 3 to 4 inches deep.

To plant, prepare a hole to hold a few bulbs, spacing the bulbs 2 to 3 inches apart, using 10 to 15 bulbs per hole for a small area. Dig larger holes or trenches for larger areas of bulbs. This is easier than trying to dig a hole for each bulb. Bulb planters will usually bend in Kentucky clay. If you are determined to dig individual holes, consider a bulb auger, an attachment to an electric drill. This digs holes very quickly! But it does not prepare the soil as well. Otherwise, loosen the soil a few inches below the prescribed depth. Amend your soil with organic matter. Add some bone meal. The prescribed depth of the hole is measured from the bottom of the bulb. The tapered end of the bulb points upward. Cover the bulbs with soil, add two inches of mulch and water well.

After spring bloom, don’t mow the bulb foliage until it turns yellow. The foliage is making carbohydrates in the bulb to store for next years growth. Premature mowing will interrupt this process and weaken the bulb, making the next flowering smaller. The reliable return of bulbs is the part of the fun. So plant them in ground cover, around shrubs, trees or perennials. Or hide their spent foliage with annuals. Let them blend in and reward you well the following year.

Some bulbs naturalize, which means multiplying and spreading. Others do not. So if naturalizing is your wish, be sure the bulbs you buy specify naturalizing. Keep your bulbs cool, dark and dry until planting. Tuck a few bulbs into flower boxes sheltered well by your house. Imagine the cheer of spring flowers in April in your window boxes! So pick a sunny, fall afternoon and devote it to planting some bulbs. The reward in spring will return for years to come and seal the promise of yearly renewal. You will never regret a flower!

Fall Mums

As Fall approaches we look forward to outdoor decorating with mums, fodder shocks, and pumpkins. Who hasn’t wondered why they can’t seem to salvage those beautiful pots of mums after they pass their prime bloom time? If you have had trouble raising mums experiment with the following tips.

Fall Chrysanthemums can be displayed in pots and will hold their blooms for two to three weeks or more. They will not bloom much more than this initial flush of blooms for the season at hand. However they can be planted and enjoyed for a few years to come. Be sure buy plants that are designated ‘hardy’. Water every other day when they are in containers. If you buy plants with buds they will open in a few days.

Keep in mind that the mums bought locally in Kentucky are bred for container life and not all are hardy. They have more foliage than root, which does not support fall planting. To make them grow in the ground it is necessary to realize two mum preferences. First, mums like to be planted in the Spring. You can try fall planting, I have had reasonable success. Or the mums can be over-wintered in the basement or garage and planted in the spring. In spring they have a better chance of survival. To over-winter, trim back the spent foliage in late October or early November and place in the garage with exposure to daily light. Water enough to keep the roots moist, once a week should be plenty. Plant in April, fertilize monthly and pinch back when the shoots get about six inches long. Continue pinching or trimming back until late July. Two major trims are adequate.
Second, regardless of when you plant them, mums do not like wet roots in the winter. That is a problem in Kentucky, much more so than any cold temperatures. We have very wet winters and locally we have a lot of heavy, clay soils that don’t drain well. This is particularly true close to houses and front porches, where mums are often planted. The disturbed soil from the digging of home foundations and basements contributes to root rot.

To compensate for this drainage problem, try planting mums in raised beds of very well drained soil. Mums will even grow in raised beds of fine mulch alone. What won’t work as well is filling a hole with good top soil and planting your mum in the amended hole. You just created a bowl that doesn’t drain well. Instead, dig a shallow hole, about half the depth of the root ball. Keep half the plant a few inches above the original soil level. Mound a small bed of loose soil around the plant, if not using a raised bed. This gives the plant raised, loose soil to spread its roots. Do not take the mulch above the crown (where the plant meets the roots) if drainage is going to be a problem. It is not necessary to mulch the mum heavily to keep them warm or moist. Your goal is good drainage. If you have had trouble with mums it is probably because they were smothered with mulch and clay in an effort to keep them warm. Forget that! Keep them drained.

Armed with this knowledge, you can safely decorate with potted mums and still have a strategy for growing them the following year. So decorate your lamppost or mailbox with fodder shock. Tuck in some pumpkins and gourds –and fall mums!