Spring bulbs. Dig now or later?

Spring bulbs in north central Indiana have lost their blooms and beginning to lose foliage color. They can start to look pretty ratty in the garden. Do yours need division?

A friend asked me today when she was supposed to dig her tulip bulbs for division and replanting. I'm sure we all believe we should dig them, dry them, store them, and replant them in the fall.

But.......we do not have to follow that regimen. To be certain I offered her correct information I checked myself with an old reference source sitting in our gardening/nursery book case. I see it was copyrighted in 1965 and we purchased it in 1966, 43 years ago. The Rockwells' Complete Guide to Successful Gardening by Fredrick Rockwell and Esther Grayson. It is still accurate.

I told my friend that she can dig them now if the foliage has "ripened" or lost its color. It's good to do it now while you can easily identify the bulb. Dig them, separate them, and replant them where you want them.

Be certain to replant them to the correct depth. If it should be planted to a depth of 6 inches, that means to measure from the top of the bulb to the surface. One way to achieve that depth is to place a the long handle of a tool (or a long wooden spoon) over the hole and stick a ruler into the hole to measure from the top of the bulb to the surface. A bulb planter is helpful because it has measurements on it.

Here is what my reference says:

"After being dug, the bulbs are dried off, preferably in a cool place under cover, spread out in flats so that air can reach them freely. After drying, store in bags or boxes, away from direct sunshine, and safe from rodents, until time for replanting in autumn. Daffodils being poisonous, are safe from the attacks of rodents. As they start new root growth early it is quite all right to replant these as soon as they have been pulled apart, if this is more convenient than to dry and store them." p. 199

If it's time for division of bulbs in your garden, I hope this helps.

Hungry Plants need nourishment

Yes! We are hungry! When plants stir from dormancy after a long cold winter in the Midwest, they need some nourishment.

Last week, I fed roses, rhododendrons, azaleas, yews, vinca ground cover, boxwood, hollies, and blueberries with an acid fertilizer. Many of mine were looking a little anemic and this serving of plant food should jump start them. They will green up quickly and put out new growth.

You can do the same in your plant beds.

Buy Proven Winners Shrubs and Perennials

at http://www.gardensandsuch.com.

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Getting ready for Spring

For all of you, who like me, are counting the days down until the first day of spring, welcome to Gardens and Such. This is a blog by the owners of GardensAndSuch.com. We're here to talk about the care, feeding, trimming, planting, etc. of your landscape bedding plants.

We hope to offer valuable advice about things such as: when to prune and when not to prune, when to feed, when to plant…you see what we mean.

So, if you're reading, and have a question, don't hesitate to post a comment. We'll get right back to you. Or, is there something we haven't covered yet? Then, start the conversation.

Until the next post, I will be picking up sticks and debris that the wind and winter weather knocked down from our trees. When the temps reach sweatshirt levels, I will be raking left over fall debris from the plant beds and trimming back ornamental grasses. Think about this in your own garden. Getting this done ahead of time will keep it from crowding out time for planting new perennials. Getting them started in the spring will ensure established plants by late summer.

It's also time to think about planting evergreens, fruits, and flowering shrubs. If you live in the midwest, consider adding some prairie plants to your garden.