If you love the blooming of hyacinths, tulips, and daffodils in the spring, you should remember that you have to plant these bulbs in the fall. Check out the handy chart of bulbs planted in the fall in your zone and order yours in advance or mark your calendar to ensure that you never forget.

Planting Bulbs for Spring Flowers

Bulbs that flower in spring are planted in the fall to give them enough time for their roots to grow during winter and come up in early spring. So, if you consider autumn to be the time to cease all gardening activities, think again. Fall is time to plant your bulbs. It is rather easy to stick bulbs in the ground but yet so magical too to see their lovely blooms emerging in either later winter or early spring.

You can order bulbs from a mail-order catalogue ahead of time to ensure that they arrive in time to be planted in the fall. Alternatively, you can make a note in your calendar to buy them in early fall. Planting time is typically late September to mid-October in northern climate to ensure that your bulbs grow before winter kicks in. (Tulips, however, are an exception since they can be planted late.) In southern climates, bulbs should be planted in mid-October through November; you may even plant them as late as December, but keep in mind that the longer you wait, the harder it will be for your bulbs to establish themselves.

Ensure that you only buy bulbs from reputable garden centers or nurseries. Keep in mind that second-rate bulbs don’t sprout at all, produce second-rate flowers, and usually don’t return year after year. You should not forget to plant extra for cutting so that you can transfer some of the spring color indoors.

Bulbs to Plant in the Fall

Here are the most popular bulbs that bloom in the spring but are planted during fall:

– Daffodils are popular because they are deer- and vole-resistant.

– Tulips look great when planted ‘en masse’ and when planted with grape hyacinth and typically bloom after daffodils.

– Snowdrop (Galanthus) are early spring blooming little white bells.

– Crocus come in a wide variety of colors and are a spring-flowering favourite.

– Jonquils naturalize and have tiny blooms. They are some of the first ones to bloom and look great when planted together in a field or grove.

– Gladiolus have tall lovely spikes and depending on the variety, they usually bloom in late spring to mid-summer.

– Irises are easy to grow, reliable, hardy, make lovely cut flowers and attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

– Hyacinth (grape hyacinth included) are small blue clusters of small bell-shaped blooms that are great for naturalizing.

When Should You Plant Bulbs?

Fall bulbs should be planted once the heat of summer passes, but prior to the ground freezing. Consult the Frost Dates Calculator to find out when your area will experience the first fall frost. In the lower South, a hard freeze is not common, so you can plant in early November.

Ideally, bulbs should be planted soon after purchase

– If you are unable to plant your bulbs immediately, store them in a dry area at about 60°F to 65°F since temperatures higher than 70°F can damage the flower buds.

– In the South where it is warmer, note that you have to treat some bulbs as annuals rather than perennials; they will bloom once and they will be done. For instance, you will need to plant your tulip bulbs again every year. However, they are a lovely sight and definitely worth the effort. Bulbs planted in fall, such as daffodils act as perennials and will come up every year.

– You may have to pre-cool some bulbs if you live in warm climates. The vast majority of bulbs that flower during spring require a cold period of anywhere from 12 to 16 weeks in ventilated packages in the bottom of your refrigerator at 40°F to 50°F before you plant them. Check with the supplier to find out whether the bulbs you buy have been pre-cooled or whether they require a cold treatment.

How Should You Plant Bulbs?

– Find a site with properly drained soil and lots of sun. Work several inches of compost into the soil before you plant.

– Bulbs look great when planted near the mailbox, in a grove, as colourful borders, or as swaths of colors in garden beds.

– Bulbs should be planted ideally at a depth of 3 times the bulb’s width.

– Water your bulbs well after you plant them and use mulch to hold in moisture and keep the weeds down.

– Plant bulbs generously should some fail to sprout. You should also plant them in random order and spacing to create a more natural appearance. If you love blanketed landscapes of tulips or groves of daffodils, be ready to purchase and plant many bulbs.

– Do you have squirrels or voles in your area? If so, you should consider planting bulbs in a “cage” fashioned with chicken wire. You should also check out the tips for preventing squirrel and vole damage. Alternatively, plant some rodent proof bulbs.

Interested in a multitude of blossoms? Check our post on The Mock Orange

For the most part, the mock orange ( Philadelphus coronarius) is deciduous with many stems and a spread that is as wide as it is high. Scientifically, it is classified as a shrub, but many people who have a mock orange in their yard will insist that it is a tree.

Mock orange shrubs are rich with aromatic flowers and sweet nectar that attracts butterflies.

The “mock” in the title means that this is not actually an orange tree. However it does bear a strikingly similar aroma of citrus zest. When many plants are referred to as “mock” or “false”, this usually means that this plant has similarities to another. Like the false cypress for example.

Common Name –– Mock Orange Tree, Mock Orange Shrub, Mock Orange Bush
Plant Type –– Deciduous Shrub
Mature Size –– from 6 – 12-ft. high and 6 – 12-ft. wide
Sun Exposure –– Full sun / partial shade
Soil Type –– Well-drained soil
Flower Color –– White
Soil pH –– 6 to 8
Hardiness Zones –– 4 through 8
Bloom Time –– Spring
Native Areas –– Southeast Europe and Italy

How to Grow Mock Orange Shrubs

Mock orange plants put on a magnificent display during the spring, but then pretty much do nothing else for the rest of the year. They are simply not attractive enough to be considered specimen plants. Massed along the hedges they can create an effective privacy barrier and in the spring the cut flowers are terrific aromatics and gifts.

The fragrance is one of the major selling points for the mock orange, but not all cultivars are as fragrant as the rest. If you will be buying a mock orange for its fragrance, the best place to begin is in the nursery where all fragrances can be examined one by one. You can also take time to read the descriptions but sampling the smells is the only way to know for sure.

Remember that these flowers are more fragrant in the evenings than the mornings.

Light

These plants need full exposure to light or at least partial exposure for best results. Those plants placed in the sunlight will produce the most blossoms.

Soil

The mock orange plant thrives best in moist soil with excellent drainage. When planting your mock orange, dig dep and prepare to spread it roots outward.

Water

The mock orange is relatively drought tolerant but your will still want to avoid letting the soil dry out all the way. The root system of these plants is especially tough so some older plants can survive on less water.

Temperature and Humidity

The mock orange is hardy in the winter and don’t require any winter protection even when temperatures drop below freezing. Then they will blossom in the spring.

Fertilizer

Use regular compost, manure or bark hummus when planting the mock orange and then add some more compost in the spring. You should stay away from high-nitrogen fertilizers as these will cause leaf growth issues and even prevent full blossoming capacity.

Varieties of Mock Orange Shrubs

There are over 60 different varieties of the mock orange.

Aurea is a compact mock orange cultivar with golden leaves, it grows between 8 to 10 feet high.

Variegatus is even shorter and will only reach a height of 6ft. As its name suggests it has a lovely variegated foliage of greens and white.

Minnesota Snowflake (P. coronarius) is another popular variety of the mock orange and known for an especially pleasant fragrance from its blossoms. Of course, this will vary between each individual cultivar. The plants bear pretty green leaves and white flowers in the spring. The Minnesota snowflake will grow as tall as 8-ft X 8-ft.

Pruning

Mock oranges bloom on last year’s growth so make sur you are pruning your shrubs immediately after the blooming season. Prune off the outer facing buds from stems that have just finished flowering and cut away any badly formed or positioned stems as well.

As the shrub grows the long whip-like stems can become a little unkempt. This is when you can begin applying the 1/3 rule just as you would when pruning a lilac tree. Each year when doing the pruning, you will prune the 1/3 of stems that are the olds. Prune these all the way down to the roots and in a few years your mock orange shrub will look brand new.

Even if your mock orange tree has become wildly overgrown, you shouldn’t worry because a healthy tree will respond well even to a lot of pruning in the spring. Begin just before the flowering season begins and prune all the branches that need trimming down to the ground level. You may not enjoy a splendid blossom array that year, but the plant’s energy will begin moving into new branches and the next year should be even better.

Month: August 2019