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BULBS |
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Bulbs have certain areas in which they do their best. So don't order all of the beautiful blooms that you see in the catalogues. Look around your area and see which ones do best. What the upper South might enjoy year after year maybe short-lived in the lower sections. We in the New Orleans area with our famous short winters, long hot summers and great humidity have to battle the three-letter word, ROT. |
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The term "bulb" applies to a large class of plants that include true bulbs, solid corms, tubers, rhizomes and pips.The bulb that you buy contains a new plant that is protected and sustained within the bulb by the reserve food and energy collected during one season's growth. After the flowering period the plant above the bulb and the roots beneath it ripen off and die away and the bulb enters its dormant state. |
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Most catalogue instructions on planting are geared to cooler climates. We in the lower South cannot plant our bulbs as deeply as directed. A good rule of thumb in this area is to set them out from one and a half to twice the depth of the bulb. It is better to plant too shallow rather than too deep. There are exceptions to the rule, such as the anemone and ranunculus that must be planted just below the ground surface, the amaryllis, who neck must stand above the soil level and the dahlias, which should be planted four to six inches deep. |
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Some people avoid planting bulbs because they think that they have to be dug up and stored every year. This is not always the case. Tulip bulbs can be dug once their foliage has died, brushed of excess earth, dusted with an insecticide and stored in a cool dry place. Chill them in a refrigerator for two months before planting again. Amaryllis need not be disturbed unless you feel they need to be thinned out and then you do the dividing in the dormant period of September and October. Callas do better if not disturbed or divided for four or five years. Easter Lilies need not be dug every year. Once every three or four years is usually sufficient. |
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My personal favorite is Daylilies. Now available in a myriad of colors they will bloom anywhere where there is a fair amount of sun. They thrive in any kind of soil and demand little more than a thining every fourth or fifth year. |
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Actually the Daylily may be planted anytime but the ideal time to divide and reset is autumn. Dig the entire clump and pull the individual plants apart with your hands. Clip off the straggly overlong roots and trim the fan, or leaves, back to about eight inches. Dig a hole big enough so that the roots will not be cramped and set them about two feet apart, one to two inches deep. Water well after planting and at blooming time. Mulch against heat and cold. Daylilies multiply by bulbs, seeds or proliferations. Hybridizers have been so busy with this plant that you can now have Daylilies blooming in your garden from early spring to fall, from tall ones to dwarf. The flower may last only one day but the scape usually carries several buds. Some varieties bloom twice in a season. A word of caution - check to see if the daylily is dormant, semi-evergreen or evergreen. They all grow well in the south, but I do find that I forget where the dormant ones are planted and I catch myself digging them up in the spring by accident. |
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Daylily delight! That's right, you can eat daylilies - they taste like fried mushrooms. Rinse the home grown (don't use roadside ones) flowers, dry them, and then dip them in a thin pancake batter. Pan fry until the blooms are lightly brown, and then serve as a different, but delectable appetizer. |
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TIPS |
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Bulbs and biennials make great "bed buddies" in your garden. Plant the bulbs first, then interplant the biennials. Next spring, you'll have a bed full of bulbs popping through the carpet of biennials!
Deer, chipmunks, mice and moles all hate daffodils, which are slightly toxic and unplatable to them. So to protect your tulips, hyacinths, and other delectable delights, interplant daffodil bulbs in and among them.
Take up your gladiolus corms before the leaves start to turn brown, which should be about 6 weeks after bloom. Growing of leaves indicates that the new corm has fully developed, and it's time to go!
Don't plant your bulbs without babying them? Dust them with medicated baby powder before planting, and the varmints will stay away. This one simple step could save their lives.
Dahlia tubers may become shriveled in storage, so sprinkle them lightly with water every so often to prevent them from drying out. Also, store them in sawdust or peat moss to conserve moisture. |
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Protect your bulbs from hungry mice and voles by surrounding the bulbs with a handful of sharp crushed gravel at planting time. The creatures will avoid digging past the sharp objects to reach the bulbs. You don't have to worry about your daffodils, however. They're poisonous, and the rodents will wisely keep away. |
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PARADISE GARDEN |
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DAYLILY DISCOUNTERS |
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FRIENDS OF THE DAYLILIES |
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Home ~ About Me ~ Welcome ~ My Home ~ Friends ~ Gardening ~ Holidays ~ MDA ~
~ Inspiration ~ Cats ~ Needlework ~ Patriotism ~ Kevin Costner ~ Awards |
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