Plant Spring-Flowering Bulbs Now

by Cathy Bylinowski, MU Extension- Jackson County Horticulture Instructor, [email protected]
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Spring bulbs add color to our spring gardens and to the beginning of the new gardening season. They can be planted among groundcovers and perennials. As these plants grow in the spring, they will hide the fading bulb foliage.

Spring flowering bulbs need to be planted in the fall, in well-drained soil in areas that receive part shade to full sun. Planting the bulbs about 2-3 times the height of the bulb is a general rule for planting depth. The bulbs need exposure to cold winter temperatures in order to bloom next spring. You should have plenty of time to purchase and plant spring bulbs this month.

Here’s a list of some of our favorite bulbs and tips for success:

Daffodils Narcissus spp.- Ranging from yellow, to white, to orange, daffodils’ unusual and variable flower shape and wonderful scent made them a good addition to our gardens. Daffodils last a long time and can be used to naturalize in flower beds and lawns. They need full sun and well-drained soil. A fertilizer high in phosphorus such as bone meal, helps the bulb develop a healthy root system. Plant bulbs 6-8 inches deep. Trim the old flower stems off. Daffodil foliage needs to photosynthesize to store food for next year’s growth. Do not cut off or bundle up the foliage.
 
Tulips Tulipa spp- Some tulips bloom well for one year and gradually lose vigor in subsequent years. Some landscape managers use them like an annual flower. If you want beautiful perennial tulips, select a variety such as Darwin hybrids or a species tulip; they live and bloom for many years.

Crocus Crocus vernus- Crocus have small, brightly colored flowers that bloom in early spring. Plant in full sun and well-drained soil. Crocus can be planted in a sunny lawn.
 
Wild hyacinth- Camassia scilloides- Looking for a Missouri native flowering bulb? Wild hyacinth is a good choice. The pale blue spike of flowers blooms in April and May in glades, prairies, and savannas in many parts of Missouri.  They need part sun to full sun to thrive. Many nurseries that supply native plants grow and sell this species.
 
Did you enjoy summer flowering bulbs and ornamentals in your yard this year? Don’t forget to store summer warm season bulbs before a freeze!

If you want to save money, try digging up cannas, caladiums, calla lilies, elephant ear caladiums, gladiolus, and dahlias after a light frost for next year. Let the roots or bulbs dry and then overwinter them in a cool, dark place, with good air circulation. A basement or room that does not get below freezing is a good place to store them. Trim off the foliage. Replant in late April or early May after the danger of frosts and freezes has passed. Plant in well-drained soil. 

Cannas- Cannas are tall and vigorous, with attractive foliage and vivid flowers all summer long. There are tall varieties that work well in the background and shorter varieties that can be planted towards the front of a bed. Cannas flower colors range from deep red to pink, to yellow. In zones 7-10, cannas are left outside all year, but in the Kansas City region, it is safer to lift them up for overwintering in a dry medium such as vermiculite or peat.
 
Grow Caladiums for their beautiful foliage. They thrive in shade and part shade. They like moist, well-drained soil. They can be grown in containers or in flower beds. 

Caladium leaves supply a wide variety of colors. Image by Jan Haerer from Pixabay

For more information on many kinds of ornamental plants, check out this chapter, for free when viewing online, from the Master Gardener Core Manual- https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/mg9
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If you need more flowering bulb or general gardening information, contact Extension Master Gardeners of Greater Kansas City Hotline, 816-833-TREE (8733) or email [email protected].