Tiptoe Through the Tulips: Spring Bulbs
September 1st, 2008
Filed in Bulbs
Tags: chicken wire, daffodils, fall bulbs, repellents, rodents, spring bulbs
It is time to order your spring flowering bulbs. Early birds have already taken advantage of summer sales and free shipping, but it is not too late!
For the best quality bulbs, order from catalogs specially geared toward flowering bulbs. Local hardware stores and garden centers, as well as the big box retailers will sell some bulbs, and they might be cheap, but they will also be of inferior quality. For the best of the best, try catalogs such as ColorBlends and Dutch Gardens. If you need to purchase locally, look for firm bulbs that do not smell musty or show signs of rot. It is best if there is no green growth showing. (It is a different story for summer flowering bulbs, but that is a topic for summer!)
Selecting Spring Flowering Bulbs
Tulips and Daffodils are the two most popular types of spring flowering bulbs; however, there are hundreds of different varieties. You will want to consider your gardening habits when selecting bulbs. Do you want to plant new bulb displays every year, or would you rather build on an ever-expanding bulb garden? You might want to plant with both approaches in mind. Close to the house, set aside an area for bulbs that last only one season, such as tulips. That way, every year, you can plant a splashy new design in an area that sees a lot of foot traffic. Further away from the house, or near the front door, try daffodils, crocus, aconite, leucojum and other bulbs for naturalizing. These bulbs will slowly spread, and you can add to the display each year.
Keeping Animals out of your Bulb Garden
The most frustrating thing for most serious gardeners is spending hours of backbreaking time planting bulbs and then going out to get the morning paper only to be greeted by the sight of all of the bulbs half eaten on top of the soil. And, the fun only begins there. If your bulbs manage to make it to the spring, there are plenty of creatures that enjoy eating the leaves and flowers. What is the desperate gardener to do? That depends upon your level of dedication, and your interest in planting specific bulbs.
Almost every bulb is equally susceptible to digging and gnawing rodents. There are two reliable ways of keeping critters from digging up and munching your bulbs. You can buy a giant container of ground red pepper and sprinkle it in with the bulbs. You can also plant your bulbs in a chicken-wire “capsule.” The pepper is more of a deterrent–pests don’t like the taste. The other is a physical barrier. The bulb foliage can grow up through the wire, but the rodents cannot extract the bulbs.
Spring brings its own challenges for bulb gardeners. If you do not want to go to extreme measures to protect your bulbs, you will need to plant rodent-resistant types. Daffodils, iris and grape hyacinth are your best options. Animals just don’t enjoy the taste of those bulbs. If you must have tulips and other tasty rodent treats, the spring will require vigilance. You can try pepper as a deterrent in the spring. There are also plenty of liquid and powder deterrents.
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