It's time to think about bulbs, storing, planting

It will soon be time to start thinking about storing bulbs that will not survive our Kansas winters. The bulbs of gladiolus, caladium, dahlia, tuberous begonia, calla lily, and canna lily will need to be dug and stored so they can be planted next year.

Actually, the storage organ of the above plants is not a true bulb. Canna and calla lilies are rhizomes, caladium and tuberous begonias are tubers, gladiolus is a corm, and dahlia is a tuberous-rooted plant.

All of these plants should be dug after frost has browned the foliage. Then allow them to dry for about a week in a shady, well-ventilated site, such as a garage or tool shed. Remove any excess soil and pack them in peat moss, vermiculite or perlite.

Make sure the bulbs don't touch, so that if one decays the rot doesn't spread to its neighbors. Dusting them with fungicide before storage will help prevent them from rotting.

Caladium should be stored between 50 and 60 degrees F. The rest of the bulbs mentioned should be stored near 40 degrees.

Finding a good spot may be difficult. Some people place them against the basement wall farthest from the furnace, and insulate them so the wall keeps them cool.

Late September through October is also an excellent time to plant spring-flowering bulbs such as crocus, tulips and daffodils. These plants need to develop roots in the fall and must meet a chilling requirement over the winter in order to bloom in the spring.

Choose a planting site that has full sun to partial shade.  Soil pH should be between 6.0 and 7.0.

Bulbs need good aeration as well as good drainage for proper development. Incorporate about 3 pounds of a complete fertilizer such as a 5-10-5 per 100 square feet during preparation or fertilize according to soil test.

Planting depths vary depending on the size of the bulbs. For example, tulips and hyacinths are set about 6 inches deep, and daffodils are put 6 to 8 inches deep. Smaller bulbs are planted shallower.

As a rule of thumb, bulbs are planted two to three times as deep as their width. Planting depth is the distance from the bottom of the bulb to the top of the soil.

Large bulbs are normally spaced 4 to 6 inches apart, and small bulbs about 1 to 2 inches. Planting in clumps or irregular masses produces a better display than planting singly.

After placing the bulbs at the proper depth, replace half the soil and add water. This will settle the soil around the bulbs and provide good bulb/soil contact. Add the remaining soil and water again.

Although there will be no top growth in the fall, the roots are developing, so soil needs to be kept moist but not wet. Mulch can be added after the soil has frozen to prevent small bulbs from being heaved out of the soil by alternate freezing and thawing.

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Editor's Note: Delta George is a K-State Research and Extension agriculture and 4-H extension agent assigned to Bourbon County. She may be reached at (620) 223-3720.