Using bulbs for spring and summer color is an almost foolproof gardening technique. Spring bulbs are so called because they bloom in the spring although they are planted in the fall. For that reason, they are sometimes called fall bulbs. So, spring bulbs and fall bulbs are the same thing. Summer bulbs bloom in the summer regardless of when they are planted. Hardy bulbs are those which can survive in the ground for years regardless of freezing or drought. Tender bulbs can not withstand freezing temperatures or prolonged drought. Bulbous plants are perennials and will perform best if given the same care as other perennials.


WHAT IS A BULB?
Technically, a bulb is composed of leaves wrapped around each other with a hard pad on the bottom called a basal plate from which roots will sprout and with a flower bud in the center of the leaves. An onion is the classic example of a bulb. Daffodils and tulips also produce bulbs. The potato you eat is a tuber, ginger grows from a rhizome and gladiolus grows from corms. All of these are different, but to avoid confusion we often just refer to them as 'bulbs.'

All plants grown from 'bulbs' are perennials and will perform best if given the same care as other perennials. The bulb you buy today came from a plant that was given optimal care and treatment. Consequently, a true bulb already has the flower bud inside and even if you plant it in a less than favorable environment, it will bloom. The first year is foolproof. After that, blooming will depend on the care you give the plant.

Now, a disclaimer: Tulips, hyacinths, and crocus should be treated as annuals in the Bay Area. Because we do not get cold winters, these bulbs will not produce well or at all after the first year. Digging them up, cleaning them off and storing them in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 months is seldom worth the effort. Therefore, if you want to enjoy these plants, grow them in containers and discard them after they bloom.

LIGHT
Most spring bulbs need about six hours of sun. Some will grow in filtered sun under deciduous trees. Daffodils planted around birch trees are particularly attractive. Dahlias and other summer bulbs grow best in full sun.

PLANTING
" Bulbs" may be planted individually, but they look best when planted as a group. Daffodils, for example, can be planted in a hole 6 to 8 inches deep and 24 to 48 inches across. Bulb food is scatted across the bottom, covered with one-half inch of soil and the bulbs placed in a scattered, irregular fashion. Bulbs should be placed no more than eight inches apart. Never, ever plant bulbs in a straight row because they lose their natural appearance. Dutch Iris bulbs can be placed in between the daffodil bulbs and they will come up and bloom after the daffodils are finished. After placing the bulbs, cover them with soil and water them thoroughly. Rocky, clay soil should be amended properly before placing and covering the bulbs.

As a general rule, the depth of the hole should be about tree times the height of the bulb. If it is necessary to plant the bulbs individually, dig the hole a depth of three times the height of the bulb, scatter a bit of bulb food in the hole, cover with one-half inch of soil and plant the bulb. When the bulbs sprout and break the surface, they should be given a light dusting of bulb food. A third fertilizing should be made when the plant has finished flowering. This will also be your fertilizing schedule for subsequent years.

POST BLOOM AND OVER PLANTING
When the plants have finished blooming, the foliage should not be cut, braided or folded. The foliage must have maximum sun exposure to produce food for the bulb and to produce next year’s flower. Seed pods should be cut off to prevent diverting food and energy to the seeds rather than to the bulb. A light ground cover such as sand strawberry, pansies or alyssum can be grown over the bulb bed and the plants will grow through them each year.

FERTILIZING
Bone meal is no longer recommended as a fertilizer for bulbs. Fifteen or more years ago, manufacturers began cooking bones to extract all the nitrogen and micronutrients leaving little but calcium and phosphorous. Today, we recommend Bulb Food which contains all of the nutrients needed by the plants (including some bone meal).

PRE-CHILLING
Tulips, hyacinths and crocus will produce longer stems if they are chilled in the lower portion of the refrigerator for 6 to 8 weeks before planting. They should be kept in a paper bag (never plastic) and there should be no fruit near by.

OTHER SPRING BULBS
The previous instructions refer primarily to narcissus and Dutch iris, but apply equally well to other hardy bulbs such as: Grape hyacinths, leucojum, galanthus, chionodoxa, anemone or sparaxis.

A particularly novel and attractive use of bulbs is to plant 2 to 4 dozen Spring Starflowers (Ipheion uniflorum) in your lawn. Scatter them widely. Punch a hole about 2 ½ inches deep and drop the bulb in. The flowers will bloom in the lawn during spring and the foliage blends with grass leaves during the rest of the year.

Summer bulbs such as dahlias and gladiolus require some of the same treatment, but refer to our web site in February and March for full instructions.

The tulip was originally a wild flower, growing in Central Asia. It was first cultivated by the Turks as early as 1000 AD, the flower was introduced in Western Europe and the Netherlands in the 17th century by Carolus Clusius, a famous biologist from Vienna. In the 1590's he became the director of the Hortus Botanicus, the oldest botanical garden of Europe, in Leiden. He was hired by the University of Leiden to research medicinal plants and, while doing so, he received some bulbs from his friend, Ogier de Busbecq, the Ambassador to Constantinople (presently Istanbul). He had seen the beautiful flower called the tulip, after the Turkish word for turban, growing in the palace gardens and sent a few to Clusius for his garden in Leiden. He planted them and this was the beginning of the amazing bulb fields we see today.

In the beginning of the 17th century, the tulip was starting to be used as a garden decoration in addition to its medicinal use. It soon gained major popularity as a trading product, especially in Holland. The interest in the flower was huge and bulbs sold for unbelievably high prices. Botanists began to hybridize the flower. They soon found ways of making the tulip even more decorative and tempting. Hybrids and mutations of the flower were seen as rarities and a sign of high status. In the months of late 1636 to early 1637, there was a complete "Tulipmania" in the Netherlands. Some varieties could cost more than an Amsterdam house at that time. Even ordinary men took part in the business. They saw how much money the upper class made in the commodity and thought it was an easy way of getting lots of money with no risk. The bulbs were usually sold by weight while they were still in the ground. This trade in un-sprouted flowers came to be called "wind trade."

The traders made huge amounts of money every month. People started selling their businesses, family homes, farm animals, furnishing and dowries to participate. The government could not do anything to stop "Tulipmania"; the trade was all about access and demand. Finally, the tulip did not appear to be quite so rare as to justify such high prices. Over-supply led to lower prices and dealers went bankrupt while many people lost their savings because of the trade. This "Tulip Crash" made the government introduce special trading restrictions on the flower. It is said that the tulip became so popular because of its bright colors, dramatic flames and frilly petals. To have tulips in one's home was a way to impress and, when the wealth spread down the social ladder, so did the urge for tulips.

The genus name Cyclamen is derived from the Greek word kyklamenos which means "circle form." I'm not sure whether this refers to the circle at the tip of the flower or to the round shape of the tuber from which sprouts forth this unusual plant. Cyclamen have been a popular cultivated plant since Plato's time, the fourth century B.C.

The genus Cyclamen resides in the Primulaceae family. This same family is home to about 20-30 genera such as Primula (primroses), Dodecatheon (shooting stars) and Lysimachia (loosetrife.)

The cyclamen plant is considered a tuber. A flowering size plant has a tuber that averages about 2"-3". To grow hardy cyclamen in the garden, they need very good drainage! If you remember nothing else about growing these marvelous plants, that must be remembered.

The second most important thing to remember about growing cyclamen, keep the top of the tuber at the soil level. Keep a layer of grit around the tuber serves a threefold purpose. First of all, it makes it rough for our slimy enemy the slug to travel over and to get the leaves which are a delicacy. Second, it keeps standing water away from the top of the tuber during rainy periods which can cause rot. And third, it provides a dry surface upon which the maturing seed capsules can rest and drop their seeds to germinate.

The first flower buds appear at the end of August. They appear before the leaves and flower over a long period of time. Most plants flower in a deep, clear, vibrant pink. There are however some white flowered forms and they are just as clear and pure in color as the pink ones. White forms will almost always come true from seed if the parent plants are isolated from the pink ones.

That's another great quality about cyclamen; once you see how beautiful the flowers are and realize how easy they are to grow, you're going to get hooked and crave more of them!

Name: Lizandro Marquez

Position at Wegman's: Water and carry out

Hobbies: Hanging out with friends, playing sports and spending time with my family.

Favorite Food: I love all types of food, but my favorite is Chinese.

Favorite plant or flower: Gardenias because of the beautiful smell.

Favorite garden center product: My favorite garden center product is Concern Citrus Home Pest Control because it smells good and it is a natural product.