Top 5 Customer Questions about Spring Flowering Bulbs

Yes, there is still time to plant spring flowering bulbs in October! This is one of the most common questions asked by garden centre customers; hopeful they can squeeze more bulb planting into the month before Hallowe’en.

Fall planted bulbs, such as tulips, daffodils and crocus are known as hardy bulbs. In order to flower the next spring they need a period of cold (our winter) called vernilization.

Over the years, working in garden centres, I have taken note of the most common questions that customers ask regarding purchasing and planting fall bulbs. Here are just a few……………..  possibly a bonus of more than 5!

How do I choose a healthy bulb? 

With regards to fall planted bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, size does matter! Choose the largest and firmest bulbs available. Smaller bulbs such as crocus, muscari, snowdrops and squill should also be firm when gently squeezed. Soft, mushy bulbs that have many visible brown spots or depressions should not be planted.

What is the brown skin on tulip bulbs and should I take it off before planting?

The protective outer skin of a bulb is called the tunic and should not be removed if it looks healthy and disease free.  Tulips have a light or dark brown tunic while a daffodil tunic is grey. If you can, gently check under the tunic for obvious signs of disease, brown spotting, mold and sunken areas. A bulb’s tunic can be smooth or rough. If the tunic is missing you can still plant the bulb as long as it is firm and looks healthy. Slight cracking of the tunic that exposes the bulb is normal.

I can’t plant my bulbs right away but do want to purchase them when the best selection is out. How do I store them until I find time to plant?

In Saskatoon (Zone 3), plant your bulbs preferably before hard freeze up in late fall. Because of our extreme cold winters, it is always best to plant your bulbs a little deeper than recommended in the gardening books.

Make use of a small fridge in the basement, put your bulbs in a paper bag(s) and store them in this fridge (not the freezer) or in a cold room. The fridge should be between 2-10 degrees C.  They then can be planted next spring or you can wait until the next fall to get them in the ground. Storing them in a fridge in your kitchen with fruit (especially apples) is not advisable as ripening fruit releases ethylene gas which kills the bulb. You can also plant most fall bulbs in shallow pots, to force to bloom later. They still require a period of cold (vernalization). The fridge should be between 2-10 degrees C.

I have bulbs without tags or names. How do I know what type of bulbs they are and the color? 

Always remember to either write the name and color of the bulb on the bag or include the plant tag in the bag for identification. Keep colors separate by giving each one its own bag. It’s true that certain bulbs are easy to color identify such as snowdrops, squill (aka scilla) and muscari, but tulips, crocus, hyacinths and daffodils loose on their own still remain a mystery. Tulips and crocus in particular have so many color choices available that it is impossible to identify a bulb color and height without a tag.

When I plant my bulbs, which end is up?

If your bulb has an obvious pointy end, plant this end facing up. If the bulb does not have an obvious growing tip, plant the bulb on its side. In the spring, the roots will go down and the growing tip will find its way to the soil surface. Sprouting bulbs can also be planted and should be handled with care. Breaking the growing tip will cancel the spring’s flowering for that bulb. 

Once planted, how often should I water my bulbs?

Deep water your planted bulbs once after planting. This is very hard to do for most of us, I know! Frequent watering will cause bulb rot.

I have squirrels, rabbits and deer that frequent my property and eat my flowers. Are there any spring flowering bulbs that I can plant in the fall?

Squirrel Resistant – Daffodils and Allium

Deer and Rabbit Resistant – Daffodils, Allium, Siberian Squill, Muscari and Fritillaria (Checkered Lily) and Chionodoxa.

Mice, Cows and Sheep also do not like daffodils. All parts of a daffodil are poisonous.

Should I Use Bone Meal and Bulb Dust When Planting My Bulbs?

Bone meal is a natural, organic bulb ‘fertilizer’ that provides calcium and phosphorous to the bulbs. Use bone meal only if your soil lacks phosphorous so it’s a good idea to purchase a take-home soil test kit first. Too much phosphorus can be detrimental to your plants health. If your soil is healthy, with organic amendments like compost you can bypass the bone meal.

When applying bone meal, place the recommended amount in the bottom of the hole and mix it into the soil. Do not apply it on top of the soil after planting.

Bulb Dust

I recommend using sulphur dust, applied on your bulbs using the shake and bake method in a brown paper bag. Please follow directions and do the dusting outside, right before planting. Wear gloves and a protective mask. Sulphur dust prevents black spot, leaf spot, powdery mildew and rust.

A Most Important Tip!

For the new gardeners planting bulbs this fall, wear gloves and long sleeves when handling hyacinth bulbs. Hyacinth bulbs contain and release the mineral calcium oxalate into the air which can cause mild to severe itchy areas on exposed skin.