‘Pre-finished’ bulbs a good option for spring color
Q: My neighbor has lots of daffodils growing in a bed in her front yard. It looks so nice and green that I want to use one of my beds out front the same way! What do I need to do? — W.G., West Side
A: Goodness, I don’t want to be the bearer of bad tidings but you’re a bit out of sync to be able to mimic the bed your neighbor has growing.
See, spring blooming bulbs are planted in the fall. The neighbor’s bulbs have been happily settling in and rooting out during the winter months and now, with the advent of more light, are waking up. Soon they’ll be a riot of color heralding spring. You are able to enhance your bed with some color but wanting to make a duplicate of her bed will be best created this coming autumn.
OK, get yourself to a garden center or nursery and look for pots of bulbs that, like your neighbor’s, were planted last fall — wintered over and brought to readiness. These “pre-finished” bulbs can be planted — delicately — into your bed so you can enjoy color for the next several weeks. While you are shopping for your spring bulbs purchase some compost, too. You want to prepare the bed you’ll be planting by giving the soil a good turning, adding the fresh compost, and then raking it smooth. Dig holes that’ll be deep enough to receive the pre-planted bulbs, aiming to keep as much of the soil they are planted in as intact as possible so the roots are not too disturbed. Aim to set the bulb planting at existing ground level; planted a little deeper is alright but certainly no higher. Tamp the soil that came out the hole firmly around the newly set bulbs smoothing out the area as you go. After you’ve got everyone planted, give the bed a gently sprinkling to settle the bed. Mark your calendar and give your bed a watering twice weekly especially if it stays dry and windy. It is going to be a larger investment for you to try and mimic your neighbor’s planting this way and consider adding some pansies, violas, and primrose rose plants while you’re at it in order to satisfy the green look you’re wanting. Getting your bed started this way could be lots of fun. In September go shopping for more bulbs so you too can get them planted, settled in and rooted out to be ready for next year and see if your bed isn’t as cheerful as the one you’re admiring now. Q: I want to get the geraniums I brought in last year back outside. Is
it too early? — N.S., Albuquerque
A: Yes! It’s far too early to take a protected, relatively spoiled plant from the indoors to outdoors. We are weeks away from anything resembling frostfree weather and unless you are willing to cover your plants nightly and uncover daily — weather depending, of course — then why push it? Our average last frost date here in the metro area is April 17. So that makes your responsibility factor a large one. If you were to miss the nightly covering of your tender plants, even just once, all of your care this past season will be for naught. I know with the coming back of the light and the seemingly nicer weather we all get so anxious this time of year but please, be patient for a couple more weeks. Early spring is dawning but traditionally Mother Nature still might have several tricks up her sleeve. No, wait to set out your treasures. Happy Digging In.