Beginner’s Guide to Planting Fall Bulbs

Do you want beautiful flowers popping up in the early spring? Then the best time to plant them is in the fall! Here is everything you need to know about planting fall bulbs. 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m a lazy gardener. Or at least I prefer to be as lazy as I can. I once met a permaculture expert who said he only plants things that will work with the STUN method—Sheer. Total. Utter. Neglect.

With a farm, family, home, vegetable garden, and small business to run, any decorative plantings must be able to survive with STUN. 

That’s why fall-planted bulbs are right for me, and for you, if time is a limited resource but you still want some beauty at your home or farm next spring.

What are Bulbs?

Bulbs are kind of hard to define, but you know it when you see it. It’s not a seed; rather it’s a big, bulbous thing that stores a plant’s energy. There are a few different categories of bulbs: true bulbs, tubers, rhizomes, and corms.

Types of Bulbs

An example of true bulbs are tulip bulbs. They are one solid structure.

Tubers are kind of leathery lengths of plant material with eyes on the sides that are your growing buds. A dahlia is an example of a tuber.

Rhizomes are technically an underground stem that grow along the top of a soil surface or just underneath. An iris is a rhizome.

Corms are technically plant stems that are super compressed with a little bud just on the top. Crocuses are a type of corm.

Hardy Bulbs and Tender Bulbs

If you don’t want to remember all that, just remember that there are tender bulbs and hardy bulbs, which are planted at different times in the year.

Hardy bulbs are the kind you plant in the fall. They require a cold period (cold snap) for them to blossom the following year. They survive just fine underground, and they will typically bloom in the spring and early summer.

Tender bulbs are planted in the spring, they bloom during the summer, and then you have to dig them up in the fall before the ground freezes. They can’t survive cold temperatures so you have to store them in a cool, dry place until you plant them again each spring.

Obviously, I have zero plans to ever plant tender bulbs. Fall bulbs it is!

Where to Buy Bulbs

Thankfully just about every store these days will have bulbs available at the time you want to plant them. Wal-Mart’s garden centers, fleet supply stores—heck, sometimes even grocery stores get in bulbs each spring and fall when it is about time to plant.

Your local garden center will of course carry seasonally appropriate bulbs as well.

You can also order bulbs online or through catalogs. Our local Master Gardener program hosts a Horticulture Day each spring, and there are always bulb vendors.

Local gardening events are a great way to talk with gardening enthusiasts who will give you great information and help you pick the right bulbs for you.

When to Plant Bulbs

If you have tender bulbs, plant those in the spring, and then dig them up before it freezes. Things like dahlias, gladiolas, and begonias are all tender.

Hardy bulbs are planted in the fall, typically late September to early October depending on where you live (your USDA hardiness zone). 

When you buy bulbs, check the packaging. It should have a zone map on it that will tell you the right time to plant as well as other planting instructions.

Where to Plant Bulbs?

Some bulbs will need full sun, while others will do fine with partial shade. For all of your bulbs, pick a place that is fairly sheltered from harsh weather. 

Make sure the soil has good drainage, and try to avoid lower areas that are more likely to get frosts. 

Planting bulbs near your house can look really beautiful. Another added bonus of planting near the house is that it is typically a zone warmer than areas away from the house. This can help plants to bloom early. If late frost is a risk for you, keep that in mind so you can protect your blooms, or maybe plant elsewhere.

Since hardy bulbs are spring-blooming bulbs, you can plant them mixed among later-blooming annuals or even in shadier areas by trees. These early blooms will be all wrapped up by the time the tree canopy fills in.

Tools for Planting Fall Bulbs

The good news is that you don’t need much for a successful bulb planting. Here are the things I used to plant mine:

• Shovel or trowel
• Compost, leaf mulch, or peat moss (not sustainable so only use it if you already have it in the garden shed) 
• Chicken wire
• Garden staples
• Hose or watering can

Planting Fall Bulbs

Prepping the Site

Bulbs like healthy, well-drained soil. It’s a good idea to mix in organic matter like compost or leaf mulch into your planting area. 

Clear your planting site of any other plants. Dig up the location to the right depth with a shovel or tiller. The general rule of thumb is to plant the bulbs down 2–3 times its diameter. Keep that in mind for tilling.

Planting the Bulbs

Plant the bulbs in individual holes with the pointy side up. You can do them in a row or in a closer planting. I’ve read some places where they say to toss the bulbs on the ground and plant them where they land. The less you try to structure your bulb planting, the more attractive your garden bed will be. 

Once the bulbs in are in place, cover them with half of your removed soil. 

Now give them a good soak.

Add the rest of the soil to the top. 

Protect the Bulbs from Critters

This next step is optional but one I’m definitely doing. Get some chicken wire or other mesh wire, and cover your entire planting area. Secure the mesh in place with garden staples. 

Squirrels LOVE bulbs, and they will quickly dig up and eat your hard work. Chicken wire will prevent them from spoiling your spring blooms.

Watering Fall Bulbs

Lastly, water the soil a final time.

Now cover it with a layer of mulch—straw, leaves, wood, etc. 

It’s also a good idea to label your plantings so come spring you don’t mow them down on accident, and you remember what on earth you planted half a year ago.

As soon as your bulbs start popping in the early spring you can give them one nice soak if you haven’t had much rain. Otherwise if you have been getting a little rain at least weekly, they will just do their own thing!

Dividing and Replanting

As your bulbs continue to grow, you might find yourself with a great thick patch of daffodils, lilies, etc.

After a few years it is a good idea to divide the bulbs up (check out my guide to transplanting perennials) and thin out the patch. Otherwise the plants can compete too much for resources and crowd each other out.

These splits make great gifts to friends and neighbors, or you can start a new patch elsewhere on your property.

On the other hand, some bulbs don’t do as well as others and might dwindle down after a few years. You can simply replant in the same spot to refresh your patch.

If you have continued issues with the dying off, assess your planting location. A soil test might be helpful to determine if that is the issue. You should also assess the location. Does it get enough sun? Does the water drain effectively? Etc.

More from the Garden

• How to Remove Rust from Garden Tools
• Beginner’s Guide to Starting a Raspberry Patch
• How to Transplant Perennials

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Sources

University of Minnesota Extension

Organic Gardening Encyclopedia

Gardening Illustrated