Landscape Care Tips: How to Care for Spring Flowering Bulbs

Spring flowering bulbs can be a long-term part of your landscape if you follow a few simple steps. Happy and healthy bulbs develop and multiply when cared for. After several years of growth, you will often be left with many more plants that you started with. If not given proper care, they simply die off.

Caring For Your Flowering Bulbs

If you want to prolong the life span and encourage the development of your spring flowering bulbs, you must provide them with a little extra care. Here are a few steps to follow for most common spring flowering bulbs.

Always remove the old flowers and any seed heads that form after the flowers fade and get brown. This step saves wasted energy, keeping it in the bulb where it is needed to develop flowers for next year. Production of seed pods can take more energy from the bulb than the flower itself.

Don't remove the foliage until it turns brown. Without the foliage, the bulb cannot develop energy to re-bloom next year. While the foliage may look messy, it only lasts for a few months. If it really bothers you, cut the foliage in half. While this is still not the best, it is better than removing it all. When the foliage does turn brown, you can pull it off easily. If you pull it while still green, it can seriously damage or kill the bulb.

Bulbs need fertilizer just like any other plant. The best way to get phosphorus into the root zone is to put it in the bottom of the planting hole or depression. Phosphorus does not wash into the soil; you must dig it in. However, nitrogen and potassium can both be added as a liquid or dry mix to the soil as the bulbs grow. Fertilize in the spring when bulbs are just sprouting and then again after flowering to encourage next year's blooms.

A layer of mulch provides insulation against rapid temperature changes and moisture loss. It also protects the small sprouts that tend to pop through the soil surface in the late fall. Compost or bark dust is a good choice and adds a great looking finish to a fall bulb planting. After planting, cover the soil with a layer at least 2 inches deep and be sure to maintain that layer over the years. After that, just enjoy the color spring after spring for years to come.

Also see: Fall Planting of Spring Flowering Bulbs

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