Planting Bulbs for Spring: Essential Tips for Fall Gardening

Want to see your garden burst with color before spring officially arrives? Discover the magic of fall bulb planting! From the trickiest tips for easy bulb trenching techniques, our guide will help you transform your yard into a carpet of crocus, daffodils, and more. Whether you’re in a warmer climate or prepping for frost, it’s easier than you think to plant now and enjoy blooms for years to come. Don’t miss out on these simple steps for a vibrant early-season garden—start planning today!

It’s always a bit sad driving through towns in early spring, seeing only a few homes adorned with the early colors of crocus, scilla, snowdrops, or daffodils. It’s a missed opportunity not to enjoy the vibrant beauty these bulbs bring to our gardens and yards. I know what you might be thinking: by the time frost arrives, you’re ready to rest from garden work for the year. But when March and April roll around, you may wish you’d taken the time to plant bulbs after all.

Common complaints like “it’s too much trouble” or “they don’t last long” don’t hold water. In warmer regions, there’s no excuse other than procrastination – bulbs are readily available at garden centers, and all that’s needed is a bit of effort. In colder climates, wait until after the first frost to begin. In northern areas, bulbs like crocus, daffodils, snowdrops, and scilla can even be planted directly in the lawn. All it takes is pushing down a spade, dropping in the bulb, covering, and stepping on the spot.

In garden beds, digging a trench to the correct depth, width, and length allows for easy bulb placement. Place bulbs in the trench, lightly sprinkle with a mixture of one-third Epsom salts, two-thirds bone meal, then cover with soil. If you prefer using a bulb planter, pre-dig the holes, place the soil cores in a basket or wheelbarrow, break them up, mix in the Epsom salt-bone meal mixture, and use this to cover the bulbs.

As for the claim that bulbs are “short-lived,” any bulb catalog will tell you exactly when they bloom, how tall they grow, and for how long. With proper care, like digging and separating the bulbs every three years, your bulbs can continue to thrive and multiply.

Here is one of our favorite bulb sources: https://www.dutchbulbs.com/category/flower-bulbs-spring