DENVER — All spring-flowering bulbs: tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocus and more must be planted in fall. You can't buy them, stash them in the garage and wait until April. They'll be dead. Bulbs aren't rocks. They're living things. They've already been out of the ground for at least six months. They can't last through the winter too.
You'll grow better bulbs if you understand their life cycles--and that begins in fall. While the soil is still warm, bulbs that have been dormant all summer start to put out new roots. Moisture plumps up the bulbs before winter--and winter is an essential part of the cycle. They need to be chilled. It's how they evolved. Then spring comes, they bloom, go dormant and the cycle begins again.
The kind of bulbs you choose is important. If you've got critters--deer or rodents--forget tulips. Daffodils and hyacinths are a much better choice. Why? They're poisonous. Animals tend to leave them alone.
If you can grow tulips where deer and rodents won't snack on them, it's still vital to choose the right varieties. The only big tulips that we all picture when we say "tulips" that survive and thrive are the Darwin hybrids. They survive for decades; those that I planted 25 or more years ago still bloom every spring.
Many of the smaller varieties are also very resilient, such as the Emperor tulips and so-called species tulips. They are closer to the wild tulips of central Asia and settle in well in Colorado.
When you plant, dig generous holes. The most effective display comes from planting bulbs "bouquet style" rather than single bulbs here and there. Make the holes big enough to hold five or more bulbs spaced about three inches apart. You don't have to dig to China. About five inches of soil on top of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths in sufficient.
Plant the pointy ends up. Cover and water. Then wait for spring.
More Proctor's Garden:
> Top stories curated daily just for you! Sign up for the 9NEWSLETTER to get can’t-miss stories, Next and Broncos content, weather and more delivered right to your inbox.
9NEWS+
9NEWS+ has multiple live daily shows including 9NEWS Mornings, Next with Kyle Clark and 9NEWS+ Daily, an original streaming program. 9NEWS+ is where you can watch live breaking news, weather updates, and press conferences. You can also replay recent newscasts and find videos on demand of our top stories, local politics, investigations and Colorado specific features.
To download 9NEWS+ on Roku search for KUSA.
To download 9NEWS+ on Fire TV search for 9NEWS.