SOIL PREPARATION: Make sure that you select a planting site with appropriate sunlight and good water drainage. Bulbs will not grow in an area with poor water drainage (they hate "wet feet"). For clay soil, add sand or peat moss. For sandy soil, add peat moss or aged leaf compost. Flower bulbs prefer a neutral Ph soil content. Do not add horse manure, mushroom compost or other "hot" manure or compost to your flower bulb beds. Large bulbs should be planted at 6-8" deep, small bulbs at 4". Dig 2-3" below the planting depth to loosen the soil for thorough root development. If you are in Zone 8 or warmer, we suggest that you consult a local nursery for horticultural information about precooling your bulbs to suit your specific micro-climate.

PLANTING: Plant your bulbs once the weather has turned consistently cool and before the ground has frozen. Large bulbs are planted 6-8" in depth at about 8-10" apart. Small bulbs are planted 4" in depth at 3-4" spacing. Both need Full to partial sun light. Feed your bulbs with fertilizer three times a year: at planting time in the fall; when the sprouts first push through the soil in the spring and when the foliage dies in the summer. This will assure you of the strongest blooms and the healthiest bulbs for future years of growth. Remember to lightly treat the surface of your garden bed instead of putting fertilizer in each hole. This will prevent the possibility of root burn. If there is a prolonged, dry fall, water your bulb beds occasionally. Cover the beds with 2-3" of mulch after the ground freezes. Mulching helps retain ground moisture and helps protect bulbs from temperature spiking. Some good mulching materials are: straw, salt marsh hay, oaks leaves and pine needles. In the early spring, remove the mulch as soon as the flower shoots emerge. Carefullly top dress your flower beds with a second application of bulb food. After your bulbs bloom, "dead head" the flowers as soon as they have faded, leaving the foliage and stems to die back naturally. Apply a third application of bulb food to strengthen the bulb. Remove dead foliage once it dies naturally. Bulbs are best left to regenerate in the ground.