Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, September 23, 1993                   TAG: 9309220180
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-8   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: Joe Hunnings
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Long

FOR BEAUTIFUL SPRING FLOWERS, IT'S TIME TO THINK ABOUT BULBS

\ STORAGE: If bulbs are bought before planting time, keep them in a cool, dry place. A temperature of 60 to 65 degrees is cool enough to prevent bulbs from drying out until time for planting. Temperatures higher than 70 degrees will damage the flower that's inside spring-flowering bulbs. Rhizomes, tubers and tuberous roots are more easily desiccated than bulbs and corms, and should be stored in peat, perlite or vermiculite.

\ SITE SELECTION: When selecting a site for planting, consider light, temperature, soil texture and function. Most bulbs need full sun. Select a planting site that will provide at least five to six hours of direct sunlight a day. Bulbs left in the ground year after year should have eight to 10 hours of sunlight for good flowering. Bulbs planted with southern exposure near a building or wall will bloom earlier than bulbs planted with northern exposure. Adequate drainage is an important consideration. Most bulbs and bulb-like plants will not tolerate poor drainage and will rot easily if planted in wet areas.

Function must also be kept in mind. If bulbs are being used to naturalize an area, toss the bulbs, then plant them where they fall to create a scattered effect. Spanish squills will do beautifully along with daffodils to achieve a natural effect.

\ SITE PREPARATION: Good drainage is the most important factor for successful bulb-growing. Bulb beds should be dug when the soil is fairly dry. Wet soil packs tightly and retards plant growth. Spade the soil eight to 12 inches deep. As you dig, remove large stones and building trash but turn under all leaves, grass, stems, roots and anything else that will decay. Add fertilizer and organic matter to the soil. Use one pound of 5-10-10 fertilizer for a 5-by-10-foot area, or a small handful of fertilizer for a cluster of bulbs. Place a 1- to 2-inch layer of organic matter over the bed.

Thoroughly mix the fertilizer and organic matter with the soil. For individual planting holes, loosen the soil below the depth the bulb is to be planted. Add fertilizer and cover with a layer of soil (fertilizer should not touch bulbs.) Set the bulb upright in the planting hole and cover with the soil mixture. In wet, hot summers, organic fertilizer can retard blooming and promote disease, especially among gladiolus not dormant then.

\ TIME OF PLANTING: Hardy, spring-flowering bulbs are planted in late summer or early fall. Hardy, fall-flowering bulbs, such as colchicum, are planted in August. Tender, summer-flowering bulbs are planted in the spring after danger of frost. Lilies are best planted in late fall.

\ DEPTH OF PLANTING: It is best to check correct planting depth for each bulb with a successful local grower or other knowledgeable local source. Bulb-catalog and reference-book recommendations for planting may be either too shallow or too deep, depending on soil condition. As a general rule of thumb, bulbs should be planted 2 1/2 to 3 times the diameter of the bulb in depth. It is important not to plant bulbs too shallow, as this will encourage frost heaving.

\ WATERING: Normal rainfall usually provides enough moisture for bulbs. But during dry weather, water plants at weekly intervals, soaking the ground thoroughly. Be especially careful not to neglect bulbs after blooming.

\ MULCHING: In the winter, mulch bulbs two to four inches deep with organic material such as straw, pine bark, hay or ground leaves. Do not use large leaves, as they may mat too tightly on the ground. A winter mulch prevents alternate freezing and thawing, which damages bulbs and plant roots. Apply mulch after cold weather arrives. You may damage the bulbs if you mulch while soil temperature is still high. Remove mulch as soon as danger of severe freezing has passed in early spring. If mulch is left on the ground after new growth starts, tops of new shoots will be pale green or colorless, and new stems and foliage may be broken.

\ FERTILIZING: After plants bloom, fertilize them lightly with 5-10-10 fertilizer. Use no more than one pound for a 5-by-10-foot bed. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizer. Be sure to keep fertilizer off the leaves and away from roots; it will burn them. In addition to 5-10-10 fertilizer, you can use bone meal as an extra source of phosphorus.

\ STAKING: Some tall, heavy-flowered bulbs may require staking. Stake plants when they are emerging, but be careful not to damage the bulb with the stake. For flowers that face one direction, use the stake to orient the face to the front of the bed.

\ DEADHEADING: When flowers fade, cut them off to prevent seed formation. Seeds take stored food from the bulbs.

\ MOVING: If leaving bulbs in place for bloom next year, do not cut the leaves after flowering until the leaves start to wither. Green leaves produce food for plant growth next year. After leaves turn yellow, cut and destroy the stems and foliage of the plants. Dead foliage left on the ground may carry disease to new growth the next year. If moving bulbs from one place to another, or if a planting has become crowded and ceased blooming, move only after the foliage has faded. Bulbs dug and moved before foliage fades are useless.

\ DIGGING AND STORING: Many summer-flowering bulbs should be dug and stored, as they are tender. This is done when the leaves on the plants turn yellow. Use a spading fork to lift the bulbs from the ground. Wash off any soil that clings to the bulbs, except those that are stored in pots or with the soil around them. Spread the washed bulbs in a shaded place to dry.

When dry, store them away from sunlight in a cool, dry basement, cellar, garage or shed at 60 to 65 degrees. Avoid temperatures below 50 or above 70. Be sure that air circulates around stored bulbs.

Never store bulbs more than two or three layers deep, as they generate heat and cause decay. Leave the soil on achimenes, begonia, canna, caladium, dahlia and ismene bulbs. Store these bulbs in clumps on a slightly moistened layer of peat moss or sawdust in a cool place. Rinse, clean and separate them just before planting.

Joe Hunnings is the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service agent for agriculture in Christiansburg. If you have questions call the Montgomery County extension office at 382-5790.