Q: How do I keep my new daffodil bulbs safe before I plant them and what is the best way to plant them?
A: This is the season to get those bulbs in the ground. Bulbs have all their energy and next year's flowers stored in the fat, juicy bulb.
Choose your bulbs carefully, if you can. Some bulbs come packaged in a sealed box. If you can, inspect them for moldy spots, rotten soft places or shriveled-up tissues. If you find damaged ones in a box, remove them from the best ones and plant them in a separate hole.
Before planting, keep your bulbs in a cool location, out of heat and direct sunlight and plan to get them in the ground as soon as possible.
Planting a straight row of bulbs usually results in a very unsatisfactory design. Bulbs look best in large attention-getting groups that are informally planted in drifts. If you choose your daffodil location carefully, they can return and flower for many years.
Early bloomers can be planted under the light shade of tall, deciduous trees since they will finish blooming before the leaves emerge. However, don't plant under dogwoods or maples with dense thirsty root systems and heavy leaf cover. Your daffodil bulbs will live the longest in a full sun location, however, and late-blooming varieties certainly need a sunny spot.
For all bulbs, dig a large hole as deep as recommended by the growers for the size of the bulb. Place as many as 10 or 20 bulbs in each hole, spaced evenly about 4 to 5 inches apart. Be sure to soften the soil in the bottom of the hole and gently place the bulbs upright. You can add blood meal or bone meal to the next layer of soil,d then put a final layer of soil on top. Be sure to cover the bone meal layer to keep local dogs from digging up your bulbs. Tamp the soil and water in well and your bulbs should have a long life in their new home.
Contact Pat Lea at lea.pat@gmail.com.