Brighten Your Spring With These Fall Bulb Planting Tips

Hard to believe, but now is the time to start thinking about planting those bulbs that will pop up after winter. What do you need to know before turning up the soil? Brian Jervis, a horticulturist with the OSU Extension Office, stopped by the studio to talk with LeAnne about some advice for planting those bulbs.

LeAnne: I love thinking about planting things now that will surprise me after winter.

Brian: That's right! When you think of tulips in the spring, they look so beautiful, but there's some work to do in the fall to get them to look that way.

LeAnne: Right now, we’ve had super dry weather and it’s still very warm.

Brian: Fall is usually an easy time to grow things and get them in the ground, but we're dry. We really need to get some water on our landscape. We’ve had quite a few calls from people saying their plants are browning out early. It's simply due to a lack of water. Plants are trying to go dormant, but they don’t have enough moisture to hydrate them. So, we should be watering deeply right now—everything from trees to grass.

LeAnne: Now, let’s move on to bulbs. What do we need to be thinking about?

Brian: Bulbs are a great way to brighten up the spring, and planting them now gets you out in the fall to put things in the ground. When you plant them, it allows their roots to be established quickly. They go through a chilling period over the winter, which helps them as well. Amaryllis is great. You see those around Thanksgiving and Christmas. They have a long stalk and big, pretty flowers. You just put it in a pot, water it weekly, and watch it grow. It’s super easy.

LeAnne: And tulips are my favorite.

Brian: Tulips are very easy! I often use them as annuals. I usually don’t like plants that last for just a week, but they give you a beautiful display in early spring when not much else is blooming. You can find a variety of colors like yellow, pink, and red. There are many options available, from frilly petals to plain ones. You can also explore hyacinths and crocuses, which are perennial bulbs that come back every year.

LeAnne: I’ve always thought all bulbs had to be planted every year, but some stay in the ground.

Brian: Crocuses pop up and are often planted under trees. As spring warms up, they bloom beautifully and then go away.

LeAnne: What about irises?

Brian: Irises are rhizomes that tend to bloom later, but bearded irises can bloom as early as May, compared to tulips, which come up around February or March. Preparing the ground is easy—just pull back the mulch and plant the bulb at a depth of about 2 to 3 times its height.

LeAnne: What about using organic meal?

Brian: Bone meal has been a favorite for many. It’s not strictly necessary, but if it works for some, I won’t argue. You can mix a tablespoon in with the soil—it won’t hurt anything and will provide phosphorus for flowers.

LeAnne: It may seem premature since we're just finishing up summer, but doing this work now will pay off later.

Brian: Yes, hopefully, we’ll get some fall weather soon. And for fescue, if we’d planted it a month ago, it would have struggled due to the dry conditions. It won’t germinate until the soil is moist.