Cold Weather & Spring Bulbs

Types of Spring Bulbs

• Some of the best-known spring bulbs are daffodils and tulips. These varieties come in a range of colors and flower forms, adding color to the early spring garden. Another choice is hyacinth. The grape hyacinth is one of the earliest blooming of the spring bulbs. Lesser known options include anemone, crocus and scilla. These flower at various times, ranging from early to late spring.

Fall Planting

• Spring bulbs are planted in fall, about eight weeks before the first expected frost. Tulips can be planted later than other spring bulb varieties. This gives the bulbs time to start developing roots before cold weather forces the bulbs into dormancy. Generally, bulbs are planted at a depth two to three times their width in a well-drained, full-sunlight bed.

Dormancy Needs

• The primary reason spring bulbs are planted in fall is so they experience a period of cold dormancy. A period of freezing weather is needed to force the bulbs into dormancy, otherwise they won't bloom in the spring. Most bulbs need two months of cold to enter dormancy properly. Frost rarely damages these bulbs, but a freeze and thaw cycle can push them out of the ground. In spring, the bulbs require some warmth and plenty of sunshine to resume their growth and flowering cycle.

Winter Protection

• Potecting the bulbs with a 2- to 4-inch layer of mulch helps prevent damage caused by thaw and freeze cycles in winter. Animal pests, such as squirrels, may also be attracted to the bulbs as a winter food. If pests digging in the bed kill your spring bulbs in winter, consider laying a sheet of chicken wire over the bed and covering it with the mulch. The wire protects the bulbs but the plants are still able to grow up through it.