Spring flower bulbs planting

Spring flowers bulbs can be very rewarding once planted. Planting a flower bulb is not only easy, but nearly foolproof as well. There are a few basic rules to follow in order to be guaranteed a vibrant and successful garden during the next growing season.

The first general rule is to make sure the pointy end of the bulb is always facing up. It makes little difference what type of bulb it is because, in all cases, it should be positioned so that the pointed end is pointing towards the top of the hole. Many flower bulbs will still grow if they are pointing down but this will stress the plant and, at best, reduce flowering, or, at worst, kill the entire plant.

The second basic rule is that the flower bulb should be planted about two times deeper than the length of the bulb itself. This is a standard formula and works with all different types of flower bulbs that you may want to plant during the spring.

Although those two rules cover almost everything you need to know to produce a vibrant flower garden in the spring, there are a number of other things to keep in mind in spring flower bulbs planting:

• Keep your separate types of flower bulbs identifiable until you plant them. Many flower bulbs look exactly alike and without the label there will probably no way to tell your white tulip bulbs from the red ones.
• Flower bulbs can be planted in nearly any location in your garden as long as the soil is well-drained. Bulbs also prosper best in full sun so planting in the spring, before trees have shade leaves, is ideal.
• Before planting your flower bulbs, be sure to work the soil so that it is loose. Compost, humus, or peat moss are also ideal supplements to the soil when planting spring flower bulbs if the flower garden is not yet established. Fertilizer will not be necessary for the first blooms but can be added for plants that are perennials.
• If fertilizer or bone meal are used, make sure to not mix the fertilizer directly in the planting hole. Fertilizer will burn the roots while bone meal can attract pests or encourage animals to dig up the newly planted flower bulb.
• Spring flower bulbs will create the best display when they are planted in clusters and they should never be planted alone. Planting in clusters will give the flowering plants a dramatic concentration of color and provide for a direct impact on observers. If you are limited in quantity and don't have enough for a large clusters, small clusters are also attractive.
• A good general rule for flower bulbs that will bloom at the same is to plant the low bulbs in front of the high ones. By doing a little research you'll be able to find out the eventual height of all your bulbs and this information should be incorporated into the flower garden's design. For flower bulbs that will bloom at different times, taller bulbs will disguise the dying foliage of the smaller bulbs behind them.
• To create a double-decker effect plant small bulbs in a layer directly on top of larger flower bulbs. If the bulbs flower during the same period this will produce a double-decker look with blooms appearing on different levels. For bulbs that flower at different times, the flowers will be staggered, keeping color present for longer in the growing season.