I love seeing all the tulips blooming in the spring, but I never get organized in time to plant them in the fall. This year is going to be different. When is the best time to plant bulbs and what do I need to know? TB

The time to plant tulip bulbs is the fall and early winter. We can’t give you a definite date, but you should wait until soil temperatures are in the 50s. As I write this article, 4” soil temperatures in the area are in the upper to mid 60s so we need to wait a little longer. To check the temperature of the soil, you can get a soil thermometer or check on mesonet.org. The Mesonet is a cooperative effort between OSU and OU to provide weather information throughout the state. Each county has at least one weather station, so check the Mesonet for when it’s bulb planting time.

While it may not be time to plant yet, it is time to start getting the bulbs you are going to want to plant. Most garden centers are well stocked right now as are the mail order houses. But that usually changes as we get closer to planting time.

Let’s admit it; purchasing bulbs is mostly an emotional decision based on the following criteria - ooohhh, that one’s pretty. And there’s nothing wrong with that but here’s some things to factor in if you can.

First, it would be good to consider bloom time since different bulbs bloom at different times. There are the early bloomers like crocus, hyacinth, and some tulips. Next are the mid-bloomers like tulips and daffodils. Then there are the late bloomers like allium, iris, bluebells, and the rest of the tulips. Mixing up blooming times will help keep your landscape colorful for a longer period of time.

Next up, you will have to decide where plan to plant your bulbs. Admit it, most of us purchase first and then figure out where we are going to plant. There are probably a few that are organized and have diagrams of their gardens, but seriously, who needs that much organization in their lives.

Bulbs will do best in well-drained soil because wet to damp soil can cause your bulbs to rot. And if your soil has a high clay content, mix in some organic matter such as manure or compost into the top 12 inches of the soil. Sun is not usually a worry because the bulbs tend to bloom before most of the trees fully leaf out. But summer blooming bulbs will need a location that gets full sun.

The amount of phosphorus in your soil is important to bulbs. To know your phosphorus levels, you can get a soil test from the OSU extension. We talked about this last week, but If you don’t have time to get a soil test, you can mix a little bonemeal into the soil before planting. Bonemeal contains about 12% phosphorus. Just follow the directions on the package when trying to determine how much to add. In spring, when you first start to see the bulb’s leaves starting to break the surface of the soil, add a little 10-10-10. Do not fertilize after they start blooming.

Bulbs are kind of fun to plant in that planting bulbs doesn’t require digging a big hole with a shovel…usually. You can dig out a large area for a concentration of flowers or you can use something like a bulb planting tool. A garden trowel also works well. Some people even purchase an attachment for their portable drills. But for me, that kind of disturbs the peacefulness of the garden, but that’s probably just me.

One thing to remember is that bulbs are planted at different depths depending on the size of the bulb. Plant your bulbs at a depth of about two to three times as deep as the bulb is tall. And be sure to plant them with the larger end down and their noses up.

If you have a problem with gophers in your yard, you should consider taking some additional precautions since your gophers will love dining on your bulbs. To discourage the gophers from getting to your bulbs, you can dig a small trench of the appropriate depth for your bulbs and then line the bottom of the trench with something like chicken wire. You then place your bulbs on top of the chicken wire, cover with some soil, and then place more chicken wire on top of the bulbs. The chicken wire will hopefully discourage your gopher friends. If this sounds like too much trouble you can just roll the dice and hope the gophers don’t discover your bulbs.

After planting, water them well. Adding a little mulch on top wouldn’t hurt either. However, if you are planting early blooming bulbs like crocus or grape hyacinth, don’t cover them with mulch since mulch will delay when the soil warms up in the spring.

In the spring after your bulbs have blooms and have lost their flowers, resist the temptation to cut down the green foliage since this greenery is helping the plant store up energy for next year’s growth. Once the foliage turns yellow or dies back you can cut it back. At this point the bulbs are dormant until they wake up when temperatures begin to cool again in the fall.

People always ask if they should dig up their bulbs when they have gone dormant or leave them in the ground. The answer is really up to you. Since bulbs are usually done about the time we start planting our summer flowers, some people like to dig up the bulbs to make room for new plants. Others just like to leave them be and wait to see what they do next year. Others dig up and throw away their bulbs each spring to start fresh in the fall. This is an opportunity for you to do whatever brings you the most joy. See you in the garden!

You can get answers to all your gardening questions by calling the Tulsa Master Gardeners Help Line at 918-746-3701, dropping by our Diagnostic Center at 4116 E. 15th Street, or by emailing us at mg@tulsamastergardeners.org. Photo: Tom Ingram