Now is the time to plant Dutch bulbs

Fall is the time to plant hardy spring-flowering Dutch bulbs like tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. Although none of these are native there, over 90% of the bulbs we plant are grown and shipped from the Netherlands in an industry that has its roots in the 16th century.

Tulips are the most colorful and beloved Dutch bulb. An interesting period of history, called “tulip mania,” occurred in the early 17th century during the Dutch Golden Age. At this time, contract prices for some bulbs of the recently introduced “broken” tulips (which had a mosaic virus, causing them to have unusually colored petals) reached extremely high levels and then collapsed, causing many speculators to lose fortunes.

In our climate, tulips usually are treated as annuals since they perform best the first spring after they are planted and then begin to decline in following springs. Many gardeners will pull them up and compost them after they bloom the first spring.

Many of the daffodil family are excellent choices to perennialize in your landscape or garden. Daffodil, narcissus and jonquil are of the genus Narcissus, but in general, “daffodil” refers to the large-flowered varieties, “narcissus” to smallflowered and early blooming types with clusters of blossoms, and “jonquil” is used for the species Narcissus jonquilla, often with fragrant flowers.

For visual impact, try planting groups of bulbs in drifts or waves. You also can plant pansies between the bulbs at this time, and they will look lovely together next spring!

Plant bulbs in full sun or partial shade. Properly preparing the soil for planting is important since good soil drainage is essential. Soils with a high clay content can be improved by adding compost, peat moss or other sources of organic material worked into the top 12 to18 inches of soil.

Adding compost is one of the best ways to fertilize bulbs, but bulbs need phosphorous to encourage root development. Most Oklahoma soils have plenty of phosphorous, but if you have had a soil sample and know your soil needs phosphorous, you can mix bone meal with the soil in the lower part of the planting bed as it is being prepared.

The general rule for planting spring bulbs is to plant two to three times as deep as the bulb is tall. Plant bulbs with the nose of the bulb upward.

The best method of planting is to dig and loosen the entire bed to the proper depth. Press the bulbs into the soil in the planting area and cover with soil.

In hard clay soils, regular bulb planters do not work well. A great way to plant is with a bulb auger attached to your drill. You can purchase these at many garden centers or online and they work well for other transplants, as well.

Water the bulbs deeply after planting to help settle the soil in the planting bed, plus provide needed moisture for the bulbs to start rooting. After this, about 1 inch of water per week if this amount has not been supplied from rainfall.

The bulb bed can be mulched to help minimize temperature fluctuation and maintain an optimal moisture level in the planting bed.

While leftover foliage may be unsightly, foliage should not be mowed off or removed until it turns yellow and dies back naturally since the plant needs the green leaves to manufacture food through photosynthesis to store in the bulb for next year's growth.