Don’t forget to plant bulbs now for beautiful spring flowers

Planting bulbs in fall for flowering power next spring often becomes overlooked. We are too busy with fall chores and forget.

Some of the best known and loved spring-flowering bulbs include anemone, crocus, freesia, grape hyacinth, hyacinth, iris, lily, daffodils, ornamental onion ranunculus and tulips. They will amaze as they emerge next spring. All ingredients for success are packaged within the bulbs; all you do is plant them.

Here are some "traps" gardeners find themselves in and "tips" to be successful:

Trap: It's too late to plant bulbs.

Tip: Plant bulbs soon, as the sooner you get them in, the more roots develop for larger blooms next spring.

Trap: Some gardeners feel uneasy about purchasing bulbs.

Tip: If you bought onions, you know about buying bulbs (onions are bulbs). Leave soft, moldy or mushy ones and go for the firm bulbs. If onions have their skins rubbed off, you skip them. Do the same with bulbs. Don't buy a sprouting bulb; that means they've been exposed to moisture.

Your best buys are bulbs loose in bins, so you can handpick them. It's difficult to see what's in the packages.

This is one time when the biggest is best; they have more food reserve to produce stronger stems and large blooms. You'll also find the more points on daffodils means more flowers next spring.

Trap: Beginners often feel they don't know enough to plant bulbs correctly.

Tip: You'll find charts describing planting depths, plant heights and flowering times. Plant low-growing bulbs in front and taller plants in back. Mix early- and late-flowering bulbs to spread out blooming season. Late bloomers will hide spent foliage of early bloomers. Also, use bulbs to add color to a walkway or drive. Plant your favorite colors around a lamp post or in between shrubs.

Trap: Unchilled tulip and hyacinth bulbs produce short, stubby flowers.

Tip: Because of our warm climate, we need to chill these bulbs. Chilling produces longer stems and flowers last longer than those unchilled. Put bulbs in a bag with holes for air circulation and place in refrigerator for four to six weeks and then plant.

Trap: Novice gardeners tend to scatter bulb plantings.

Tip: Plant bulbs in clusters to make a lively declaration of spring. One lonely tulip doesn't attract much attention.

Trap: Leaving bulbs out in sun.

Tip: Research shows bulbs left in sun while waiting to plant have fewer blooms and poorer quality.

Trap: Gardeners tend to isolate bulbs.

Tip: Plant bulbs among other plants because they support and compliment the rest of the garden.

Trap: Phosphorous is best for bulbs.

Tip: Bonemeal is the standard bulb fertilizer because it provides phosphorus bulbs need for root growth and longevity. Work bonemeal into bulb beds before planting.

Trap: Gardeners fail to feed nitrogen to tulips.

Tip: Research finds nitrogen improves plant size and bloom color applied as leaf shoots emerge in spring. Failure to fertilize results in a reduction in daughter bulbs produced nest year. These effects carry into subsequent years, leading to smaller flowers and unattractive plants.

Trap: Bulb beds are ugly until they bloom.

Tip: Interplant annuals after planting bulbs for color through winter until bulbs bloom; some favorites are Johnny-jump-ups, pansies and alyssum.

Trap: Removing foliage after flowering.

Tip: Don't! Wait until foliage turns brown; then yank it out. Removing foliage while still green diminishes bulb vigor next season. Disguise bulb foliage by planting annuals, such as violas or pansies after flowering.

Trap: A flowerless early summer garden.

Tip: Plant alliums now for early summer color to help you transition from spring to summer bloomers and they are awesome.

PALMS FOR LAS VEGAS

Let Master Gardener Vicky Yuen tell you about unusual palms for our area and to care for them. That's at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Extension Learning Center, 8050 Paradise Road at the Windmill exit on the Las Vegas Beltway.

WATER SMART LANDSCAPING

Thanks to the many colorful desert-adapted plants now available, you can turn your yard into an ever-blooming paradise. Join SNWA experts and create your water-efficient landscape that will be simply beautiful and expand your living space outdoors. This free class is 10 a.m. Saturday at the Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd.

DESERT GARDEN CENTER

The Desert Garden Center is closing to retail sales to sell desert-adapted plants wholesale. The center is having an inventory reduction sale this month. To get those special plants, they are open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday at 6221 W. Charleston.

Linn Mils writes a garden column each Sunday. You can reach him at liin.mills@springspreserve.org or call him at 822-7754.