Better bulbs now mean better flowers later

  • By Lee Reich For The Associated Press
  • Wednesday, October 17, 2007 2:31pm
  • Life

All bulbs are not created equal.

The better the bulb you plant this fall, the better the blooms you get next spring.

No matter what kinds of bulbs you are buying, first check their health.

Give each a gentle squeeze to feel for mushy spots. If you see any signs of shriveling or mold, put the bulb back into its store bin or, if you purchased it through the mail, request a replacement.

The second thing to look for when buying bulbs is size. We gardeners are usually after the biggest flowers, and the bigger the bulb, the bigger the flowers.

Nursery catalogs sometimes make it easier to know if you are getting good sized bulbs.

Some nurseries list the actual circumferences for most of the bulbs that they offer; others might also categorize their bulbs as topsize.

With daffodils, the classification can be even more specific. For the best blooms, choose DN bulbs, which means the bulbs are double-nosed. A

roman numeral after the DN signifies the size, with I being the largest and III the smallest.

Many mail order nurseries are vague about the sizes of bulbs they sell. Don’t expect much from nurseries offering bargain prices with extravagant claims.

Sometimes, bigger is not better — or perhaps worth it.

Suppose you are planning a whole bed of spring flowering bulbs, or spring flowering bulbs intermingled with other early spring flowers.

In that case, the sizes of individual blossoms are not as important as having luxurious masses of blooms. No need to plant the largest bulbs, then — but do plant ones that are healthy and free of defects.

Planting smaller bulbs also makes sense if you want to save money and are willing to delay your gratification.

Plant smaller — but, again, healthy — bulbs, give them good care, and the year after next, your garden will be awash in large blossoms.

Buying the best bulbs is senseless if you mistreat them once you get them home. Handle them gently to avoid bruising and rotting.

If you cannot get them in the ground immediately, store them in a loosely closed paper bag in your garage, unheated shed, or other airy, cool location.

Do plant them soon, though, to see the beautiful results in spring.

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