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- Q.What Is The Best Mulch To Cover Bulbs - I live in coastal southern Maine
- Q.Hi! I Live In Zone 7b, I Bought A Box Of Bulbs Last Year, But I Never Got Around To Planting Them. Will They Be Ok To Plant At The - end of this year (Nov /Dec) or should I try plant them now? I was trying to get the bed ...
- Q.When To Lift Summer Bulbs? - I am moving out of my apartment at the start of August. Last year I planted dahlia, gladiola & lilly ...
- Q.Bulbs - As an experienced gardener I planted lots of spring bulbs in pots and in the ground in groups. Unfortunately I ...
Asked by
Anonymous on
December 2, 2024Q.What Is The Best Mulch To Cover Bulbs
I live in coastal southern Maine
Answered by
GKH_Susan on
December 3, 2024
Certified ExpertA.Hardwood mulch works well and looks nice, but really, whatever you have handy will work.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/bgen/frost-protection-for-bulbs.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/mulch/best-mulch-for-garden.htm
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- Asked by
Anonymous on
January 23, 2025Q.Hi! I Live In Zone 7b, I Bought A Box Of Bulbs Last Year, But I Never Got Around To Planting Them. Will They Be Ok To Plant At The
end of this year (Nov /Dec) or should I try plant them now? I was trying to get the bed free of ivy and other weeds but it seems like a loosing battle. Any tips on that? One other thing is that I am pregnant and baby is due in Sep! I am not sure how much time I will have once he is born. Thank you for your time! ❤️
- Answered by
GKH_Susan on
January 23, 2025
Certified ExpertA.If the soil is not frozen, you can plant them now. If the soil is frozen, wait till it thaws to plant them (see the article below about storing them in fridge till the ground thaws). Since you need to plant the bulbs right away, the fastest way to get rid of the weeds is to spray the area with glyphosate (but the temperature needs to be above 50 degrees F.). Wait about a week to plant after spraying the weeds. Read and follow all label directions before using any insecticides.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/groundcover/english-ivy/kill-english-ivy.htm
Was this answer useful?00 - Asked by
Anonymous on
February 5, 2025Q.When To Lift Summer Bulbs?
I am moving out of my apartment at the start of August. Last year I planted dahlia, gladiola & lilly bulbs in two large containers on my balcony. I did not lift any of them for the winter and left them in the soil. I cannot take the large containers with me so I'm wondering should I just lift them all up now and not plant them this year. I don't want to leave them. But is it bad if they are kept out of soil and not planted this year? Moving bulbs would be easier than leaving them grow until August and then pulling them during growth/flowering.
- Answered by
GKH_Susan on
February 6, 2025
Certified ExpertA.You don't say what hardiness zone you are in but dahlias are only hardy to zone 8. If you are in a colder zone than that, they won't come back anyway. Glads are hardy to zone 8, or 7 if mulched heavily. So, again, if you are in a colder zone, they won't come back either. Calla lilies and canna lilies also are only hardy to zone 8. Hardy lilies, such as Asiatic and Oriental are generally hardy to zone 4, so they would be worth lifting if you are not in zones 1-3. Hardy lilies are best divided in the fall, but go ahead and dig them up when you need to. If it will be more than a couple of weeks till you can replant at your new location, go ahead and plant them in a pot that you can manage.
Here is more:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/dahlia/dahlia-care-grow-dahlia-plant.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/gladiola/storing-gladiola-corms.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/calla-lily/calla-lily-winter-care.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/canna/canna-lily-care.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/lily/dividing-lily-plants.htm
Was this answer useful?00 - Asked by
Anonymous on
April 15, 2025Q.Bulbs
As an experienced gardener I planted lots of spring bulbs in pots and in the ground in groups. Unfortunately I have only had, perhaps one bulb per group, that has produced a flower head. I haven’t had any problems in the past. Why is this?
- Answered by
GKH_Susan on
April 16, 2025
Certified ExpertA.It could be some type of critter chewed on the bulbs, they didn't get adequate nutrition, or the leaves were not allowed to wither.after floweirng last spring. If you had a mild winter, they may not have received enough chill hours. Another possibility is overcrowding if the bulbs have been in the same pot or ground for years. Here is more:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/bgen/bulb-plants-not-flowering.htm
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