Tulips, lilies, daffodils and dahlias are just a few of the most popular types of bulb flowers that gardeners place in their flower beds every season.

Why are bulbs so popular? For one thing they grow quickly compared to most other seed flowers; and secondly, they are extremely colorful. When April roles around, there is nothing that says spring time more than a flower bed full of bright-colorful flowers. Therefore, many avid gardeners start their growing season off with bulbs.

Water is Important

Water is important to all growing plants, and bulbs need regular watering especially during the growing and blooming periods. Once you put that bulb into the ground, it starts the growing process and with certain types of bulbs, this process can last until fall. So you need a regular watering schedule.

Rainfall is heavy in some areas during spring, and that could mean hand watering the bulbs will be less of a process than in areas where it is drier. Water needs to reach the bulb root, which in most cases is 6 inches under ground. Putting mulch under certain types of bulbs before planting will help them retain and use the water more effectively.

If you are just purchasing new bulbs, there should be some care instructions that come with them. The instructions should state whether or not mulch will help.

***You should never use mulch on Bearded Lilies because it encourages rot.

Fertilizing is a Must

Speaking of mulch, fertilizing is an important step in order to have a successful and beautiful bulb garden. The fertilizer needs to go into the hole before you put the bulb in. Always place a slight layer of regular soil over the fertilizer before putting the bulb on top. Fertilizer should never touch the bulb or else it will die.

High nitrogen fertilizer should be applied to the bulb bed right at the beginning of the season if you want more blooms for your buck!

End of Season Care

If you are growing bulbs that aren’t removed from the ground at the end of the growing season, you should take a few steps to ensure that your flowers will bloom again next year.

As long as the leaves and stalks have green on them, leave the plant alone. Green means that the plant is still being fed. The longer the plant can feed, the better chances you have of growing gorgeous flowers next season.

Apply a fertilizer that is high in potassium and phosphorus when the flowers have begun to disappear for the season. Maybe use a brand that hooks to your hose so you can deep water the nutrients into the ground. If the fertilizer does not go 6 inches or more into the soil, you are not doing your plants any good.

As you can see, water and fertilizer are the key ingredients to grow beautiful full-blooming flower bulbs. Once spring starts approaching (February maybe), you might want to order your bulb supplies so you can jump right in as soon as the weather and growing season permits.

Trowel

A trowel is a small hand-held shovel that is beneficial for planting tulip bulbs in small areas. Since you will probably be on your hands and knees (what we love about gardening!), a trowel will be easier and more efficient for this size of flower bed. You need a trowel that can dig to about six inches. Here is a good one to try: Radius Garden 101 Ergonomic Aluminum Hand Transplanter.

Garden Fork or Spade

A garden fork or a spade will come in handy for tilling the soil, so to speak. You can use these types of tools on small to medium flower beds with ease. Dig up the soil to about 6 inches deep, you could use a Radius Garden 203 PRO Ergonomic Stainless Steel Digging Fork. That should give you plenty of depth to plant your tulip bulbs. Once the soil is loosened, someone can follow behind you with a tool called a Dibber.

Bulb Dibber

The Dibber might be one of the best tools EVER for a bulb gardener to own. Most Dibbers have a T-shaped handle that has a pointed end which pokes holes into the ground so bulbs can be inserted without much effort on your part. The Esschert Design Dibber/Bulb Planter comes highly recommended.

To plant your tulip bulbs using a dibber, you insert the pointed end into the tilled soil, twist back a forth to make a nice hole and remove the tool from the soil. What you now have is a hole the perfect size and shape in which to insert your bulb, pointed side up. Cover the hole with soil and you are done. How cool is that!

Planting tulip bulbs or small bulbs of any kind will be a snap if you have the right tools. Take a look at some or my recommendations. If you can only get one tool, I say go for the dibber. Your tulip garden will look like it took major work, when in fact, using a trowel, spade, garden fork and the dibber made your planting job practically effortless or at least more enjoyable.

Taking some time to prepare your tulip garden for winter may make for an easier time in the spring. This is basic information on how to keep your soil healthy through the fall and winter. This process works for tulips, all flowers, plants and vegetable gardens as well. As the days get shorter and the cold sets in, it’s time to get your garden ready for its long winter’s nap. Here are some ideas as to how to do that.

Prepare for Pests and Diseases

While freezing winter temperatures kill many insects, many of them are just lying low in dormancy. Insects, after all, have been surviving year after year for millions of years! Plant diseases, too, may seem to be vanquished only to reappear in the warmth of spring. So prepare your garden in order to decrease pests and diseases next year.

Remove dead plant matter, as this can harbor insect eggs and fungal spores. For annuals and vegetables, remove the entire dead plant; for perennials, cut them back to several inches above the soil.

Remove any other plant matter that does not belong – dead leaves (insects love to overwinter under leaves), weeds, and tree fall-out.

Compost

Work some compost, hummus, or other organic material into the soil. If you have chickens, let them roam in the garden area and leave their little “gifts.” Over the winter, the manure will break down and be ready for spring planting.

Green fertilizer – or a cover crop – is another option. Rye, winter wheat, red clover, and/or rapeseed can be planted over your garden as each bed dies back. In spring, these crops can be tilled under to enrich the soil.

Mulch

Many gardeners take the time to mulch in the fall. This protects roots against freezing temperatures and, if using cedar mulch, discourages pests. Mulch also holds in moisture during a season when most gardeners do not think to water. You can use chopped leaves or the needles and boughs of evergreens. It’s a great way to use your old Christmas tree if frost comes late in your area, or if you need additional mulch protection later in the season.

Covering the garden with newspaper and weighting it down with rocks is another possible approach to protecting the soil and perennials. Cut slits in the newspaper around the perennials. This prevents winter weeds and discourages pests. The newspaper breaks down and makes excellent worm food when it’s tilled under in the spring.

Trees and Shrubs

Fall is a good time to cut back trees and shrubs that need hard pruning – just make sure it’s late enough in the season that new growth won’t start. If you apply pesticides, consider a systemic pesticide that can be applied to the roots of your trees and shrubs so that the plants will be “armed” when spring comes.

Due to the fact that nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus are the three main ingredients needed for garden fertilization, home-made compost may not be enough to do the job.

If you want to ensure that you are giving your garden enough of what it needs to be able to plant a healthy and quantitative crop, here are some fertilizers which can assist you in this endeavor:

1. One fertilizer that has all of the nutrients needed for your organic garden is alfalfa meal. Its components contribute to plant growth.

2. Much has been made of a fertilizer called blood meal. A source of nitrogen, it has a ratio of 12-2-1.

3. Bone meal is also being recommended by garden experts. Since it is a great source of phosphorus and calcium, it’s a good one to add to your list.

4. High in potassium, kelp meal is recommended as well. Using it in combination with bone meal is ideal, since kelp meal does not contain enough phosphorus.

5. Another nutrient which is high in potassium and nitrogen is comfrey. This is especially useful if you plan to grow tomatoes and fruit.

In addition, you can also compost certain nutrients which can further enhance the fertilization of your garden. The first nutrient is called nettles, which is a food which insects ingest and which can also be composted into an organic liquid. The second alternative is to use compost worms with any waste products from your kitchen. This will also provide nutrition for the soil. The third is the process of composting tea. If you find that your soil is not at its best, this process will add the nutrients that are lacking in your organic garden.

There you have it, five alternative fertilizing options for your garden. You can utilize these tips when you begin planting in the spring.

For now, it may be prudent to take all the leaves in the back yard and prepare a compost pile. Since the compost pile is a rich source of carbon, nitrogen, and water, there is no doubt you will be sufficiently prepared to plan what to plant in your organic garden.

Growing tulips starts with good soil preparation. Photo by The Marmot.

When you first decide to plant a bed of flowers somewhere in your yard, it’s easy enough to just dig a few holes and drop in some small plants, seeds or bulbs, water them a bit and walk away. You’ll probably even get some flowers that way, in among the weeds. However, if you take the time to properly prepare the soil for your new flower bed, you will dramatically increase your gardening satisfaction.

It’s never too early to begin to think about what kind of flowers you would like to plant. For example, if you want a fern garden, you should choose a shady spot that has moist soil all the time. Ferns don’t like to dry out. If you’re growing tulips, though, choose a spot in full sun to part shade with well drained soil. It pays to keep plant differences in mind when choosing a location for your new flower bed.

Choosing a location for your flower bed is the first step in the process; actually laying out the bed is the second. Flower beds can be any shape and size you desire. Formal beds tend to have straight edges and orderly plantings, and informal or cottage gardens are more fluid and organic looking. Whichever your preference, it’s a good idea to take a garden hose and lay out the perimeter of your proposed bed, just to make sure you like the look.

Be careful that you don’t make your beds too small. Read the planting instructions for the flowers you’ve chosen for your beds and make sure you leave enough space so that your flowers aren’t too crowded. Be especially cautious of this when planning beds along a fence or building. A flower bed should be at least 18 inches wide, but 24 inches is even better.

Once you’ve chosen your bed location, you’ll need to prepare the soil. If there is grass growing in the bed area, you can either remove the sod with a shovel and fill the bed with organic material, use a broad spectrum herbicide to kill off all the vegetation and then till it under with a garden tiller, or build a raised bed over the existing sod and fill with organic material. The method you choose will depend on the look you are trying to achieve, and your stance on herbicides in your garden.

For the sake of this article, we’ll assume you’ve chosen to remove the sod with a shovel and fill the bed with organic material. The best way to add organic material to your flower beds is by working compost into the soil. You can make your own, or buy compost in bags at your local garden center. When buying, choose compost which is moist, not too dry or too soggy, and which has very little recognizable wood or bark in it. Remember, if you can’t easily work it into your soil, it’s of little use to you.

You can work the compost into the soil using a garden tiller or a shovel, but make sure you work the soil down to a depth of at least 12 inches. This will allow the roots of your plants some growing room. If you don’t already have sandy soil, add some coarse sand at this point. This will help ensure that your tulips have enough drainage to keep them from getting soggy.

As you’re working the soil, keep an eye out for critters which will not be welcome in your flower bed, like grubs and wire worms. Ridding your garden of these damaging insects now will save you a lot of trouble later.

You may want to have your soil tested at your local garden center. Soil testing will tell you the levels of phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and pH. This information is helpful both in choosing the best plants for your location, and in determining the type and amount of fertilizer you need.

When you’ve finished preparing the soil in your new bed, it’s a good idea to water it and wait a week or so to see what grows. Chances are you didn’t kill all the dormant weeds, even if you used an herbicide to kill off the sod. Allow them a chance to grow, then pull them by hand before planting your flowers. After planting, apply a thick layer of mulch, and you shouldn’t have much trouble with weeds for the rest of the season.

Taking the time to carefully prepare your new bed for planting will not only give your tulips the best start, it will save you time and effort later—time that you can spend admiring your garden instead of working in it.