Welcoming Spring: A Guide to Caring for Spring Bulbs

by: VickiS

One of the most enchanting signs of the changing season is the emergence of spring bulbs, heralding the end of winter dormancy with their vibrant blooms. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a novice enthusiast, caring for spring bulbs can be a rewarding and relatively straightforward endeavor.

Selecting the Right Bulbs: Before you can revel in the beauty of spring blooms, it’s essential to start with high-quality bulbs. When selecting bulbs, opt for those that are firm, plump, and free from blemishes or mold. Larger bulbs often produce more robust flowers, so choose the biggest ones available. Additionally, pay attention to the specific requirements of each bulb variety, ensuring they are suitable for your climate and soil type.

Planting Time and Location: Timing is crucial when it comes to planting spring bulbs. Aim to plant them in the fall, ideally six to eight weeks before the first hard frost. This allows the bulbs to establish roots before winter sets in. When selecting a planting location, choose a spot with well-drained soil and ample sunlight. Most spring bulbs thrive in full sun to partial shade, so avoid areas with dense shade or standing water, which can cause bulbs to rot.

Planting Depth and Spacing: The depth at which you plant spring bulbs depends on their size. As a general rule of thumb, larger bulbs should be planted deeper, while smaller bulbs can be planted more shallowly. A good guideline is to plant bulbs at a depth that’s roughly two to three times their diameter. Proper spacing is also essential to allow bulbs room to grow and expand. Aim for a spacing of two to three times the bulb’s width between each planting.

Watering and Fertilizing: Once planted, spring bulbs require minimal maintenance, but proper watering is crucial, especially during their active growing period. Keep the soil evenly moist but not waterlogged, as excessive moisture can lead to bulb rot. During dry spells, water bulbs regularly, aiming to provide around one inch of water per week. Additionally, a light application of balanced fertilizer in early spring can help nourish the bulbs and promote healthy growth and abundant blooms.

Post-Bloom Care: After the spectacular display of spring blooms has faded, it’s important to provide proper care to ensure the bulbs’ longevity and future flowering. Allow the foliage to wither and yellow naturally, as this signals the bulbs are replenishing their energy reserves for the next growing season. Avoid cutting back or removing the foliage prematurely, as it provides essential nutrients to the bulbs. Once the foliage has died back completely, you can gently remove it from the garden bed.

Dividing and Transplanting: Over time, spring bulbs may become overcrowded, leading to decreased flowering and overall vitality. Dividing bulbs every few years can help rejuvenate them and promote better bloom production. Wait until the foliage has died back in late spring or early summer, then carefully dig up the bulbs. Separate any offsets or daughter bulbs from the parent bulb, ensuring each division has its own roots intact. Replant the divisions in a well-prepared bed or share them with fellow gardeners to spread the joy of spring blooms.

Protecting Against Pests and Diseases: While spring bulbs are relatively low-maintenance, they can fall prey to pests and diseases if not properly cared for. Keep an eye out for common pests such as aphids, slugs, and bulb mites, and take appropriate measures to control them if necessary. Avoid planting bulbs in areas prone to waterlogging, as this can increase the risk of fungal diseases such as botrytis and fusarium rot. Proper sanitation practices, such as removing and disposing of any infected plant material, can help prevent the spread of disease.

In conclusion, caring for spring bulbs is a labor of love that rewards gardeners with a stunning display of color and fragrance each year. By selecting high-quality bulbs, planting them at the right depth and spacing, providing adequate water and nutrients, and practicing proper post-bloom care, you can ensure your spring bulbs thrive and delight for seasons to come. So, roll up your sleeves, dig in the dirt, and prepare to welcome spring with open arms and a garden bursting with blooms.

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Enjoy earlier posts abut

Plan for Fall Planting Now

Transplanting Daffodils

Blooming Beauties: A Guide to Growing Azaleas

by VickiS

My mother-in-law passed away many years ago. One of the plants sent to her funeral was a small vividly pink azalea, which I planted at our lake cottage near where my in-laws lived. That plant is now 4 1/2 feet tall and 3 feet across — producing beautiful flowers every spring (see above). I’ve done absolutely nothing to it to help with this wonderful growth, and it even had to be transplanted once when we put in a new driveway.

I mention this as an introduction to my home garden that has a small, struggling azalea that refuses to grow or bloom. Because I did nothing to earn the beautiful blooms on the first one, I adopted the same strategy for the second — which was to stick it in the ground and ignore it. Clearly I made a mistake and have now done research to find out what I need to do to save and nourish this little beauty.

Apparently, cultivating these exquisite shrubs requires attention to soil quality, companion planting strategies, and proper fertilization techniques.

Soil Information: Azaleas thrive in well-drained, acidic soil with a pH range between 4.5 and 6.0. Before planting, it’s crucial to amend the soil to meet these requirements. Incorporating organic matter such as compost, pine bark, or peat moss helps improve drainage and acidity levels. Additionally, ensure the planting site has good air circulation to prevent waterlogging, which can lead to root rot.

Companion Plants: Strategic companion planting can enhance the health and aesthetic appeal of your azalea garden. Consider incorporating shade-loving perennials like hostas, ferns, and heucheras to create a harmonious understory beneath the azalea’s canopy. These plants not only complement the azaleas visually but also provide additional texture and color contrasts. Moreover, choosing plants with similar soil and moisture requirements can simplify maintenance and promote overall garden health.

Fertilizer: Proper fertilization is essential for encouraging robust growth and prolific blooming in azaleas. Apply a balanced, slow-release fertilizer formulated for acid-loving plants in early spring, just before new growth emerges. Avoid fertilizers high in phosphorus, as excessive phosphorus levels can hinder the uptake of essential nutrients like iron, leading to nutrient deficiencies and yellowing leaves. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for application rates and frequency, and water thoroughly after fertilizing to ensure proper nutrient absorption.

So, I now have a plan and I’m looking forward to working through this challenge so I can post photos of my newly energized azalea next spring!

Forcing Bulbs for Christmas

Finding an extraordinary holiday centerpiece is so easy if you take the time to “force bulbs” such as the classic Amaryllis or Paperwhite. It takes approximately 4 to 6 weeks for them to go from bulb to bloom so a trip to a local nursery or garden center NOW is all it takes to locate the bulbs. A starter kit usually comes with a filler (special potting soil containing a medium with ample drainage, or glass beads.) and a container to plant them in. Or, you can save your bulbs from year to year as I do.

About them:

Amaryllis ‘Minerva’

Amaryllis – Show stopper trumpet-looking flowers on tall sturdy stems with bright green shiny leaves. Blooms come in colors of red, white, pink, or a combination such as pink and white.

Paperwhites – According to Greek mythology, Narcissus was smitten with the reflection of himself in a pool of water. He stared at his image until the gods turned him into a flower. Blooms of Paperwhites come in white or cream colors and they have a heavenly fragrance that permeates the room they adorn.

How to Grow Them:

Amaryllis – The filler will be very dry so take a few minutes to soak it before planting the bulb. Place the bulbs with the root side down into the filler and be sure to gently press the filler around the bulb to anchor it in place. Place the bulbs in a bright sunny room. A window sill is a good choice.

Paperwhites – They will do best in a shallow bowl, dish, or a bulb vase.

General Care:

Amaryllis – They will become top heavy, so as the plant grows tall it will require staking to keep the stem supporting the beautiful blooms from tipping.

Paperwhites – Take care not to let the bulbs dry out. Keep them watered. If they are not kept fully hydrated, they will not thrive.

Saving your bulbs from year to year:

After they are completely done blooming, cut off the stalks that the flowers bloomed on. Continue to care for the green leaves (the plant) until spring when they can be transplanted into the ground OR your container can be moved to a sunny location. Feed with an all-purpose fertilizer. Dig up in the fall, trim all of the foliage back to about ¼ inch from the bulb and allow to dry. Start the process over again.

Many a Christmas comes and goes and I wish I had remembered to mark my calendar to give myself the approximate 6 weeks to start these stunning plants.

Well, this year I am going to have an attractive centerpiece, and I hope you will too!

 

by OCMGA Master Gardener Holly Boettcher

Holly is a regular contributor to Appleton Monthly magazine.

Amaryllis Story

by OCMGA Master Gardener Rich Fischer

I honestly don’t know much about amaryllis and I only have one plant, but it is an interesting plant with an interesting story. 

This plant I got from my mother-in-law in, Gertrude Lenore Armbruster Taipale, when she moved from her apartment in Superior, Wisconsin, into an assisted living home about 8 years ago.  Gramma Gertie as I lovingly called her died two years ago but I think of her often. 

When I got this plant I didn’t quite know what to do with it so I planted it in the vegetable garden where it grew for the summer and it seemed to like it there.  Then Gertie told me to put it in a small pot with some potting soil and store it in the basement for the winter.  The next spring I brought it up from the basement and found a nice place by a window in the house for it.    

 This year I brought this plant up from the basement two weeks before Memorial Day and watered it.  The plant had one little sprig poking out of the pot at that time.  Then when I had a house full of Fischers over for a cookout on Memorial Day it was in full bloom.  What dumb luck!    Not only did it make a nice table setting, but also made me think of Pat’s mom on the very day when we’re supposed to remember the dead. 

The amaryllis shoots up 1 or 2 very tall scapes with a large red flower on each scape.  They are beautiful, but only last about a week.   When the flowers start to shrivel I cut off the scapes.  Then about 4 to 6 large iris like leaves shoot up and grow all summer.  I no longer put the plant in the garden, but leave it in the smallish pot and water it just like all the other house plants. Around October the leaves start to whither and I put the pot on a shelf in the basement until next spring.    

That is my one and only amaryllis story.  Never read a word about amaryllis care except what Gertie told me.  She’s gone now but her memory and her beautiful amaryllis live on. 

Rich Fischer 

Return to Reverence – The Marigold

by OCMGA Master Gardener Tammy Borden

Early on in my marriage I wasn’t exactly a gardening diva. In fact, I had very little interest in gardening. But my husband’s father, Louie, had gardening in his veins. I fondly remember going to his house and weaving my way through narrow passageways of seedling flats in his garage. Soon, the flats were transferred to a small greenhouse set up in his driveway. It wasn’t long before friends, neighbors and strangers were stopping in to buy his plants and engaging in some of the most colorful conversation they had ever had.

Louie, the ultimate salesman, always touted each variety of flower he grew, but none seemed to rival his affection for marigolds. Yes, I said marigolds! It’s not just the marigold’s distinctive scent that causes many seasoned gardeners to turn up their noses. What is it then, that brings many to dismiss them? Could it be that we have become gardening snobs, believing we have progressed too far in our botanical knowledge to extol such a lowly flower, as though it is only reserved for the commoners and unsophisticated gardeners? I hope not. I long to bring marigolds back to their once revered reputation. It’s name alone expresses how admired and respected it once was. In fact, marigold or “Mary’s gold,” was named after the most revered of all women in history, the Virgin Mary, and were believed to bring good luck. Originally discovered in Central America in the 16th century by the Portuguese, it was brought back to Europe where it grew in popularity. Today in South Asia, yellow and orange marigold flowers are grown and harvested by the millions to make garlands used to decorate statues and buildings. In Mexico and Latin America, marigold flowers are used to celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day, and flower heads are scattered on relatives’ graves. So, it stands to reason that they should receive an honored place in our own gardens. Through the years many hybrids have been developed to bring out the most desirable characteristics like large flower heads, various plant sizes and unique colorations.

Perhaps the furthest advances in breeding, however, have been in diminishing one of its most notable qualities: its scent. Many people find the scent offensive. I personally find it’s something that one needs to learn to appreciate. I like to think of it like coffee; when I first tried coffee, I couldn’t understand why anyone would drink such an awful concoction. But with time I came to acquire a taste for the brew and now I love to greet each morning with a hot cup of coffee. And likewise, I love to greet each spring with marigolds.

Many use marigolds to outline garden beds or vegetable plots, believing they help keep out rabbits, deer and insects. While marigolds can deter some pests, they are not the all-purpose pest and plant repellent that people have been led to believe they are. Yet the marigold itself is virtually pest and disease free, with the exception of their arch-nemesis, earwigs, which like to nestle and munch inside its tightly clustered flower heads. Despite countless breeders’ attempts, very few new color varieties of marigolds have been developed. The most common remain the yellow, gold and orange varieties seen in garden centers and catalogues. You will not find a pink marigold… yet.

Burpee’s Seeds, however, has done exceptionally well with developing unusual white varieties of marigolds. ‘French Vanilla’ is my personal favorite. It’s scent is light and pleasant, and is one of Burpee’s earliest triumphs in hybridizing white marigolds. It grows to 2’ with large 3½” flower heads and deep green foliage. The blooms are white with a hint of cream. Other notable white varieties include ‘Snowball’ and ‘Snowdrift’. Burpee’s Seeds played a major role in making the marigold among the most used flowers in America. After sweeping over Europe and Asia in popularity, David Burpee saw the promise in marigolds. In 1915 he took over the seed company founded by his father, W. Atlee Burpee. Young David felt that marigolds held promise and decided to feature them in his catalog and fund research. If you love giant flower heads, try the ‘Inca’ or ‘Inca II’ varieties. These giants produce 4-5” flower heads of bright yellow or orange on stocky 20” plants. If you’ve driven down South Oneida Street in Appleton during the summer, you’ll notice this variety lining the streets of Marigold Mile. Many other great varieties are available. Here are the three most common types of marigolds:

 

• African or American Marigolds: These plants grow to 3’ in height with large globe-shaped flowers. ‘French Vanilla’ is among these beauties.
• French Marigolds: These plants generally grow from 5-18” tall. Flower colors include red, orange and yellow, as well as bicolor varieties. Flowers grow to 2”across. A great new variety is called ‘Fireball,’ a unique combination of yellow and reddish orange with a large flower head.
• Signet Marigolds: Recognized for their finely divided, lacy foliage and clusters of small, single flowers. The flowers are yellow to orange colored and are edible, having a spicy tarragon flavor. The foliage also has a pleasant lemon fragrance. A popular variety is ‘Starfire,’ with petite, bushy plants that boast hundreds of small florets.

The marigold. It’s no fuss, easy going, with a bright and sunny disposition. It may not be the flashiest of flowers or even the most impressive. It’s good at highlighting others around it, and is reliable, strong and simple. But I suppose that is why I love the marigold so much. Its attributes, character and charm remind me of Louie, who has sadly since gone on to meet the Master Gardener of all gardeners. It is partly because of him that I am so passionate about starting my own seeds, and I will always grow ‘French Vanilla’ marigolds in his memory.