Dan's Papers - May 30, 2008 - Earthly Delights by April Gonzales

Transplanting spring bulbs is easy to do whether they were in a pot or simply the wrong spot in the garden. Tulips that came in 6" pots are not really worth the effort though, consider them as an annual since so many tulips are really only good for one year. Daffodils, muscari or grape hyacinths and common hyacinths can all go into the ground now after having provided us all with some spring cheer in their planters and pots.

If you need to transplant bulbs from one spot to another, try to lift the bulbs out with a spade fork. This is a great tool that will do less damage than a shovel. If you use a shovel and you do not dig down deep enough or put the blade in at an angle versus straight into the soil, you may end up chopping the leaves off of the bulbs. A spade fork loosens up the dirt around the bulbs, allowing them come out easily and intact. Just put the fork in on three or four sides and gently lift up. Then split the group in half and replant with Bulbtone at the same original depth. And don't forget to water.

Taking bulbs from spring planters and adding them to the garden is a splendid way to add early color to the landscape, since the holes left by banks of spent daffodils are quite obvious. Later in the year the leaves of spring bulbs die down, leaving no clue as to their underground locations. If you need to add more than what you have on hand, be sure to mark the spot with a sturdy stake. Note the name of the daffodil or hyacinth type, and the amount you think that you may need to fill in, so that when fall bulb ordering time comes around you remember what you wanted, how many to buy, and where to plant them.

One thing to be aware of with the bulbs that come in pots in the spring is that they will need a lot of Bulbtone when they go into the ground. Some may have been forced to bloom in sequence with others, or held back for a longer bloom period. This year I replaced blue hyacinths early on and then replaced them again with white ones that had been kept for a longer time period in a dark cooler, and therefore did not bloom until mid May. Next year they will both begin to put up leaves at the same time. However, they will not flower so robustly, and may not for years to come, since the bulb needs to rebuild its energy and size. The white hyacinths have come back better for me and the size difference is not very noticeable. But occasionally, the blues come back as a lavender color in ensuing years, which probably has more to do with some cross pollination in the field.

Grape hyacinths fare better, they require less energy to produce a flower it seems, and rarely have a down year. In fact they spread into big healthy clumps rather quickly. But all of the bulbs will need to be planted at their regular depth, not the depth of the pot that they were in. Daffodils and hyacinths need to be 6" in the ground, grape hyacinths only need to be down 4".

Having been grouped in a pot these bulbs are conveniently organized for easy planting. It is possible to split them up and use a bulb planter but it is less labor intensive to plant them with a shovel, in their groups for a fuller effect.

Place some Bulbtone in the hole before you put in the bulbs and then mix a little in with the back fill since you will be planting these bulbs more or less like a perennial. Remember to water! A liquid feed of rooting hormone will get them off to a good start, and allow them to tap into the fertilizer that you have provided for them. Do not cut the leaves; they are needed to take up the energy provided by the fertilizer and to provide the sugars that replenish the bulb's energy.

For those looking to grow their own produce this year, it's time to prepare. A good liquid feed of fish emulsion or side dressing of a good dry organic fertilizer will help promote growth in the vegetable garden. Tomatoes, corn and peppers are heavy feeders, but the lettuces and peas will all do much better with a weekly application of fish emulsion or compost tea. This is doubly important in sandy soils that drain quickly.

Seed in second batches of Super Sugar Snap peas and lettuces now. If you have not yet tried it, the spiky, spicy leaves of rustic arugula, while slow to start, are a real treat later on. This veritable weed actually re-seeds itself in the garden and entire patches can come back on their own.

For more than 20 years, April Gonzales has been involved in garden design, installation and maintenance on the East End, as well as specimen plant scouting and site supervision for landscape architects.