Tips for Fall Bulbs | Jung Seed Gardening Blog

When is the best time to plant? For spring blooming bulbs, it’s fall. From tulips to daffodils and crocus, these colorful plants lead the transition from winter to spring. And if you crave variety, bulbs come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. There are over 26,000 varieties of daffodils in the world! Today, we’ll focus on different types of bulbs and how they add color to the garden.

Fall Bulb Types

In my home state (Wisconsin), winter holds its grip on spring. And that’s why these early bloomers are such a welcome sight! While each bulb only blooms for a few weeks, you can stagger the blooms to have continuous color from late winter until summer, starting with crocus.

Crocus

I’ve grown crocus for years, and they are always impressive with their ability to bloom in cold weather, even snow. They come in shades of purple, yellow, and white, making them stand out among the early spring landscape.

Crocus Planting Tips

You can grow two types of crocuses: Snow crocus and Dutch crocus. Snow crocuses have smaller flowers but will bloom slightly earlier than Dutch crocus.

These flowers are small, so plant them in groups to make a big impact. To make them more visible, plant in areas that are easy to see from your driveway or home.

Plant crocus in your lawn. The most memorable displays I’ve seen are on people’s lawns because they offer an excellent contrast to the dormant grass. And since crocus blooms early, their leaves dieback early as well, allowing you to mow like normal during the summer without hurting the crocus (You may have to delay mowing in spring, but it’s worth it, even if you experiment in a small part of the lawn).

Consider a natural look. Many gardeners arrange their bulbs in a less formal way (fewer straight lines and more natural drifts). To achieve this, some people take a handful of bulbs and scatter them in the bed or lawn. From looking at the plants, you wouldn’t know anyone had planted them.

Mix crocus with other early spring bloomers, like snowdrops and winter aconite. With some planning, your garden can be full of color before the lawn turns green!

Purple flower decorative bow, close-up. The spherical allium flower can reach up to 15 centimeters in diameter.

Alliums

As late spring arrives, alliums steal the show with purple blooms resembling fireworks. If you have sandy soil, this may be the perfect bulb for you. Alliums thrive in well-drained soil and in average soil conditions. Another great thing about alliums is their flower size. The largest variety, Globemaster, has flowers up to 10” wide! While Globemaster is the biggest, the other varieties are sizable, too. My favorite is Purple Sensation, which has baseball-sized flowers.

Allium Decorating Ideas

Plant alliums in groups of three or five to maximize their impact, but single plants also look good, especially the varieties with larger flowers.

Spray paint the old blooms. Yes, you read that right. The uniquely shaped flowers remain upright and look stunning with the extra color, giving you months of beauty. Many gardeners use red, silver, or blue, but other colors work too!

Daffodils

As spring progresses, more bulbs burst into bloom, including daffodils. These large-flowered bulbs tend to bloom in mid-spring, but certain types of daffodils are early bloomers, like Tete-A-Tete, a popular dwarf variety. While many daffodils come in yellow, there’s a whole array of colors to pick. A favorite of mine is Ice Follies, which combines yellow and white for a stunning result!

Daffodil Planting Suggestions

Plant with other bulbs to stage the blooms, like tulips, hyacinths, and alliums.

Mix daffodils with perennials to hide the foliage after they bloom. As the blooms fade, daffodil foliage can look unsightly, so interplant them with other plants to hide the leaves. Quick emerging plants like bleeding hearts, coreopsis, and Nepeta are ideal.

Hyacinth

If you like fragrance, consider adding hyacinth to your garden. With its bold flowers and sweet scent, hyacinth is right at home alongside other spring bloomers, like daffodils.

How to Force Hyacinth Bulbs Indoors

You don’t have to wait until spring to enjoy the plants. Hyacinth bulbs can be forced indoors to give you blooms during winter and early spring.

If you’re forcing bulbs indoors, leave the bulbs in a cold spot, like a refrigerator, for at least 14 weeks. Over the years, I’ve had blooms for 6-8 weeks by keeping several groups of hyacinths in the fridge and removing each group a week apart. Other bulbs, like daffodils, can also be forced indoors.

Tulips

For hundreds of years, Tulips have captured people’s attention across the globe. And that’s no surprise when you see the many colors, shapes, and sizes of these enchanting flowers. There’s even an Ice Cream tulip! While you can plant drifts of tulips on their own, it helps to mix them with other plants to hide the foliage.

How Long Do Tulips Live?

Some of the newer tulips are considered annuals and can be short-lived in some areas.

Certain varieties, like the Darwin and petite tulips, will live and bloom for many years. These bulbs grow best in well-drained soil.

Bulb Planting Q&A

These are just a few bulbs you can plant this fall. Head to the Jung Website to find more ideas! This time of year, we receive lots of questions about planting bulbs, including the ones below.

How Late Can I Plant Bulbs?

In the Midwest, we can usually plant bulbs until November or even December, depending on the year. The trick is planting the bulbs before the ground freezes. Now I will say this: Planting bulbs is more enjoyable when it’s not cold and snowing, so earlier tends to be better.

How Deep Should I Plant Bulbs?

A good rule of thumb is three times the depth of each bulb, which means larger bulbs should be planted deeper than smaller ones. If you have bulbs that struggle to bloom, planting depth could be the culprit (I’ve learned that lesson the hard way).

Spring will be here before you know it, so use these tips to fill the garden with color!

Plant Now for a Beautiful Spring: Tips for Fall Bulbs