October 23, 2021 the coming and going time

Dahlia

It’s a cold, drizzly gray day here, a preview of November. I gave in and let my poor shivering husband turn on the furnace. I spent yesterday bringing in the last of the potted stuff, as it may freeze tonight. I dug up several huge taro plants and repotted them and the last of the geraniums in one container on the deck.  I remembered this morning that there is a purple eucomis out there that needs to be dug but it will have to wait a day or two.  It will be fine if the foliage is killed.

I do expect a freeze tonight if this rain clears out. That should end things in the garden. There are still things in bloom, the salvia ‘Love and Wishes’ is blooming, morning glories are blooming, roses, mums, black eyed Susans, even some zinnias and cosmos are still blooming.  The tuberous and bedding begonias, one million bells plant and alyssum in my containers are all still blooming, although the petunias have given up.

I started to dig up the tuberous begonias yesterday but made myself quit. The house is packed with plants, and they are easy to acquire in the spring. I keep reminding myself not to save everything.  I did save the special, daffodil flowered one and I brought in one pot of fibrous begonias that was especially pretty.

Yesterday I picked all the dahlia blooms because they will be killed by a freeze and I will dig those dahlia tubers this coming week too, as well as some potatoes.  And I have bulbs to plant, quite a few, so I hope we get some sunny weather next week. It doesn’t have to be that warm, just not raining. The article below is about just that- digging and planting bulbs.

I am still fussing with lights inside the house, trying to get timers right and making sure everything gets light.  Our electric bill should be climbing now.  The thing I hate most about Michigan in winter is the lack of sunlight, we get so many cloudy gray days here.

There are still big flocks of robins feasting on autumn olive berries here.  I am still hearing red winged blackbirds and killdeer and seeing turkey vultures soaring around. But my feeders are still not as full of birds as they were in other years.

I have seen an all brown and an all black wooly bear caterpillar as well as some with both colors. That folk myth of the wooly bears color deciding what kind of winter we will have is plainly not true. Actually, wooly bear caterpillar color is random and more likely due to genetics than weather.  Of course, the human weather forecasters are kind of confused this year too, it seems.

Bulbs-digging and planting

It’s that time of year when gardeners are either planting bulbs or digging them up. If you want flowers in the spring like tulips and crocus, you plant them now. If you had some nice bulb and tuber plants such as cannas, dahlias and calla lilies in the garden this summer you may want to dig them up and store them over the winter. Start them early in spring indoors or just plant them in the garden after danger of frost has passed in the spring.

Here’s a list of summer blooming bulbs and tubers that can be dug and stored dormant over winter. Canna, calla, dahlias, glads, crocosmia, peacock orchids, tuberous begonias, eucomis (pineapple lilies), taro, and elephant’s ears.  Remember you don’t have to dig these bulbs, you can treat them like annuals, but in planting zones lower than 7 they will die over the winter, and you will need to buy new ones in spring.

Here’s a list of spring blooming bulbs and tubers that need to be planted in fall, in the ground or in large outside containers, for spring bloom. Tulips, daffodils, narcissus, crocus, hyacinths, fritillaria, snowdrops, corydalis, windflowers, trilliums, alliums, blood root, trout lilies, and there are many more spring blooming bulbs/tubers. Try something new every year if you can.

Lilies can be planted in spring or fall. They do not need to be dug and stored inside for winter. A few types of lilies are not winter hardy in all zones so check the zone hardiness before planting.

Peonies and a few other perennials are also planted in the fall and do not need to be dug up each year and stored if they are hardy in your planting zone.

Digging up bulbs and tubers for storage

I like to remove the summer blooming bulbs and tubers before I plant the spring blooming bulbs because it allows me to find places to pop the spring blooming bulbs in without lots of foliage in the way. So, after the first frost has killed or damaged the foliage of summer bulbs and tubers, I dig them. First, I cut back most of the foliage, leaving just enough to be able to handle the clumps easily.

I try to dig the summer bulbs and tubers on a warm sunny day if possible. I take a small shovel and loosen the soil all around the foliage clump. Most of these summer bulbs have grown larger than when you planted them and may have produced new bulbs and tubers.  So, I loosen a large circle around them, putting the shovel blade all the way into the soil all around the clump.

Next my preference is to get down there with my hands and try to lift the clump out of the ground.  I sometimes need to dig a little deeper to get under the clump.  I do this gently so as not to break off tubers or cut through bulbs or tubers.  Sometimes you can grasp remaining foliage and just lift up the clump. Check the site thoroughly for additional bulbs or tubers as many have multiplied.

Once the clump of bulbs or tubers is lifted out of the ground I shake or brush as much soil off the clump as possible. I like to let them dry in the sun for a few hours after digging. Then I brush more soil off if needed. If you cut through a bulb or tuber, you should discard it. Tubers or bulbs that break off a main stem or clump can be saved.  Many of them will grow in the spring.

I put my bulbs and tubers in net bags I save from year to year so I can keep varieties separate. I save net bags from spring planted bulbs or things like onions and oranges.  Sometimes I have so many tubers from some things that I use a separate bucket for that variety.  (You can use paper bags for storing bulbs and tubers but don’t use plastic bags.)

Mark the bulbs with the variety name or plant color by attaching a tag to the bag you put them in. You don’t need to do this if that information isn’t important to you, but I like to know the name or color because it helps me decide where to plant them in the garden in the spring. If your dahlia tubers are clean enough you can use a marker and write the name of the variety right on the tuber. It won’t hurt them.

Once bagged I put the bulbs and tubers in buckets or boxes filled with wood shavings. I lightly moisten the shavings by dumping some in a large tub and adding a small amount of water – I want the shavings to feel barely damp, so I add water a little at a time.

I put some damp shavings on the bottom of a container, add some bulbs and tubers, then more shavings, then more bulbs, in layers. The top should be completely covered with shavings.  If you don’t have shavings, you can use dry leaves, sawdust, peat moss, chopped straw, vermiculite, or even shredded paper. I have found that pine shavings are the best medium for storing bulbs in but others like different substances.  

After the bulbs and tubers have been packed in something the containers should be set in a dark, cool area.  The temperature should not go below freezing but should not go above 45 degrees F for best storage.  This should be an area that does not get rain or snow, you need to control the moisture.

By the way if you have an old refrigerator and don’t have tons of bulbs and tubers to store you could store them there.  Set the frig to stay between 40-45 degrees F.

As an alternative way to store bulbs and tubers you can cut back the foliage of potted plants and bring the whole pot inside to a cool, dark place.  I often do this with calla lilies and begonias that were growing in pots over the summer. I have done this with things like rain lilies and eucomis (pineapple lilies) also. I usually cut the foliage back on these or let it die back naturally in a cool, dark place.

I have even brought in huge potted cannas with their foliage intact, in this case I took them into a cool, bright area and let them continue to grow and even bloom for a while. You keep these watered. They do need a rest period though, even if it’s short. So, after a few weeks inside let the pots dry out, cut back the foliage and move the pots to a dark cool place.

Check your bulbs/tubers for mold about 2 weeks after you store them.  This is the most dangerous period as it is when the bulbs/tubers are often still damp. If the tuber/bulb still feels firm, you can wipe off mold and let the bulb/tuber air dry for a day or two before putting in back in storage. If any bulbs/tubers feel soft or mushy, they should be discarded.

Check your stored bulbs and tubers once a month. Discard soft, molded ones and replace the packing material, or spread it out somewhere and let it dry, if it feels too moist.

If tubers or bulbs feel and look shriveled, they may be too dry. Add just a little moisture to the packing material. Lower the temperature of the storage area if you can. If its close to spring, say late March, you can pot up the bulbs and tubers in damp growing medium, put them in a brightly lit place above 50 degrees but below 70 degrees and let them get a head start on spring.

 

Asiatic lilies- plant in fall or spring

Planting bulbs and tubers

Planting bulbs and some tubers for spring bloom is a pretty easy job. You can do it anytime until the ground freezes but planting them a month before that is ideal. If you are in planting zones 8 and higher you need to buy pre-chilled bulbs.  Or you can store bulbs in your refrigerator for about 8 weeks before planting. These bulbs need a cold dormant period to bloom.

Finding a spot where you don’t hit dormant bulbs and tubers from last year can be a problem, at least in my garden. Hopefully you have pictures of your garden in the spring so you can look at them and get an idea where things were planted last year. If you do dig up bulbs and tubers and they aren’t too damaged, just replant them.

The rule of thumb is to plant bulbs about 3 times as deep as their height. A tulip bulb that’s 2 inches high should be planted 6 inches deep. But for tubers and some bulbs there are often other considerations. So, make sure to check the label directions or look up those plants before you get started.

You can make individual holes or dig up a larger area, space the bulbs and then cover them. Spacing of bulbs depends on the species, so look at the directions. But I find most people spread the bulbs out too far, bulbs look better when closely planted. It can seem like a lot when you look at planting 100 bulbs, but really that 100 bulbs doesn’t look like much in the spring if they are widely spaced.

Also, unless you have a specific design in mind don’t plant bulbs in single, long rows as this doesn’t look natural. Plant them staggered, in groups of least 3-5 bulbs or in several rows back to back.

While it may look bare when you are planting the bulbs/tubers in the fall, consider what might be growing there in the spring. Bulbs that bloom early can get tucked close to hosta and other large perennials because they will bloom and be done before the plants get large. But later blooming bulbs may have their blooms smothered by fast developing perennial plants.

Similarly, bulbs and tubers that need sun can often be planted under deciduous trees and they will bloom and mature their foliage before the tree casts much shade. But if a later blooming bulb that needs sun is planted under that same tree it may not do well.

If you want spring blooming bulbs to return each year their foliage needs to yellow and die down naturally. Consider this when you plant them. I like to plant bulbs in the perennial garden where the yellowing foliage will be hidden by growing perennials. That’s why planting things like crocus and bluebells in the lawn needs to be considered carefully. Are you willing to let the grass grow long until the bulb foliage has matured?

Some tulip bulbs do not return reliably the second year. Read the variety description and look for tulips described as perennial. Still, you will probably lose some bulbs every year. For this reason, I plant some kind of new tulip variety every fall.

Critter problems

One of the most common problems people have with bulb planting is having animals dig up and eat the bulbs. When you plant try to leave the area looking like the soil is undisturbed, freshly dug earth is attractive to squirrels in particular. And cats don’t eat bulbs but like to “use” freshly dug areas and may dig bulbs out of the ground. So after planting cover the area with a mulch of leaves, or maybe the debris from your perennial plants. You can add a layer of chicken wire or fencing but it must be removed in early spring.

DO NOT USE BONEMEAL WHEN PLANTING BULBS. This is the number one reason many bulbs get dug up and eaten. Many species of animals are attracted to the smell of bonemeal, and they can smell it underground. Also, you do not need to use fertilizer when you plant bulbs, but if you want to use it, use a fertilizer that does not have bonemeal or bloodmeal and that’s meant for bulbs. Scatter it on top of the area you planted, don’t put it in bulb holes.  

Daffodil, narcissus, fritillaria and allium bulbs are not bothered by animals as much as other bulbs. They are rarely eaten but can still be dug out of the ground.

Here is another thing to be aware of, some bulbs such as daffodils are poisonous to dogs. Dogs will eat things other animals won’t unfortunately. I almost lost a small dog after it ate part of a daffodil bulb. Keep your dogs away from areas where you are planting bulbs. Your little helper may grab a bulb without you knowing it.

Make sure to mark or make a map as to where you planted what bulbs or tubers. No, you won’t always remember. And it helps in the spring when you want to plant some dormant perennials early in spring, in case the bulbs or tubers have not emerged yet, or you aren’t certain what is growing where you want to plant.

Whether you are planting bulbs and tubers or digging them up this fall remember that bulbs and tubers are a valuable edition to any garden. Spring blooming bulbs provide some of the first food sources for pollinators plus their blooms are very welcome for human observers too. And summer blooming bulbs like dahlias are often some of the last flowers in the garden and provide both food for pollinators and color for the landscape. Bulbs and tubers are a gardener’s friend.

 

“I hope I can be the autumn leaf, who looked at the sky and lived. And when it was time to leave, gracefully it knew life was a gift.”
— Dodinsky

 

Kim Willis

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Contact me at williskim151@gmail.com