Plant These Bulbs Now for Early Spring Color

 

 

Often passed over for larger-flowering bulbs, minor bulbs will give your garden a head start on spring, extending the season by blooming in late February and early March. While short in stature with daintier flowers, minor bulbs are a welcome sight in early spring, often blooming through the snow.  

 

Brightly colored crocus blooms are soon followed in succession by other minor bulbs, including dwarf iris, species tulips, snowdrops, early-blooming grape hyacinths and early-blooming daffodils, such as the Rip Van Winkle variety.  

  

Minor bulbs are hardy in our gardening zone, meaning they will survive our winters and often bloom season after season, with just a little care.  Regardless of the variety of bulbs you choose, these bulbs will do best when planted in a sunny location in well-amended soil. Produced in Platteville, Earth Essentials Organic Compost or Sheep, Peat and Compost are excellent products to add to the planting site.  

 

Once the soil is prepared, dig in some Dutch Bulb Food. Added at planting time, this fertilizer will improve rooting and bulb growth. When it comes to planting, a good rule of thumb is to plant bulbs to a depth of three times their height. A one-inch crocus bulb should be buried three inches deep. You can vary the bloom time by the depth you plant each bulb. Shallow planted bulbs will bloom earlier; deeper bulbs will bloom later in the season. The risk with planting too shallow is the bulb may not survive the winter. Another trick to control bloom time is to add two or three inches of mulch to the bed. This will keep the ground cold and slow bloom time.  

 

Knowing which side of the bulb is up is also important. In some cases, the tapered end of the bulb is the top; the bottom is flatter and often shows evidence of roots. For smaller bulbs, generally the flat side goes down. Look for evidence of roots. The root side goes down. In this illustration, the two bulbs on the left are right side up. The one on the right shows the root side.  The flat side goes down, when you plant them. 

Muscari, known as grape hyacinths, are hardy spring bloomers that produce blue or purple flowers that look like bunches of grapes, hence the common name. They will do well in sun or semi-shade and spread naturally. Galanthus are very early to arrive in spring and will do well in sun or partial shade. Species tulips such as Tarda, are hardy, early blooming and will return season after season. 

For best effect, minor bulbs should be planted in clusters, not lined out in rows.  Check on your bulbs through the winter. They should be watered every four to five weeks, along with the rest of the trees and shrubs in your landscape.   If you have questions regarding selecting and planting bulbs, stop in the store. We'll be glad to help you. 

 

Now’s the Time to Winterize Your Lawn

 

 

Our typical Colorado winters can be rough on lawns, so it’s important to take time now to prepare your grass for the season ahead. There are four steps you need to do now to get your lawn ready for winter and off to a great start next spring. Three steps focus on improving the soil your grass plants are growing in and include aeration and the incorporation of organic materials into the landscape. Step four is to feed the lawn with winter-specific fertilizer. Your lawn is already responding to October’s cooler weather. The grass isn't growing as vigorously and typically, you're mowing less frequently. While top growth has slowed down, grass roots are still very active storing nutrients and moisture, getting ready for the winter season.  All this activity at the root level makes this an important time to build soil structure and to feed your lawn. This is accomplished first aerating the lawn, then adding organic material to soil in the form of humate. Aeration is important because it relieves compaction and opens up the soil, which allows air, water and fertilizer to penetrate to the roots. You can do aeration yourself or hire it done. Just make sure you get a good core extraction, not just punch holes in the ground. Next, add granular humate to your lawn. Granular humate will break down clay, improve soil structure and increase microbial activity in the soil. 

Humate will also help your grass take up nutrients more effectively and stay greener with less water. Next, select a winter-specific fertilizer from Fertilome or Richlawn. 

Both contain Nitrogen, Phosphate and Potash, elements need to build strong root systems and to lay the foundation for a strong spring start. The Nitrogen component in these fertilizers is slow release, which will ensure there’s enough food available for a quicker green-up and stronger top growth early in the spring season, while the Phosphates and Potash build stronger root systems. Over the next few weeks, gradually lower your mower's height so that the last cutting will be about two- and one-half inches tall. 

During the winter, use a simple sprinkler to water your lawn. This will also benefit the trees and shrubs planted in or near your lawn. Winter watering is especially important where the lawn and trees are surrounded by sidewalks and streets. Do this when the temperature is above 40°F. Taking these steps now will help ensure a healthier lawn next spring. 

 

Now’s the Time to Put the Vegetable Garden to Bed

This week’s weather is the signal it’s time to put the vegetable garden to bed. This involves harvesting the last of the tomatoes and vegetables, clearing the garden beds of all plant material and debris and preparing the soil for next spring.  It’s important to remember that what you don’t accomplish in the garden now, you’ll need to do in the spring, when you’re eager to plant your garden, not clean it up. Garden chores done now, allow you to focus on planting in the spring, knowing that your garden beds are healthy and your soil is ready. Start with a thorough cleaning of your vegetable garden.  This includes digging up what’s left of tomato and potato plants, cucumber and pumpkin vines and any other warm weather plants you may have grown this year. Leaving tomato and vegetable plant roots and debris in your garden after you've finished harvesting, will provide hiding places for pests and plant diseases, giving them a head start on your garden next spring. 

A good example is powdery mildew. If powdery mildew is a persistent problem in your garden, it's because the spores can winter over on leaves, stems and other plant material left in the garden.  

The second reason for fall cleanup is to facilitate adding organic material to your garden beds while the soil is warm and workable. Healthy soil is key to your garden’ success and fall is the ideal time to amend your soil. Plan to add 2" to 3" of organic materials to your existing soil. This includes raised bed as well as traditional in-ground garden plots. Look for packaged organic soil amendments that you can easily transport home and work into the garden.  This includes Earth Essentials Sheep, Peat and Compost, Cow and Compost and Organic Compost. These products are produced locally and will work effectively in our clay soils.  

A one cubic foot bag of Earth Essentials Sheep, Peat and Compost or Cow and Compost will cover ten square feet, two inches deep. Spread the soil amendments evenly over the bed and dig in to a depth of six inches. Organic material will improve soil structure and increase microbial activity, which leads to stronger root development and improved nutrient uptake, next season. This is also a good time to apply granular humate. Adding humate now will improve crop nutrient uptake and help improve yields overall next season.  

Protect your garden soil through the winter with cover crops and natural mulch.  Winter rye, buckwheat and oats are good choices for cover crops.  Cover crops can still be planted now, though they may not achieve maximum bio-mass. What does germinate will help protect your garden soil’s microbial life as well as improve soil structure when it is worked in next spring. Tree leaves are also a good choice to protect your soil through the winter. Shredded leaves can be broadcast over the garden, providing protection for soil structure and microbial life. Come spring, the decomposing leaves can be worked into the garden soil or added to your compost pile. If you don’t have access to leaves, apply a two-to-three-inch layer of Soil Pep to the surface of your bed and work it in come spring. Added together, cover crops and organic material will help build and maintain healthy, microbial-rich soil, a sure way to improve the yields in your garden.  Make fall garden clean up a part of your routine. It will set up your vegetable garden for a great start next spring.  

Now’s the Time to Plant Spring Flowering Bulbs

 

When you're looking to add color and interest to your spring garden, flower bulbs are the best place to start. Available in a rainbow of colors, these hardy bulbs start showing up in early spring when the crocus poke their heads up through the snow, followed soon by the daffodils and then a parade of early, mid and late blooming tulips.  The best time to plant these flowering bulbs is now, in October. The soil temperature is cooler, but still warm enough to allow the bulbs to root before the ground freezes. Begin by selecting quality bulbs.  

Choose bulbs that are firm and light tan in color. As you’re selecting your hardy bulbs, take into account bloom time. Planting combinations of early, mid- and late-season bulbs will extend the flowering season. Crocus are the earliest of the spring blooming bulbs, followed by daffodils, hyacinths and then tulips – early, mid and late. For added interest, consider planting a few of the specialty bulbs such as Anemones, or Muscari. 

Bulbs are available in individual containers or as pre-packaged assortments. Loose-packed bulbs allow you to mix and match color, height and bloom time. Pre-packed bulbs are convenient.  The arrangement is ready for you to take home and plant. That said, choosing from containers allows you to select each bulb individually. 

 

When planning your bulb garden, it’s important to decide whether you’re going to plant a formal bed or scatter the bulbs throughout your landscape for a more natural look. There are several advantages to planting your bulbs in your perennial beds or open spaces. You’ll be adding early color to an otherwise bare space in your gardens and as your perennials emerge, they’ll help mask the bulb foliage as it fades. 

 

Whether you choose a natural look or a more formal planting, your bulbs will bloom best if you plant them in a site where they’ll receive at least six hours of sunlight. Prepare the site by amending the existing soil with organic material, such as Earth Essentials Sheep, Peat and Compost. Plan to lay down two to three inches of amendments to the site, then mix thoroughly with the existing soil to a depth of six to seven inches. You can use a garden spade or garden fork to prepare the ground.  Once the site is prepared, you’re ready to plant your bulbs. A good rule of thumb is to plant each bulb pointed side up, at a depth that’s equal to three times the bulb’s height. In other words, a two-inch tall bulb should be planted six inches deep.  Spacing between bulbs should be about a bulb’s width apart. This is a good time to add some Dutch Bulb Food, then cover the fertilizer lightly with soil. This allows the bulb to root into the fertilizer. Next, place eight or ten bulbs flat side down in the planting hole. Cover the bulbs with soil and water thoroughly. You may choose to plant some of your bulbs in existing perennial beds. In this case, a bulb planter or bulb auger allows you to easily dig a hole and plant your bulbs without disturbing any perennials or shrubs already planted there. Once planted, mark the spot and water the site thoroughly. Check on your bulbs through the winter. They should be watered every four to five weeks, along with the rest of the trees and shrubs in your landscape. Bulbs planted now will offer a profusion of spring color for many seasons to come.