Hi,

August is the month that epitomizes summer. The days remain long, flower gardens and the vegetable gardens are in full swing, but now is the time to think about preparing your spring garden. Yes, that’s right … prepare now.

Here is something I just read from Rutgers University and found very interesting. If Global Warming is going to continue, we may have flowers all year long here in the north east. Here is what they said...

"Did you know that one of the very few benefits of Global Warming is that in Hardiness Zones 5 -9 (NJ is in Zone 6 & 7) vegetable gardening can now be done year round? Some vegetables actually do better with fall seeding. In some varieties a frost will enhance the sweetness of many fruits and vegetables. The following is a complete list of fall vegetables and herbs that can be planted in the next few weeks and enjoyed as the days get shorter and the air gets cooler."

Prepare Now for Your Spring Garden

If you do, you can have a splendid display of flowers in early spring. The most popular spring bulbs include daffodils, tulips, hyacinths and many more. To successfully bloom in the spring, bulbs must be planted before winter. Otherwise, bulbs typically will not bloom the first year. So prepare now and assure a successful bloom next spring.

First, find a good location for the bulb bed. Bulbs need good drainage, adequate sunlight and good soil.

Good drainage is very important. If the soil drains poorly, the bulbs can be weakened, fail to flower and frequently develop rot. If you cannot find a well-drained area, don’t fret. You can build a raised bed. By planting bulbs in raised beds, the buried bulb still will be above the natural landscape level, thus aiding drainage.

Adequate sunlight is needed for most bulbs, although some grow just fine in shady areas. Some of the earliest-blooming bulbs easily can withstand being planted underneath trees, which will not leaf out until after the active growing season of the bulbs. Even so, you should try to plant the bulbs in an area that will get at least a half day of sunlight. To assure the best display, check the plants’ needs before buying.

One of the most important requirements is that the soil not be “tight.” If you have tightly packed soil, the chances are good that there will be poor drainage below the surface. The natural soil type is not a big issue because you can amend it to get acceptable growing conditions.

Planting depths differ, usually depending on the bulb size. Typical depths include crocus and grape hyacinth (about 3 inches), daffodil (5 to 6 inches) and tulips (6 inches). So, when buying bulbs, be sure to determine the correct depth.

Armed with this information, you are now ready to prepare the bed.
Preparation begins by tilling or spading the area. Determine the depth your bulbs need and then work the soil 5 to 6 inches deeper. This additional depth enables the bulb’s roots to grow and feed.

Most light soils will not need much in the way of amendments. In heavy, clay soils add liberal quantities of organic material (compost, peat moss, leaf mold). This will help loosen the soil, improve drainage and allow better root movement and growth. Also lightly mix in a complete garden fertilizer, such as a 6-24-24 (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium) ratio. The bed is now ready to plant.

Bulbs optimally need to be planted in September or October, but as late as November. Simply dig a small hole to the specified depth and plant the bulb. Be sure the bulb’s “pointy” end faces up, and check the plant’s spacing needs. Add mulch to the bed and wait for spring.

For a special look, a lot of gardeners plant bulbs in tightly packed clumps of 10 or more. This will result in a striking display. Another gardening favorite is to overplant the bulb bed with some annual plants, or late-starting perennials such as groundcovers or hostas.

This will result in a nice color display of bulbs in the early spring, followed by flowers or foliage of the perennial plants covering the bulb’s dying foliage. Experiment and find what works for you. In the meantime, start planning for next year’s bulb garden.