Have some fun with colour, too. If you don't like the result of your colour selections, you can easily move the bulbs after they have flowered. And plant different tulip varieties, which include doubles, singles, fringed, parrots and lily-flowering ones. For the most visual impact, though, plant each type together. If you plant different bulbs together, consider how tall they grow and when they flower. Barring a heat wave, you can plan for a succession of colour throughout the spring, or even a big burst of blooms all at once.
- As soon as possible after you purchase bulbs, plant them - or store them in a cool location so they don't dry out.
- Plant spring-blooming bulbs in the fall once the ground temperature has dropped below 16°C (60°F), which is any time from September to mid-November in Canada.
- Bulbs prefer loose, well-drained, sandy soil.
- The rule of thumb is to plant bulbs three times as deep as the bulb is high with the pointy end up. Water well after planting.
- Space bulbs as far apart as their blossoms.
- Fertilize at planting time by working bone meal or slow-release soluble fertilizer (about 1 tablespoon per square foot) and a good organic compost or well-rotted cow manure into the soil - or in the spring by applying a fast-release NPK (10-10-10) fertilizer to the soil just as the shoots begin to emerge.
- To prevent mid-winter thawing and re-freezing, top the bulbs with a 3 to 4 inch layer of mulch.
- Mark where you've planted the bulbs, so you won't accidentally dig them up.
- In the spring, remove spent blossoms at the base of the flower and then DO NOTHING until the stems and foliage have withered and died. This is the time that the bulbs are nourished by photosynthesis for next year's production. Once the foliage is completely dead, cut it off a couple inches above soil level.
Tip: When planting bulbs, particularly if conditions are wet, a liberal sprinkling of sulfur powder in-and-around the bulbs will help to deter mildew problems.
