DENVER — Hurry up! Although we've had some snow and cold nights, the soil in your garden probably isn't frozen. Plant bulbs now. You cannot wait until spring to plant tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocus and many more. They must be planted in fall. These bulbs have been out of the ground since May. They will dry out over winter.
Smaller bulbs like crocus and grape hyacinths are easy to plant. Use a dandelion digger or fishing knife. Plunge the knife into the ground about four inches and rock it back or forth. Insert the bulb - pointed end up - and push some soil on top.
For larger bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, dig a hole about eight inches deep. Work some bone meal into the soil. Plant five or more bulbs in the hole. This is "bouquet style" planting, which is much more effective than the "one here, one there" approach.
If you don't get your bulbs planted soon and the soil freezes, you can pot them up. This is called forcing, although not much force is involved. Plant five to eight bulbs in a gallon sized pot. Water them well and store them in a dark, cool location such as a garage or crawlspace. It's too cold in winter to leave the pots outside.
Depending on your conditions, the bulbs will sprout in 12 to 16 weeks. When they do, bring them outside to your patio to grow and bloom. They can also bloom in a sunny window.
More Proctor's Garden
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