How to Plant 100 Tulips in 30 Minutes
ARA Content
(ARA) - Every fall intrepid gardeners ponder their properties and plan
for the new year. Or, more likely, every spring property owners drive
about and jealously wonder why they did not plan ahead for beautiful
spring colors bursting from tulips, daffodils and crocus. Well, now is
the time to plan ahead and get your garden in shape.
If you want a high visual impact with early spring colors, then Tim
Schipper, a third generation flower bulb merchant, advocates planting 100
tulips as the best way to go. His company, Colorblends, may be one of
the best-kept secrets in the gardening world. This family-owned
wholesaler has supplied top-quality flower bulbs to the trade for more than 90
years. Now Colorblends accepts orders from private customers, too.
“Planting for mass effect really draws the eye. Tulips in large
coordinated combinations put on a great show, ” says Schipper. His company
specializes in colorful combinations of tulips and other flowering bulbs
for spring displays called “Nature’s Fireworks.” Though Colorblends
minimum order quantities -- 100 tulips or 50 daffodils -- may seem
intimidating at first, Schipper emphasizes that planting in quantity is both
easy and rewarding. “One hundred tulips will fill a 20-square-foot bed
perfectly, so we¹re really talking about an area almost anyone can dig
up, plant and cover in 30 minutes. Don¹t bother with those little
single bulb planters. They’re tiring to use and they don’t give a bulb the
best start. You don’t even need to fertilize bulbs the first season. All
you need is a garden shovel or spade.” Tim’s method is perfect for
planting colorful spring beds that add landscape value to your property or
for cut flowers at only 30 cents a stem.
* Getting Ready
“Bulb size matters, says Schipper. “Larger, healthy bulbs simply
produce superior plants with more impressive flowers. Why go through the
task of planting and spoil the end result by using smaller bulbs? The
savings are negligible and the time and effort of digging them in is
probably more expensive than the bulbs themselves.” Fall planting begins
when soil temperatures start dropping to 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once you have your bulbs, unpack them immediately and store in a dry,
dark and cool place (50 to 65 degrees) until you are ready to plant.
* Choosing Your Site
For best results pick a spot that gets at least six hours of direct
sunshine a day and has well drained soil. For 100 bulbs planted at the
recommended five per square foot, you’ll need an area of about 20 square
feet. Dragging up your old math skills, you may remember that the area
of a square or rectangle is length times width. So, for 100 bulbs
you’ll need to mark out an area of say four feet by five feet or maybe two
feet by ten feet.
* Planting
As a general rule the planting depth (measured from top of bulb to soil
level) should be two to three times the greatest diameter of the bulb.
If your soil is very sandy, plant a bit deeper, in heavy clay somewhat
less deep. Keep in mind that given planting depths are measured to the
top of the bulb; thus plan to excavate the area one to two inches
deeper. The depth of planting will help to protect the bulbs against frost,
animals, and physical damage due to hoeing and light cultivating. For
100 tulips the planting depth will be seven inches to the base of the
bulb.
For planting large quantities of bulbs in beds or borders follow these
directions (see accompanying photos):
* Dig out an area of 5 feet square, 7 inches deep. Place the soil on a
sheet of plywood or cardboard. (15 minutes).
* Place the bulbs evenly and position points up. Some bulbs may end up
sideways or upside down when covered. Don’t worry -- they will grow
properly thanks to geotropism: plants always grow opposite gravity. (5
minutes).
* Slide half the soil from the plywood onto the bulbs and tamp down
lightly. If the soil is dry at the time, water thoroughly. The water
will wash the soil in around the bulbs eliminating air pockets and will
start the bulbs rooting. Finish covering the bulbs with the remaining
soil. (10 minutes)
Wash up and wait for spring! The lush beds of flowers that spring up
wherever you’ve planted this way will change the way you feel about
tulips and other spring bulbs forever.
You can find Colorblends on the web at www.colorblends.com or call toll
free (888) 847-8637.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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Last modified: 08/13/03
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