My bulbs

[Patrick IL.]

Are getting less and less each year. Is there a replacement time, like every 5 years? I assume its best to do that in the fall? If that is the case I need to..I am very disappointed this year.

 

[gina2000]

Patrick....what type of bulbs are you talking about?

Here's been my experience with bulbs....we have heavy clay soil and your experience may be different than mine.

Tulips....flourish the first year or so. After that, the flower heads become very small and eventually disappear.

Hyacinths ..... 2 years of full, hardy flower heads which gradually become looser and less full. Most garden books suggest replanting in a spot where you can enjoy the fragrance but is not in your prime "showcase" spot.

Daffodils.....my favorite. They flourish year after year. A little bulb booster or bone meal after they bloom gives them a bit of a push for the next year's show.

Grape hyacinth.....these guys spread and get more glorious year after year. A clear winner in my garden!

Also.....Never, ever cut down the foliage of a bulb after it blooms. The foliage absorbs nutrients essential for the following year's bloom.

Hope this helps.

 

[Patrick IL.]

Thanks Gina They are/were all tulips...a combination of early and later bloomers. Its been a number of years since I put the bulbs in...I have them out in the front lawn in a make shift planter I made out of railroad ties. We would then put some annuals after the spring bloom was over and of course Mums in the fall there. I think I will try your suggestions of Daffodils..pop them in once the summer is over

 

[cgcw]

Originally posted by Patrick IL.
I think I will try your suggestions of Daffodils..pop them in once the summer is over

The garden club in our area sells daffodils every June that have been dug up out of members gardens (like 8 for $1.00 -- can't beat the price!). They always tell me that it's okay to dry them out and plant them before fall. I've planted them several times in the summer and never had a problem.

 

[gina2000]

cgcw......that works! Occasionally my DH brings home daffodils that his office digs out after planting them for a seasonal look. They show up with foliage so I just "heel" them in (shallow hole with the plants laid parallel to the ground in clumps) until the foliage yellows and withers. Then I remove them, clean them, dry them in the sun for a day or two and store them til fall planting!

Hmmmm....gotta ask DH if he's getting any this year....

 

[Marla Hellwig]

I also have heard that bulbs after blooming don't like to get their 'feet wet' - maybe too many annual in same area where bulbs are?

 

[Mamu]

it is true bulbs after blooming do not like to be in wet soil.

Some of my tulip bulbs have been around for 10 years and they are still blooming. Once the foliage dies back, I dig the bulbs up separate the bulbs and replant them with a bulb booster. The following year they bloom like they did the first year.

 

[Tulirose]

Originally posted by Mamu
it ............Some of my tulip bulbs have been around for 10 years and they are still blooming. Once the foliage dies back, I dig the bulbs up separate the bulbs and replant them with a bulb booster. The following year they bloom like they did the first year.

Do you think that would work with tulips that have been in for a few years and didn't do a good show this year? Or should I start anew this fall, keeping your plan in mind next Spring?

Also, I have a daffodil question that I started to ask here, but I just deleted it because I think it might be better to start a new thread with the question, just in case no one rechecks this thread and my question gets overlooked. Thanks.