Tulips

[maps]

What are the BEST tulip bulbs to purchase and plant now for a beautiful Spring growth?

Any tips on daffodils?

[Taz]

www.brecks.com

[nimrod]

It is getting a bit late to plant tulips but still can be done as long as the ground is not frozen. The choice is likely diminished now so you should be able to find those tulips that have not been sold at reduced prices at Home Depot for example. Just pick the ones you like based on the description but keep in mind that there are both early and late spring flowering tulips. Squirrels like to eat tulips so after planting sprinkle some blood meal over the area and this discourages them.

[BEM]

At this late time of year you can plant bulbs but soil must be friable; place a pile of leaved on the top of the soil when you finnished to help slow the frost from getting down to the bulbs allowing them extra time to develop roots before freezing .
Dont forget to add a little bone meal to the soil in the bottom of the planting hole before adding bulbs as this gives the bulbs a boost.


I plant tulips twice the required depth allowing a layer of daffodils to be planted right on top; in this way the tulip bulb is protected from squirrels by the daffodil as tulips are a delicacy; and daffodils are poison to squirrels. This method has worked for years now and is better than just spreading blood meal on the soil as it must be reapplied after heavy rains.


About every four years I dig up the bulbs and replant them; this revigorates them as over time the flowers will become fewer as energy is used to produce new bulblets and these must be split off the older bulbs and replanted.


Hope this helps somene.

[Ogee]

Re: squirrels.
I have found a cheaper way to prevent squirrels from diggin' up your newly planted bulbs. Squirrels tend to did in recently disturbed ground, so after planting bulbs (and picking up any "skins" that have fallen about, squirrels smell them) I place leaves over top of the disturbed area and then prunings from shrubs or trees--rose braches work best as the thorns discourage them. The small branches from shrubs prevent the squirrels from getting a footing to dig.