The Old House Gardens Guide
For Preserving and Enjoying Heirloom Bulbs

        We want our customers to have great success with all of our bulbs. So we do our best to provide complete, accurate information on planting and care.

        Here’s the “Heirloom How-To” we send with our bulbs. More is included — particularly for our fall-planted bulbs — on the “bag-tags” stapled to each individual bag.

FOR FALL-PLANTED BULBS
(or click here for Spring-Planted Bulbs )

Right Now, Please . . . Open and Check Your Bulbs
        Though we hand-inspect every bulb we ship, please unpack yours right now and count and re-check them — and enjoy their amazing diversity and beauty! Missing skins, small blemishes, and bits of mold will not affect performance. But, if you find a bulb that’s soft (unless it’s a naturally fleshy Camassia, Fritillaria, Hyacinthoides, or Lilium), or if anything else seems amiss, call us right away so we can remedy the problem. Our aim is to always deliver fantastic bulbs!

If You Must Store Them
        Small or fleshy bulbs are very perishable and should be planted IMMEDIATELY! Others may be stored briefly in a cool (40-50ºF is ideal), dry, relatively dark place. Leave bags loosely open to allow some air circulation. Temperatures over 70ºF can cause problems, especially for tulips. So can gasses from ripening fruit and vegetables and automobile exhaust fumes.

Small is Beautiful
        Sizes vary widely, with antique and species varieties often having SMALLER-THAN-USUAL bulbs. All of our bulbs are blooming-size, and most are the largest available.
        Sometimes the two bulbs of “double-nose” daffodils separate in transit. If a couple of your bulbs are distinctly smaller, count and see if this has happened. Don’t worry; your extras will grow just fine.

Print This Guide!
        It will answer many of your questions about how to nurture your bulbs throughout the year. But you can always find it here at www.oldhousegardens.com.

Specifics on Crocus, Etc.
        You’ll find bulb-specific “Planting & Care” instructions stapled to every bag of our bulbs as well as at the very end of this web-page and at the end of each of our bulb sections (for example, at the very end of our Crocus pages).

Trust Yourself
        If what you’ve been doing has worked well, keep doing it — even if you read something different here. Climate, soils, and garden practices vary so much that our best advice may not be right for your little piece of Eden.

For Local Advice
        Local experts can often tell you more about gardening in your area than we can (though unfortunately we've also found that many experts have very little experience with bulbs or heirloom plants). One great resource is your county Cooperative Extension Office or Extension Agent. For the phone number in your county, go to http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/index.html and click on your state and then county. Other great resources for local advice include locally-owned garden centers, botanical gardens, universities, garden club members, and friends, neighbors, and relatives who garden, especially older ones who may be more familiar with heirloom varieties.

When to Plant
        You can plant most bulbs in the fall when soil temperatures in your area drop to about 60ºF. You can also keep planting, as necessary, LONG after the first frost, as long as the soil remains workable. This is much later than many people realize, requiring many nights below freezing.
        However, since small bulbs dry out in storage more easily and their shallow planting depths subject them to earlier freezing, they should be planted in most zones IMMEDIATELY. This is also true of all lilies, Fritillaria, Hyacinthoides, and Camassia.
        Hyacinths root better in not-too-cool soil, so plant them next, then narcissus, and finally tulips, which prefer the coolest soil. Don’t wait too late, though, because if the soil freezes down to the bulbs before they root well, health and performance will be impaired. To keep soil warmer longer, apply a thick, light winter mulch such as straw or pine needles — but not if you have bulb-eating voles.

Hardiness North, South, and West
        You’ll find our hardiness or zone recommendations included in the bulb descriptions in our catalog, online, and stapled to each bag. We tend to be conservative; we want to insure your success! Feel free to experiment, and please tell us about your results.
        You can learn what zone you’re gardening in by going to our Beginners page and entering your zip code. We’re now using the 2004 zone map issued by the Arbor Day Foundation. It’s an updated version of the standard, 1990 USDA hardiness map based on more recent temperatures, so you may find your zone is a little different than what the standard map (which you’ll find in our catalog) or other gardeners tell you.
        We like the way the standard map divides each zone into two sub-zones, A and B, so we use those in our recommendations. B is the southern part of each zone and averages 5º warmer in winter than A.
        On the West Coast milder summer temperatures allow some bulbs to thrive there beyond the zones recommended for the Southeast and Southwest. Many of our zone codes reflect this: 8S/10W means the bulb should do well through zone 8 in the Rockies and east, but through zone 10 along the West Coast. But some bulbs such as tulips need extended cold to bloom, so for them there’s no West Coast advantage.
        The Sunset Western Garden Book offers some regional guidance on bulbs, and we highly recommend Scott Ogden’s Garden Bulbs for the South .
        Local experts can help guide you, too. See our section “For Local Advice,” above.

Zone Bending
        Here are several factors that may allow you to stretch the possibilities of your hardiness zone.
        Global Warming — For the past five or six years, we've been growing bulbs we never could before simply because our winters have been warmer. You may find that you can too!
        Micro-Climates — Seek and plant in those spots in your yard that are a bit warmer than the rest. These are often near buildings and paving, south of walls, on slopes, and protected from wind. Experiment!
        Deep, Long-Lasting Snow — If you are blessed with the natural insulation of deep, reliable snow cover, you may find you can grow many of our bulbs a zone or even two beyond what we recommend.
        Winter Mulch — When the ground (especially clay soil) repeatedly freezes and thaws, bulb roots break and don't re-grow. This can be fatal. To help avoid this, apply a light, airy, non-matting winter mulch (oak leaves, straw, pine branches, etc.) after the ground freezes solid. This is especially helpful the first winter after planting.

Soil and Drainage
        Most bulbs need well-drained soil to thrive, and soils that stay too damp for too long are a leading cause of bulb death. Rich sandy loam is ideal for most.
        Clay soil drains slowly and will cause problems for most bulbs, especially hyacinths and tulips which need to be as dry as possible in the summer for best return. Avoid planting in clay soil, or improve it by adding lots of organic matter (compost, peat moss, etc.). Adding sand and gypsum can also help, as can planting in raised beds. Though our soil here at Old House Gardens is well-drained, we often put a handful of sand at the bottom of our planting holes. This also helps us locate bulbs that we’re digging in the spring.
        On the other hand, bulbs in soil that is too sandy may suffer from a lack of water and nutrients. Add organic matter.
        Lilies, snake’s-head fritillaries, snowdrops, eranthis, and camassia prefer more humus-rich soils that never go bone-dry in the summer, but they still want good drainage. Then there are some bulbs that actually thrive in clay soils and soggy spots, including most Division-8 narcissus (such as ‘Avalanche’), jonquils, Campernelles, Byzantine gladiolus, and Leucojum.
        Neutral to slightly alkaline soil — a pH of 6.5-7.0 — suits most bulbs. If your soil is more acidic, and your bulbs do poorly, consider adding lime. Many lilies prefer acidic soils, though, and other exceptions are noted on our bag-tags.

Sunshine and Shade
        In general, for best performance year after year, plant your bulbs in full sun. However, some bulbs — especially daffodils, snowflakes, and small early bulbs such as crocus and Siberian squill — can do well with a bit of shade — and seem to prefer it in the South — especially if it’s from deciduous trees that don’t leaf out till later. Some bulbs need cool, moist conditions and actually grow best in light shade. See our bag-tags for specifics.

Planting Depths and Spacing
        Advice on planting depths varies, so we recommend you do what has worked well for you. A few basic guidelines are (1) plant larger bulbs deeper, smaller bulbs less so (three times the height of the bulb is often recommended), (2) plant deeper in sandy soils, less so in heavy soils, (3) plant deeper in the North, less so in the South. Deeper planting is said to enhance longevity and to keep bulbs from dividing into so many smaller bulbs that blooming suffers.
        Full-size tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils can all be planted about 6-8 inches deep, measured to the bottom of the hole. Varieties with smaller bulbs such as ‘Rip Van Winkle’ should be planted 4-6 inches deep. Even-smaller bulbs such as crocus and snowdrops should be planted 2-4 inches deep. See our tags!
        Full-size bulbs are usually spaced about 6 inches apart from center to center, though many gardeners like the lush look gained by closer planting. Smaller bulbs are planted 3 or 4 inches apart, or even closer for more immediate impact.
        Don’t guess. Take a ruler into the garden, or mark off inches on your trowel with a permanent marker. Your bulbs will thank you by growing and blooming better.

Fertilizing
        Just like other plants, most bulbs do better with regular fertilizing. Though bone meal is traditional, the way it is processed today saps most of its nutrients, and it can attract animals. Bulb fertilizer is a better choice, or any relatively balanced mix — aim for 10-10-10 — rather than a high-nitrogen fertilizer (the first number indicates the nitrogen content) such as those commonly used on lawns. Many experts now recommend a slow-release fertilizer scratched into the surface soil every fall.
        But anything is better than nothing, so feel free to use just about any rose, tomato, or flower and vegetable fertilizer you have on hand, whenever you think of it! That’s pretty much what we do here.

Water
        After planting, water well. Bulbs need good soil moisture from fall through spring — whenever the soil isn’t frozen — while they are rooting, growing, and flowering.
        In the summer, however, many bulbs like to dry out — and will suffer from normal watering. Tulips, hyacinths, crown imperials, and a few others (see bag-tags) often return best when kept very dry in summer, so consider planting them where you never water or where shrubs or trees will soak up most of the moisture. In the South, keeping daffodils dry in the summer when soil temperatures are high will help protect them from basal rot.
        On the other hand, snowflakes, snowdrops, snake’s-head fritillaries, lilies, camassia, and some others — including daffodils in the North — can suffer from too little summer moisture. See our bag-tags!

Protecting from Animals
        Narcissus are usually not troubled by animals at all, and other bulbs that are rarely eaten include hyacinths, Crocus tommasinianus, Eranthis, crown imperials (Fritillaria imperialis), snowdrops (Galanthus), Spanish bluebells (Hyacinthoides), snowflakes (Leucojum), grape hyacinths (Muscari), silver bells (Ornithogalum nutans), and Scilla.
        Tulips and lilies, unfortunately, seem to be a favorite on most animal menus.
        If animals dig your newly-planted bulbs — including ones they won’t eat, like daffodils — try covering with plastic bird-netting, wire-mesh, a window screen, or burlap bags for a couple of weeks till the inviting smell of freshly-dug earth disappears.
        If animals burrow to your bulbs, try lining the planting hole with wire-mesh, plant in wire-mesh boxes, or plant in buried pots or our plastic planting-baskets covered with a square of chicken-wire.
        Moles often disturb bulbs as they dig for grubs. Killing the grubs (try beneficial nematodes or spraying your lawn with bitter, organic Mole-Med) will reduce the moles — and this will discourage voles and mice which often use mole tunnels to munch on bulbs.
        If animals eat spring growth, cover it with chicken wire for a few weeks (while they are hungriest), sprinkle blood meal around it, fence them out, or — my most successful solution — spray it with bitter, non-toxic Ro-pel, available at many garden centers. Bulbs can be dipped in Ro-pel before planting, too.

How to Make Maturing Foliage Look Beautiful
        It’s important to leave all foliage to mature, since this is what builds up the bulb for next year’s flowering. Leave stems, too, since they also photosynthesize, but snap off spent flower heads so seeds don’t form — except for bulbs you want to self-sow. Leaving the foliage for at least six weeks after blooming may not be convenient or pretty, but it is essential. Even braiding or tying the foliage will diminish future bloom. You may remove the foliage as soon as it yellows. This often leaves holes in the soil where the foliage used to be. Lightly cultivate the soil to prevent insects from using these as routes to attack your bulbs.
        It’s not that hard to camouflage maturing bulb-foliage with annuals (old-fashioned forget-me-nots, corn poppies, and larkspur are favorites of ours) or nearby perennials. Planting your bulbs in narrow, foot-wide drifts or ribbons rather than in broad patches helps the maturing foliage “disappear,” too (a suggestion from Gertrude Jekyll herself). Reminding yourself of the important work the foliage is doing, and the beautiful flowers that will follow next spring, is sure to make it less of a problem, too!

Other Ways to Make Bulbs Last
        Daffodils are generally long-lived. When they increase to the point of being crowded, however, their bloom often diminishes. It is then time to dig, divide, and replant them. This can be done “in the green” — right after bloom — or wait till the foliage yellows and then dig and store the bulbs until fall. Put a sticky-note on your calendar so you don’t forget them!
        Tulips: Back when tulips were more of a luxury, people often dug them after the foliage yellowed and stored them through the summer. This dry rest promotes good increase, and I recommend it for any truly rare tulip you may be growing — though it is a lot of work. Happily, many antique and species varieties are long-lived even when left in the ground year-round, especially if you keep them as dry as possible. After all, they were bred for gardens, not greenhouse and cut-flower production as most modern tulips have been. Parrots and doubles are the hardest to make last, however, requiring near-perfect conditions.
        Hyacinths are usually left undisturbed and are often slow to increase. Dry summers but rather cool, rich soils seem to suit them best. Some varieties do better in different conditions, so experiment!
            Crocus usually multiply happily when well-sited, though they can be smothered by fallen leaves or thick turf. Many of our small “diverse treasures” such as snowdrops, grape hyacinths, Scilla siberica, and even eranthis and freesia in the right spot will naturalize eagerly.
        Lilies: Our lilies are generally long-lived when planted in humus-rich, well-drained but well-watered soil, their roots cool but their heads in the sun. Most prefer slightly acid soil, but check our tags.

Forcing
        Forcing bulbs into winter bloom became a great rage in the 1800s. Hyacinths were especially popular, since they’re so easy. New and reproduction “hyacinth glasses” are widely available today. If you haven’t tried forcing, you’re missing something special!
        To force hyacinths on water, set a bulb just above — but not touching — the water in a forcing vase or other container. Put it in a dark, cold area to root for 8-16 weeks. This could be an unheated mudroom, attic, or garage; a cold-frame; or possibly your refrigerator, though many refrigerators are too cold for successful forcing. The temperature during this rooting period is critical: 40º to 50º is ideal. Avoid freezing temperatures. The best way to monitor the temperature is to use a maximum-minimum thermometer available from any good garden center.
        If the water gets murky, change it. When roots fill the glass and there’s an inch or two of top-growth, bring it into subdued light and warmer but still cool temperatures (about 60ºF; again, a max-min thermometer will make this easy). After 7-10 days, move it into bright light, but keep it as cool as you can and avoid direct sunlight. Turn it every day to keep it growing upright.
        If your hyacinth spikes start to bloom while way too short, that usually means they were rooted at temperatures over 50º, or when they’ve been brought into warmth too quickly. It sometimes helps to make a cone or cylinder of paper that’s open at the top and cover the spike with it, or set the glass inside a box with the top open, to encourage the spike to stretch towards the light.
        Impossibly Easy Hyacinths — Though experts say hyacinths won’t bloom indoors unless they root at under 50º F for 8-16 weeks, our customers have taught us that this ain’t necessarily so. Try this: Store bulbs of ‘Lady Derby’ or ‘L’Innocence’ dry in a paper bag in your refrigerator for 8-10 weeks. Then put them on water as for regular forcing, anywhere in indirect light. As they grow roots and leaves, give them more light but avoid direct sun. In our experience, they will bloom beautifully! We've also had success forcing ‘Gipsy Queen’ and ‘Queen of the Blues’ this way, so you may want to experiment with them, too.
        Tazetta narcissus are cousins to paperwhites, and almost as easy to force. The tazettas we offer include ‘Avalanche’ ‘Early Pearl’, ‘Erlicheer’, ‘Grand Monarque’, and ‘Grand Primo’. Please see our bag-tags for the very simple instructions.
        Forcing bulbs in pots of soil is even more fool-proof than forcing on water, and it works with just about every kind of bulb. Plant bulbs close together (but not touching) just below the surface of the soil — to leave as much room as possible for rooting. For an even more lavish display, you can set one layer of bulbs just above another, alternating so that bulbs are not directly on top of one another — but combining different types of bulbs in one pot is hard to pull off successfully since rooting and blooming times vary. Arrange tulip bulbs with the flat side facing out for a more uniform display of leaves. Water. Set in a dark, cold place — 40º to 50ºF is ideal — for 8-16 weeks. See our suggestions above on where to find this place, or try a trench dug a couple of feet in the ground. Set the pots in the bottom (provide for drainage) and cover with 18” of straw or other mulch.
        Keep pots evenly moist but not soggy. When roots show at the hole in the bottom of a pot, and top growth has begun, bring it into a cool spot — 50º to 60ºF — with subdued light for a week or two. Move to a brighter spot — a window (but not into direct sun) or under fluorescent lights — but for best results continue to keep it relatively cool (as if the bulbs were outside in the spring) as buds develop and bloom.
        If you keep your forced bulbs growing till spring, you can plant them outside where they will usually recover to bloom again eventually. It’s also okay to simply throw them away as you would a poinsettia or petunias at the end of the season.

Crocus
        For best growth and bloom, plant crocus as soon as the soil cools in the fall, giving them as long as possible to establish roots before soil freezes completely. If absolutely necessary, store briefly in open bags in a cool, dry spot. Choose a site with well-drained soil (avoid or improve clay soil) in full sun to very light shade. Crocus often do well in the dappled shade of deciduous trees and shrubs or around the base of perennials such as peonies because they can complete most of their life cycle before these plants leaf out completely and limit their sun. They prefer neutral to slightly alkaline soil, but they are very adaptable.
        Plant with the growing tip up. For SNOW OR SPECIES CROCUS, plant with the base 2-3 inches deep and 2-3 inches apart from center to center (or closer for a lush look). For TRADITIONAL CROCUS, plant with the base 3-4 inches deep and 3-4 inches apart from center to center (or closer for a lush look). Scratch a little bulb fertilizer into the surface soil (slow-release 10-10-10 is ideal). Water and make sure the soil stays reasonably moist from fall through spring. During the summer, however, crocus do better if the soil is dry.
        If animals dig your newly-planted bulbs, try covering them for a couple of weeks with chicken wire, plastic-mesh netting, old screens, etc. An airy mulch of straw, etc., can be helpful the first winter, but remove it in earliest spring. Do NOT apply a thick mulch of shredded bark, etc.
        After bloom, allow the foliage to yellow completely (to feed the bulbs for increase and future bloom) before removing.

Daffodils
        Plant in mid-fall when soil cools; earlier is better than later. If necessary, store till then in open bags in a cool, dry spot.
        Choose a sunny to lightly shaded site. Full sun is best in the North, but the further South you garden, the more shade you can give them. (You’ll find additional expert advice for growing daffodils where winters are warm in our “Daffodils for the South and Warm West.”)
        Plant in well-drained soil. Avoid or improve clay soil, or grow in raised beds. Dig down three times the height of the bulbs, about 6-8 inches for standard varieties, 4-6 for smaller varieties such as ‘W.P. Milner’, and plant with the narrow ends up, about 6 inches apart from center to center (or closer for a lush look). For each bulb scratch a tablespoon of bulb fertilizer into the surface (slow-release 10-10-10 is ideal). Water, and keep moist through the fall while the bulbs are growing new roots, through the winter if the soil doesn’t freeze, and through the spring at least till blooming is finished.
        Re-fertilize lightly every spring and fall. After bloom, remove the spent blossoms but allow foliage to yellow completely (to feed the bulbs for next year’s bloom) before removing it. IN THE SOUTH, keep soil dry when soil warms up after blooming and through the summer to avoid disease problems.
        Deer, rodents, and most other pests leave daffodils alone, but if some of yours mysteriously fail to appear in the spring, visit our Daffodil Bulb Fly page to learn about the likely culprit.
        With good care daffodils will multiply, making an increasingly beautiful display every year. When decreased bloom indicates overcrowding, dig and divide after foliage yellows.

Hyacinths
        Some people are allergic to hyacinth bulbs, developing a localized itch, so you may want to handle them with gloves. Plant in mid-fall. If necessary, store till then in open bags in a cool, dry spot.
        Hyacinths do best when DRY (but not hot) in summer. Choose a sunny site with well-drained soil, avoiding or improving clay or damp soil, or plant in raised beds. Plant bulbs with base 6-8 inches deep and 5-7 inches apart on center (or closer for a lush look). Scratch a tablespoon of bulb fertilizer into the surface soil (slow-release 10-10-10 is ideal). Water.
            A light, airy winter mulch such as straw, oak leaves, or pine boughs is helpful in colder zones to minimize root damage from soil repeatedly freezing and thawing.
        For best results, re-fertilize lightly spring and fall, and assure even moisture then. After bloom, strip off spent florets but allow foliage to yellow (to feed the bulbs for next year’s bloom) before removing. Close the hole left in the soil by the withering foliage to deter pests. And keep those bulbs dry!
        FIVE-SECOND STAKING — All hyacinths — even wild hyacinths — topple eventually. Usually it’s no big deal, but if the weather is unseasonably warm it can be disappointingly premature. To counter this, take a thin green bamboo stake about 12 inches long and run it along right next to the stem from the top of the bloom-spike down into the soil a few inches (but not so deep that you hit the bulb). The florets will clasp the stake and you’re done!
        Hyacinths are easy to force for winter bloom. For complete directions, see our Forcing section, above.

Lilies
        Lilies are more perishable than most bulbs, so plant them as soon as possible. Store briefly in plastic in the refrigerator, away from fruit. Lily bulbs often feel a bit soft, and a little Penicillium mold is common, but neither is cause for alarm. Remove brown or mushy scales.
        Well-drained soil is essential for lilies! So avoid or improve clay soil, or plant in raised beds. If it’s also fertile and humusy, that’s ideal, and most lilies prefer soil that’s slightly acid. Tiger lily and Henry’s lilies are two lilies that thrive in neutral to alkaline soils. In the North, choose a sunny (but not hot) or very lightly shaded site. In the South, give afternoon shade. Good air circulation is critical, too.
        Plant so bulbs are covered with three to four times their height in soil. Deeper is better than shallower. Space most lilies 9-18 inches apart, depending on their ultimate size. Smaller lilies such as L. pumilum and the martagons, for example, can be planted 6-12 inches apart. Lilies like their heads in the sun but their feet in shade, so add a good mulch to help keep the soil cool and moist or over-plant with low-growing annuals or companionable perennials. Water as you would other perennials; lilies like moisture. Rich soil is good, but heavy fertilizing is NOT recommended. Add a winter mulch in the North to help keep sprouts from emerging too early (to late-frost damage). Be prepared to stake the heavy heads of some lilies in bloom, especially those grown in less than full sun. Like many perennials, lilies rarely reach their full height, bloom, or beauty the first year, but your patience and good care will be rewarded.

Tulips Can Live Forever
        Well, almost. Though they have a reputation for being short-lived, we know of tulips that have been blooming beautifully for decades. Here’s how to get the most out of yours.
        For a start, you need to be in zone 7 or colder. (Gardeners in warmer zones can grow tulips as annuals, but you’ll need to chill them in the refrigerator for 8 weeks before planting.) Then most important, we’ve learned from experience, is keeping them DRY in SUMMER (as in their native homes). Try this: plant a few where you never water in summer — or near a thirsty shrub or tree — and see how well they return.
        Beyond that, the basics include well-drained soil (improve heavy soil, or try raised beds), lots of sun, regular fertilizing, and — this is very important —letting the foliage ripen to yellow to feed the bulbs for next year’s bloom. Some authorities recommend deep planting, especially in the South — to 12 inches — but we say 6-8 inches is plenty.
        Then there’s this age-old method: dig them up every summer, store them in a cool dry spot, and replant them in the fall. You’ll end up with more bulbs every year, guaranteed. To make this easier, try our planting baskets.
        Some varieties just last better, too — often Single Earlies, Single Lates, Lily-flowered tulips, and species.
        And there’s a good reason why OLD VARIETIES OFTEN PERENNIALIZE BETTER: they were bred for gardens, not for commercial pot-flower and cut-flower uses as most modern tulips have been.
        Tulips do best when planted in mid- to late fall, after the soil has thoroughly cooled. Later is better than earlier with tulips. If necessary, store in open bags in a cool, dry spot (or the refrigerator — NOT the freezer).
        Neutral to slightly alkaline soil is ideal, though tulips are very adaptable. Set bulbs about 6 inches apart from center to center (or closer for a lush look). For each, scratch a tablespoon of bulb fertilizer into the surface soil (slow-release 10-10-10 is ideal). Use no manure. Water well and make sure the bulbs have reliable moisture throughout their growing period, from planting in the fall through the ripening of their foliage the following summer.

Learning from You
        We want to know more about growing bulbs successfully. Our own experience feels limited (so much gardening, so little time!), our country is huge and diverse, and we’ve found a lot of published advice undependable.
        So we’d love to hear about your methods, tips, hunches, experiments, discoveries, resources, and whatever else — especially if you garden in conditions different from our zone-5b, mostly sandy-loam, Midwestern gardens. Please write, call, fax, or email.