by Connie Oswald Stofko
Autumn is the time to plant spring-flowering bulbs, but planting them too early could damage or even kill them.
When you plant bulbs that flower in the spring, the soil needs to be cool; around 55 degrees Fahrenheit, said Patti Jablonski-Dopkin, general manager at Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market in Buffalo.
Cool soil tells the bulb to grow roots, which is what you want. The bulb is getting established for spring, when it will send out leaves and a flower.
If the soil is too warm, it tells the bulb to start producing flowers right away, and you don’t want that.
Rule of thumb: Don’t plant spring bulbs until the beginning of October. (See more in this previous article.)
Jablonski-Dopkin expects Urban Roots to get their shipment of spring bulbs at the end of this week.
“We bring in many varieties that deer and squirrels do not care for,” she said. (See more on how to protect your flower bulbs from squirrels here.)
Here are some of the interesting varieties that Urban Roots will have:
- Tulip ‘Ice Cream‘: A double peony tulip with a white center emerging from a base of deep pink.
- Narcissus ‘Golden Delicious’: Double yellow flowers borne in pairs. They have a light, sweet fragrance.
- Wild About Allium blend: A mix of allium of varying heights and size of flowers. Alliums are deer resistant and are easy to grow.
- Tulip ‘Oreo’ blend: A mix of black and white tulips.
- Tulip ‘Foxy Foxtrot‘: A double tulip that emerges as a citrusy yellow bud and matures to a marmalade-orange, honey-yellow, salmon-rose flower. “So beautiful!” Jablonski-Dopkin said.
- Autumn crocuses: You can plant these for autumn and they will flower in autumn. Urban Roots will have Cochicum giganteum and Colchium autumnale ‘Waterlily’.
Find out how to plant your bulbs here.
Bonus tip: Here’s how to force bulbs to flower inside.
