How to Plant Tulip & Daffodil Bulbs

Till the soil in the garden area you have chosen to plant your bulbs. Use the spade to dig the soil to a depth of 4 inches. Apply a 3-inch layer of compost. Dig and blend the compost into the soil. This will raise the garden bed level and improve drainage.

Dig planting holes in the tilled bed with a spade. Make each hole three times deeper than the bulb's height. Space the holes at least three times the bulb's width.

Set each bulb in a hole, with its pointed end up and its flat end down. Plant the bulbs in rows or clusters, or alternate rows of daffodils and tulips. Place taller varieties toward the back of the bed.

Cover the bulbs with soil. Tamp it gently with your hands. Cover the bulbs with a 1-inch layer of organic mulch. Mulch maintains soil temperature, retains moisture and acts as a weed barrier.

Write the names of the bulbs on the plant stakes with an indelible marker. Specify which species or variety is planted in each area. Since many bulbs don't emerge until the next spring, this eliminates the risk of accidentally digging up the area where the bulbs were planted.

Water thoroughly until the soil is moist, but not soaked. Continue to water regularly until the weather turns cool and forces the bulbs into dormancy. Begin watering again in the spring when the bulbs have begun to emerge.