Mid-summer is good time to start planning for spring bulbs

It's July and time to think about spring-blooming bulbs. If you rely on specialty catalogs, now is the time to get your order in. I know it's hard to think about fall planting when we're struggling with triple-digit heat, but September will be here before you know it, and that's the ideal time to get most of the spring bulbs in the ground.
Bulbs are probably the easiest to grow, for beginning gardeners as well as those more experienced. They are a complete package, already containing everything needed to bring bright promise to the garden as winter ends.
Flowers have already formed inside the brown dry wrappings of the plants we call bulbs, along with the nourishment they will need to grow and thrive. And while they will tolerate a good deal of neglect, they respond best when they have the proper attention from the beginning.
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden offers a delightful little book called "100 Tips and Timesavers," which includes basic hints for planting and growing bulbs. It deals with many other areas of growing things, of course, but I found the information on bulbs most informative.
Most spring flowering bulbs should go into the ground in late September, with the exception of tulips and hyacinths, which need about six weeks of chilling in the refrigerator (not the freezer) to establish dormancy.
I've always recommended planting the tulips and hyacinths the day after Thanksgiving. It helps deal with all the goodies we tend to consume on the holiday.
Before planting any of the bulbs, however, give thought to preparing the soil. Amend it with compost and make sure it drains well, especially if you'd like the bulbs to naturalize. Most bulbs like to be on the dry side, not soggy.
Then, says the BBG, follow the "three times" rule. Plant each bulb three times as deep as it is high. Thus a 2-inch bulb would be planted 6 inches deep. Space the bulbs about 3 inches apart.
Don't line them up like soldiers at attention. Instead, group them, 12 to 15 together in the same hole. This will give a more natural effect. For daffodils (Narcissus) dig a hole about a foot deep. Fill the bottom with 4 inches of compost and set the bulbs on it and cover with more compost. Top it off with the soil you dug from the hole.
For smaller bulbs, such as glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa luciliae), crocuses and Spanish bluebells (Hyacinthoides hispanica), dig the hole about 8 inches deep.
After planting, water the bulb bed, then cover with mulch such as chopped leaves, straw or shredded bark. Fall rains will usually keep the bulbs watered, but if they don't, water the bed about once a week. Adequate moisture is essential for the bulbs to develop a good root system in the early stages of growth.
Fertilize well in early spring. After the flowers fade, prune off the seed heads but don't cut back the foliage. This supplies nourishment for the next season's development.
Plant the bulbs among perennials so that the emerging foliage will hide the yellowing leaves of the bulbs, or use annuals between the bulbs for the same purpose.
Daffodils tend to multiply rapidly, so if there are fewer flowers in a year or two, the bed is probably crowded and needs to be replanted. Six to eight weeks after blooming use a spading fork to dig up the entire bed, gently removing the bulbs. Apply several inches of compost and replant some of the bulbs, spacing them about three inches apart. Cover with more compost and soil and water well. Plant the extra bulbs in another spot or give them to friends. They may also be planted in tubs or containers. Just be sure the pots are deep enough.
To order books from the BBG, call (718) 623-7286 or shop at the online store at www.bbg.org/gardengiftshop.
Helen Bale can be reached at htbale@infostations.com.