When to Plant Fall Flower Bulbs: East Central

Yours is an excellent area for most spring-flowering bulbs with moderately cold winters, ample moisture, and warm to hot summers.

General Instructions:

Plant bulbs in the fall, starting when nighttime temperatures stay between 40-50°F. But be sure to plant approximately six weeks before the ground freezes to allow sufficient time for rooting. Flower bulbs will root best in cool soil and once rooted undergo natural changes that keep them from freezing. Water your bulbs after planting to help them start the rooting process.

After planting, apply slow release "bulb food" fertilizer on the top of the ground to supply nutrients for the second year's bloom. (Fall bulbs are already fully charged with energy for peak flowering performance in their first spring bloom season.) Do not put the fertilizer in the hole with the bulb's tender roots.

Please note: Modern bone meal often draws rodents and dogs that dig up the bulbs looking for bones!

After the ground cools or freezes, cover your beds with a lightweight mulch (pine needles, buckwheat hulls, straw, or chopped up leaves) 2 — 4 inches thick to help keep down weeds and maintain a consistently cool soil temperature.

A Sampling of Flower Bulbs for Perennializing (Return for Several Years):

• Most Narcissus (Daffodils) — Dutchmaster, Fortissimo, Pink Charm, and Tete-a-Tete
• All Darwin Hybrid Tulips — Grand Mix, Pink Impression, Red Oxford, and Golden Oxford
• All Emperor Tulips — Red and White

A Sampling of Bulbs for Naturalizing (Return & Multiply):

• Most Narcissus (Daffodils) — Tete a Tete, Ice Follies, The Poet's Daffodil, and Mount Hood
• All Emperor Tulips — Red and White
• All Wild Tulips — Lilac Wonder and Wildflower Mix

Other Fall-Planted Bulbs for Zones 5-7

• Wood Hyacinth Blue
• Wood Hyacinth Pink
• Wood Hyacinth Mix

Shop for Fall Bulbs