What bulbs is everyone planting right now?

I'm excited about the bulbs I have planted for spring. I have also started some bulbs for forcing indoors.

Garden: This year (only my second year gardening) I am planting Tulips for the first time. I read that some rodents or squirrels might try to dig them up and eat the bulbs. I also read that putting a moth ball in with every Tulip bulb would deter them. So, that's what I did. I hope it works. I see lots of digging going on in my garden but I don't know what creature is doing it. Anyone have a guess? None of the holes seem deeper than an inch and some go horizontally instead of down so hopefully all my bulbs are still in tact. I also planted Iris. I am still waiting on my mail order from Old House Gardens (huge, healthy bulbs and big hyacinth flowers from them last year). That will include Daffodils and Fritillary which I know no creatures will eat.

Forcing: Crocus, Grape Hyacinths, Tulips and Daffodils. I am trying to figure out how to start bulbs on their chilling period when it isn't cold enough outside yet. I don't have room for lots of pots in my fridge. Some bulbs are potted up and some are still in brown paper bags in the crisper drawer (no apples in there). I figure in 4-5 weeks it will be cold enough in my garage that I can move out the potted ones and pot up the other bulbs and keep them in the garage. I searched all over the internet to no avail on a way to start the chilling period without potting up. We'll see how this works. Now I'm waiting on the Amaryllis bulbs to come into the stores so I can have a few of those for the Christmas dinner table!

In South Texas, it is time to set bulbs you want to come up in spring. Narcissus is always the first, tho they bloom in the fall down here with enuff moisture, too. Then Daffs, crocus, hyacinths, tulips, lycoris radiatus (red spider lily), but we dont dig them up. Is also time to get the irises in the ground so the roots can grow for a spring bloom. We also dont have to dig our amaryllis and store, they just stay outside n grow. A squirrels diggings are little short holes-he's burying his groceries-a mole makes tunnels that leave air pockets around your roots so the plant dies, retamp. Chilling is chilling. A refrigerator should have a temp of 42 to 45 degrees, that is chilled, n still warm enuff they may sprout without a soil medium, freezers have a heat cycle that defrosts on a schedule n can dry out those things stashed in there. Chilled, dark n cool forces plants, doesnt take much.

Pentas - I would strongly advise you not to use moth balls anywhere on your property.
They are pretty nasty. To prevent burroughing critters from getting your bulbs, you can
create a box of sorts out of wire mesh, plant the bulbs inside that. Or at least cover the
bulbs with the mesh. My issue has always been deer or rabbits and they present a different
problem - they eat the folliage. I've tried the "ropel" type sprays with some small success
and friends have had good success with cayenne pepper. Both require a vigilance. As
soon as it rains, you need to reapply. (I hope you don't mind the uninvited advise).

I went crazy *again* and ordered over a 1000 bulbs. The first 250 came last week and
they are in the ground now. I put two types of tulips in clumps on a rocky hillside and sprinkled
the smaller bulbs in beds. I just love having a spring chock-full of bloom.

Kittriana - I love how you said that about the squirrels, "he's burying his groceries." That's so cute! These horizontal holes are everywhere in my garden! But some are vertical like too. I appreciate the retamping advice because I wanted to reset the areas lightly with my foot. Glad to know it's a good idea. If there are moles I certainly don't want my root system messed up. I'm excited to see if the soilless bulbs in my fridge do well. That will be a great help because then I can chill more bulbs in less space!

Do you use Amaryllis on the Christmas table in Texas or like you said, they just stay in your garden year round so it's not tradition to pot them like we do up north? I was very excited because I took one of my Amaryllis bulbs from last Christmas and planted it in the garden for a while during the summer. Then I got tired of the look and pulled it dirt and all. I set it in a big pot and stuck it in the basement. Then I forgot about it and figured it probably died. But I went down to look at it yesterday and it had a couple green shoots coming out! Yippee! It even has some two baby bulbs with shoots. So I potted it and I think it will bloom. It will probably bloom too early for Christmas but maybe good for Thanksgiving!

Question, Can I plant my bulbs now? I am at zone 6, Nashville TN.
Thank you. Betra

Tammy - I welcome any advice! But you didn't say the reason why moths balls are a bad idea. I know they are stinky but I thought that was the point! ;-) Are moth ball dangerous to the environment? It sounded a lot easier to just drop a moth ball with each bulb rather than the whole cage deal. The mesh - do you mean I can just cut a small piece and lay it over top of the bulb? I have some plastic mesh. Will the shoots make it through them mesh though? It's sort of small mesh. That wouldn't be hard to do.

Wow! That's a lot of bulbs! That is really neat! It will be beautiful in the spring for you, Tammy. I have put about 85 bulbs in my garden so far this year. From what company do you order your bulbs?

Betra - If they are selling bulbs in the local garden centers it should be okay to plant them. I would think it's time in your zone. The bulbs came in three weeks ago here at the stores. Put them in earlier rather than later and they will have plenty of time to establish roots before the frost hits.

pentas - yes, harmful to the environment & to the wildlife. They are designed to volatize into a gas in a confined
area where the fumes kill the moth. I did a quick google search and found tons on this topic. Here's one from
Purdue

http://www.purdue.edu/dp/envirosoft/housewaste/house/mothball.htm

I am just getting my spring bulbs in the mail this week, and I have some from a co-op I am picking up this sunday.
I have a whole bunch of species tulips, species crocus, a couple different dwarf iris, some daffs, and some regular tulips...basically a little of almost everything!
After I opened the first box, i realized I am going to need a bulb drill if I expect to get them all in before winter, lol!
Due to the area I am planting, wire won't be a viable option, so I am looking for squirrel and bunny solutions too.
I have found that sometimes, with really persistent squirrels, mothballs were the only things short of shooting them that even sort of worked at keeping them out of things..especially planter boxes. One things I did read that I might attempt this year is interplanting garlic cloves with the sping bulbs.. although, with my luck, I'll have an Italian squirrel who will think it's a garnish!

It is my opinion that mothballs used outside is a different matter. Taken in context, the Purdue fact sheet speaks only for inside or confined area use, and prolonged exposure. I have no arguement about that. And if you want absolutely no possibility of harming animals that eat your bulbs, than mothballs are not an option, either, since parts of mothballs might be consumed also, along with your bulbs. Taken in this context, there is at least one animal repellant that contain small amounts of pesticide too, to give it a bitter taste. Certainly not enough to kill or but not benign either. I would also expect this to be the case with eaten mothballs, too. Still, with an animal's keen sense of smell, I find it hard to believe that it wouldn't be able to discern between food and mothball.

In addition, animals are not people, and can and do have different reactions to chemicals toxic to humans. More often than not, non-humans are more tolerant to said chemicals than humans, but such a blanket statement is meaningless, as there are many cases where certainly compounds are toxic to animals and not to humans.

Keep in mind that mothballs are not a permanent fixture for continued protection. A wire box is.

I'm not the mothball guru here. I have not done much research on the matter. There very well could be more information that I don't know about. For instance, is there an effect on soil microorganisms? Or maybe even to the bulbs themselves? Dunno. But I wouldn't automatically assume so, or not so.

Nashville, bulbs grow even if you plant outside now, the fall weather gives them a better root system b4 the freezes make them chill pre bloom, n I've planted as late as Nov n they've done well. Mothballs are also reputed to repel cats n skunk, but if you can avoid using them, you r better off. We use bois d'arc apples in water to repel water bugs n palomino bugs, moderate success. Mothballs are chemicals- n they dont breakdown longterm into a fertilizer like most plant friendly additives.

I simply use red pepper flakes. It doesnt harm animals but does repel nicely. I sprinkle some in the hole, and then again on top after covering them with dirt.
I host a yearly bulb swap and would be happy to have a few more participants this year.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bulbswaps/ to see more info :)
Theresa

Thank you for your advice pentas & kittriana.
I already planted some bulbs 3 days ago. We were lucky, it had rain Tuesday and Wed. The ground are so soggy now, hope those bulbs will be OK. There are more bulbs to plant this weekend.
Betra

Chionodoxa did well last year so I'm putting in 400 of them whenever the Van Engelen order gets here (the regular blue, Pink Giant, Alba and a mix). Put in hundreds of crocus Sieberi and Tommasinianus last year but the other species lasted longer with brighter colors so going only with c. biflorus, c. chrysanthus and c. vernus this year. Squirrels and moles are pandemic here but aside from half a dozen crocus which were moved from one side of a path to the other, I haven't noticed any disturbances. Trying muscari "Christmas Pearl" because it is said to be earlier than other muscari (all my bulbs go in the lawn so having them finish by the first of May when the lawn will need mowing is important). Tried thalia and tete-a-tete daffies in the lawn last year but they came up late and were mowed perhaps too early to bloom again this year so I'm trying Tenby and Topolino this year.

Ordered 100 Iris Danfordiae not knowing the bulbs form lots of little bulblets which don't (most of them I guess) come up the second year but do the third and fourth. Anyone have experience with them?

I love those little iris - danfordiae & reticulata! I thought mine came back the second year & subsequent
years though. They come up and are gone in a flash unless its really cool. That's my only complaint. They
seem to last only 3-5 days most years here.

I have my second box of bulbs from Van Engelen sitting on my deck now. I got the first planted the day
they arrived (luckily, I had taken that day off). The second box arrived Tues and I work dawn to dusk. :-(

I've found Van Engelen will deliver awfully late if you order lilies. I think I'd order them in a separate order
if I needed more. Thanks to some nice coops this spring, I quenched my need for lilies, this year at least.

Tam

Tam . . .Does Van Engelen let you know, if you call, when the bulbs will be shipped? As you know, their prices and quality are tops but their website ordering could use some improvement. I read the fine print and knew shipping and tax would be over $30, not the $4.95 listed when I clicked to order but its annoying. So is having to click in to an item to see if it is sold out rather than seeing "sold out" on the page which lists the cultivars for sale, not charging credit cards when ordering and having no real idea of when bulbs will be shipped. Those of us who order hundreds or thousands of bulbs could use some time to prepare.

Last year the Iris Reticulata lasted over a week, perhaps almost two, here. Paghat has information on how Iris Danfordiae breaks into bulblets which take a few years to come up here:

http://www.paghat.com/irisdanford.html

Read planting Reticulate and Danfordiae a little deeper helps them come back. Have lots of used potting mix from Earthboxes and think I'll cushion the bulbs with that so the roots will grow fast and the bulblets will have an easier time maturing. Just experimenting so no one should think this is needed. I should do a control to see if there is a difference but knowing me, I probably won't. And then if they do all come up again in 2009, I'll be stuck with thinking I have to use potting mix as the bottom of the holes when planting iris forever.

David - I've never called them. I've sent email with questions. One time the delivery guy put the box on a
landing between the upper & lower stairs between house & mailbox. I didn't see 'em there for weeks. I
typically get them delivered to the porch. I was sooooo mad... they got a little moldy in the rain & w/o any
air. But they did grow.

Hi DP. How did you put the bulbs in your lawn? Did you cut out a piece or cut slits in it? How do you keep the the lawn from smothering the bulbs? I would like to try this. Thanks.

Has anyone seen or ordered the new pink grape hyacinth, "Muscari Pink Sunrise"? I am hoping it is as pretty as it's picture. I ordered from Brecks bulbs.

Dahlianut....I dig up a couple square feet of sod, dig out the soil, loosen the bottom of the hole, add used potting mix and fertilizer, set the bulbs in that, replace the dirt, replace the sod and tamp it down. 5 to 9 daffies, 9 to 15 (sometimes 25) crocus and other smaller bulbs in each sector. Labor intensive for sure. This is the second year planting bulbs this way. I hope next spring I'll see two good waves of flowers from the two years and won't have to put so much effort into it ever again.

When the digging gets too tedious, I do stab the ground with a trowel, slip in a bulb and push the sides of the slit together. I think the ones I put in that way did OK but the goal is to have a lawn full of bulbs that will take care of themselves for years. Hence the more complicated method for most of the bulbs. I'll tell you if it works next spring!

It does sound a little labour intensive but boy o boy the rewards will be awesome. Looking foward to hearing your results. Thanks DP.

I am sooo sore today. I planted just over half of my bulbs yesterday, and even with a bulb auger it was a lot of work!!!


This picture is what I had before I started, there are almost 1000 bulbs there!!
(What was I thinking?? lol )

artemiss....easy to order on line isn't it?

I'm up to 9 hours of digging and still have over 400 bulbs to put in. Been waiting for the November sales to get more but this morning decided what I want might not be available so ordered Narcissus bulbocodium var. conspicuus, n. bulbocodium "Golden Bells" and crocus 'Jeanne d'Arc'.

300 more bulbs to plant . . .

David_Paul...far too easy, I'm afraid!


I had a "wish list" for the sales, but after the planting I did yesterday, and what I still have to do, I don't where I'd put them at this point..
I already probably put too many in the front island..can you believe I somehow got 40 triumph and 40 clusiana in there, as well as a handful of snow crocus, dwarf iris and humilis in the front???
I plan to just pull up triumphs after this year and spread out the ice stick and heart's delight. I might put the triumphs back in along side of the house next fall, so if they don't do a second show, it's no great loss...

(pic of the island in summer bloom)

Sometime or maybe most of the time we are so 'greedy' about buying bulb or plant. I'm almost done with my bulbs, and still have some more to plant. But like Artemis said, I'm so sore. Hardly can stand up straight and walk. Few days ago I went to a nursery and bought 20 types of daylilies, roses and grasses. Already plant some of them, but boy ... I can not dig some more, beside I ran out of space.

I just finished! Bought 1253 on line and then another 25 in person. Oh what nuts we are!
But we'll be enjoying a wonderful display of color next spring. It helps keep me sane thru
the winter anticipating the spring bloom.

Oh my aching back.

Wow, how did you manage to plant thousand of bulb Tammy?

Just now I said to hubby how long this fall and winter will last! he said years and years, lol!

We are addicted!. Maybe we need a help on how to stop buying those plants and bulb!. I would prefer buying plants and bulb rather than new clothes, shoes, or handbag, which normally I addicted to. Sometimes feel guilty tho spending money so much.

Tulips you can plant until the ground freezes, but many others need to begin rooting this fall. Daffodils in my zone 4 should be planted the last week of September, most fritillaria too, some frits even earlier.

My point here is that waiting for sales of the wrong types of bulbs would be disastrous, and throwing money away.

Practice Betra. That's the key to planting bulbs. :-) I have a huge property and
have been planting somewhere around 1000 bulbs a year for ten years. The first
few years you could hardly tell but now they are finally planted in large enough
areas to make a show in the spring. Oh I love the anticipation!

Betra:

Bulb
Entropy
That
is
Real
Adornment

???

!,000 bulbs a year?? Tammy your place must look awesome!!

Tammy, please share the picture of those tulips when they bloom next spring. I bet it will be so spectacular!

Lefwood, LOL.
You are so creative!. Love it!

pentas, I agree with kittriana about the squirrels likely being the culprits. We made a couple of new beds in our woody back yard and the little "pits" are EVERYWHERE - and then I sat there taking a break from planting and watched the little bugger do it in front of me. Looked like he was buring acorns.

Gosh I do not keep track of what I plant. I am sure the bulb numbers where in the low hundreds and I just received 69 more to plant. Now that I just counted those maybe it was more like the mid 100's that I planted!! Those bulbs add up fast!
I am bad I would so much rather by bulbs andplants than clothes and shoes.

I'm glad to hear you have your priorities Marie. :-)

I am like Tammy and Artemiss and plant usually 1,000+ most years. Unfortunately I do not plan well and buy first and then fiure out where I'll put it all later! But Marie I agree, I don' spend much on other stuff though the addiction to plants more than compensates and it can be an expensive hobby!

I TOTALLY luv it SteveFtWorth. One of my fav things in the time of the cold and the dark last spring/winter was seeing your spring bulb show. I just make popcorn and sit back and drool. When do you think the show will begin in 09?

I borrowed another bulb-a-holic's technique here at DG - Neal - this year.
I lifted a big chunks of grass and planted multiple bulbs in each. I hope
to get a little bigger effect this way.

Here's a shot from last year - I've added another 250 to this area.

Here's another shot of the same hillside from spring 2008

Ahh..that is heavenly!! (well, my heaven would have gardens and tire swings anyway, hehe)
I love how the yellow in the forsythia and the daffs complement each other.