MANHATTAN, Kan. – The central U.S. planting time for spring-flowering bulbs is late September through October. By that time, however, fans often have bought all of the biggest (best) bulbs available.

“Bulb size does count – in terms of flower size and cost. Newer varieties cost more, too. But even if you shop after this year’s ‘best’ bulbs are gone, you still should be able to achieve a good garden display. Just don’t wait too long, and shop in the right places,” said Ward Upham, horticulturist with Kansas State University Research and Extension.

Typically, shoppers should look for the biggest bulbs still available. Distinctly undersized “bargain” bulbs often don’t flower. Or, if they do, it’s years later.

“Bulbs need firm, unblemished skin, too,” Upham said. “If you’re at all unsure about what to look for, just shop at a year-round nursery or gardening store, not a seasonal section in a general or discount store.”

Bulbs grow well in full sun to partial shade. To perform well, however, they also need soil with good aeration and drainage, plus a pH between 6.0 and 7.0.

“The ideal site would be a sandy loam. But, you can even plant in poor soils if you first mix in an organic material, such as peat moss, compost, or aged bark,” Upham said. “You can prepare heavy clay, for example, by tilling about 12 inches deep and mixing in one-third to one-half organic material. At the one-third level, you’ll end up with about 8 inches of original soil, mixed with 4 inches of organic material.”

He recommends incorporating fertilizer at the same time, following soil test results. For average-size bulbs, however, the general recommendation for enriching each 10 square feet of planting area is 5 tablespoons complete fertilizer (e.g., 10-10-10).

“You’ll need to remember a few things while planting,” Upham added. “First, the pointed end of the bulb goes up. Planting depth is the distance from the top of the soil to the bottom of the hole – not the top of the bulb. In general, the hole needs to be two to three times as deep as the bulb is wide. And, you get better soil-bulb contact if you water halfway through, as well as after replacing the soil.”

In fall, bulbs do all of their work underground, so gardeners have to remember where the new ones are, he said. That makes mulching the planting site(s) possible after the soil freezes, so winter’s freeze-thaw cycles won’t heave the smaller bulbs from the ground.

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