Planted now, spring-flowering bulbs add color to the landscape

By Jean Gillooly and Sue Davis

Master Gardener Volunteers

Spring blooming bulbs come in all colors and sizes. A large selection of small bulbs is available. They bloom from February through May. These small bulbs complement the jonquils, daffodils and tulips in borders or create a colorful show in a bed of their own.

October and November are the best months to plant bulbs for colorful spring blooms. Why not consider small bulbs to enhance your early spring gardens? For an adequate show, start with a minimum of a dozen of each bulb selected. All are hardy and will spread enthusiastically over time.

When you are sure winter will never end, tiny snowdrops (Galanthus elwesii) with their nodding, white bells appear scattered throughout your beds. They are the earliest bloomer of the bulbs available in this area.

As their nodding flowers fade, the pink, lavender blue or white star-shaped florets of Glory of the Snow (Chinodoxia) and Winter Acronite (Eranthis hyemalis) with bright yellow flowers similar to freesias appear. These little wonders are 4 to 6 inches high.

Find a small place to plant a small bed of these harbingers of spring near the primary entrance to your home so you can enjoy them as you come and go.

Miniature narcissus and jonquil are available from many bulb nurseries. These heirloom bulbs produce multi-flowering stems 4 to 6 inches high. They are similar to larger narcissus and jonquils. These small wonders can be planted with the selections above or with Scilla (Scilla siberia Spring Beauty) and Blue Magic Muscari (Muscari aucheri) to create a riot of yellow, purple, peach, white and green.

Plant the bulbs 2 to 4 inches deep and 2 to 4 inches apart in well-drained soil amended with up to 50 percent organic matter such as peat moss, aged fine pine bark or compost. Fertilize the bulbs when you plant. Two fertilizer types are available. The first system uses a single application at planting time; it is a slow-release complete (9-9-6) fertilizer (bulb booster).

This fertilizer should be incorporated into the rooting area at planting time at a rate of one rounded tablespoon per square foot. The second type uses bone meal incorporated in the rooting area at planting time with an application of 8-8-8 (1 level tablespoon per square foot) or 10-10-10 (1 rounded teaspoon per square foot) in the fall, followed by a repeat application of the same fertilizer as soon as the shoots break the ground in the spring.

Work bulb fertilizer and bone meal into the soil before planting. Mulch lightly and water thoroughly.

Every bulb in your garden needs annual applications of fertilizer. To help your bulbs perform at their fullest potential, fertilize with an annual fall application of slow-release complete (9-9-6) fertilizer or a soluble fertilization of 8-8-8 or 10-10-10. Select a date, like the fall, Sept. 30, to fertilize bulbs every year.

Bulb sale

The Rowan County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers are selling bulbs to plant now for a colorful show in the spring. Visit the table at the Farmers Market on Saturday to see what is available or look on the Web site, www.rowanmastergardener.com for fall bulb sale information. To order bulbs, call 704-216-8967.

The sale runs until Sept. 29. The bulbs can be paid for and picked up Oct. 20. The bulb sale proceeds will be used to support the work Master Gardeners do with adults and youth in our community.