Spring’s flower garden starts with fall bulb planting. To share everything you need to know to plant and grow flowering bulbs successfully, Brent Heath of Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, the celebrated mail-order bulb company, joins me on the podcast.
Brent and his wife, Becky, are flowering bulbs icons. Brent’s family has been growing bulbs since 1900 in Gloucester, Virginia, and he is a wealth of knowledge on planting, choosing and maintaining flowering bulbs. Brent is a daffodil hybridizer and a naturalist who teaches how to garden in an earth-friendly way that benefits the bees, birds and butterflies, as well as the plants in the garden.
Brent Heath of Brent and Becky’s Bulbs is a fount of knowledge when it comes to growing and caring for bulbs. (Photo: Brent Heath)
Brent grew up picking flowers on the family farm but he got out of the business for a while to run a summer camp for kids. When his mother, Katie, was ready to sell it, Brent was drawn back in. He bought the business in 1972, and he married Becky in 1979. They have run the business together ever since. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the couple moved the growing operation to a lake bottom in Holland. They contract with growers there for production, and then the bulbs are distributed to consumers from their base in Virginia.
Brent has lectured in 48 states and he and Becky have written a number of books together, including “Daffodils for North American Gardens” and “Tulips: for North American Gardens.” Brent is also a photographer and has donated many of his images to the Smithsonian Institution.
Today, their son, Jay, is the general manager of Brent and Becky’s Bulbs and their daughter-in-law, Denise, runs the shop and special events. The business’s motto is “Plant bulbs and harvest smiles.”
For a quick reference guide on selecting, planting and caring for fall-planted flowering bulbs, I have prepared a free resource for you: Fall Bulbs 101. You can download this guide to learn everything you need to know to grow flowers from bulbs successfully.
For an unabridged recap of my conversation with Brent on fall bulb planting, see the show notes from the original airing. Or read on for a condensed summary.
Brent and Becky’s happy face flower display. (Photo: Brent Heath)
When and How to Start Fall Bulb Planting
The best time to plant fall bulbs is just before the first frost. In Virginia, where Brent lives, planting typically begins in late October and can continue through December. It’s important to finish planting before the ground freezes, giving the bulbs time to establish roots. As the bulbs start to form roots, their cellular structure changes and becomes more elastic, helping them withstand the colder temperatures. “It’s almost like it has antifreeze,” Brent says.
If you’re planting bulbs toward the end of the ideal planting window, be sure to water them well at planting time and add a layer of mulch on top. While mulch won’t warm the soil, it will help prevent it from freezing too quickly. The bulbs will begin forming roots in about two weeks. Brent recommends using pine needles or well-shredded bark as mulch. This organic material suppresses weeds and feeds the soil microbes, and it will eventually decompose into rich humus.
Bulbs root best when the soil temperature is between 50° and 60°F. Rather than relying on the air temperature as an indicator, use a soil thermometer for an accurate reading.
Always plant bulbs with the pointed end toward the sky. The planting hole should be three times the bulb’s height. Space bulbs three times their width apart when planting in the ground. In a container, bulbs can be planted densely.
A bulb planting machine. (Photo: Brent Heath)
Prepare Soil and Fertilize Bulbs
Ensure healthy bulbs and great blooms by feeding the soil. Amending soil with compost feeds microbes that turn minerals into plant-available nutrients. Compost is all a bulb needs from us, aside from perhaps a few additional trace minerals.
Chemical fertilizers give a quick boost to plants but don’t last. “If you give it a fast-acting chemical, you’ve got to do it again and again and again,” Brent says. Chemical fertilizers also pose the risk of burning bulbs’ roots, which can make them vulnerable to disease. If he is using any fertilizer, he picks a times-release organic fertilizer, such as Espoma Bulb-tone.
Brent warns to never put fertilizer in the planting hole with the bulb. Instead, top-dress the soil after the bulb’s been buried.
On a flower farm, they have ways to spread compost that you won’t see the average gardener using. (Photo: Brent Heath)
How to Plan a Sequence of Blooms
Because bulbs bloom at different times of the year, you can use various strategies to ensure a continuous display of flowers in your garden. One effective method is to plant bulbs that bloom at different times in the same hole. Start by placing large, late-blooming bulbs at the bottom of the planting hole. Cover them with soil, then add a layer of medium-sized, mid-season bulbs. Finally, plant small, early-blooming bulbs at the top.
Daffodils and daylilies are a great pairing, as the daylilies will help cover up the daffodil foliage once it starts to die back, while also absorbing moisture from the soil, keeping the dormant daffodil bulbs dry.
You can also create a sequence of blooms by coordinating your bulb planting with the perennials in your garden. Try interplanting bulbs that bloom just before your perennials start to flower, so you’ll have color throughout the seasons.
Brent and Becky’s Bulbs offers a booklet on how to create “living flower arrangements” in containers. Five rings of bulbs are planted in the same pot with a color theme, like red, white, and blue; pink, white, and purple; yellow, red, and orange; or all white.
Lilium martagon hybrids with perennials and ferns.
(Photo: Brent Heath)
How to Protect Bulbs From Critters
Bulbs that are labeled deer- and rabbit-resistant, such as daffodils and alliums, should be unbothered by critters. Bulbs that critters consider tasty, such as tulips, should be treated with a repellent such as Plantskydd or Deer Off. Deer Off is available as refillable stakes placed in the ground or as a spray, which is now sold under the name Critter Ridder Deer and Rabbit Repellent.
Voles love tulip and crocus bulbs. The bulbs can be treated with Plantskydd to prevent vole damage. Let Plantskydd dry on the bulb, and it will mask the smell of the bulbs. Crocuses smell like nuts, so applying Plantskydd will stop squirrels from digging them up.
Hippeastrums “Ballentino” and “Veneto” with perennials in Becky’s Liberty Garden. Hippeastrums are fortunately deer resistant, so repellents are not needed.
(Photo: Brent Heath)
Why Some Bulbs Are Deer Resistant and Others Are Not
Daffodil pollen is distasteful to most insects, which is not great news for pollinators, but it also means daffodils are practically critter-proof. Deer, rabbits and voles do not like daffodil flowers or bulbs. Critters generally leave alone all members of the amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae), which includes amaryllis, daffodils, snowdrops and snowflakes.
The alkaloids in the amaryllis plant family not only taste terrible but can cause somewhat of a narcotic stupor, Brent explains. That’s why the daffodil genus is named Narcissus. Narcissus comes from the Greek word “narco,” for intoxicated.
Tulips have sweet-tasting pollen and are visited by all kinds of pollinators. But tulips are not deer-resistant, so an animal-repellent spray will be needed.
Irrigated and Chemical-Treated Lawns Are Not the Place for Fall Bulb Planting
You may have heard of a bulb lawn. It is a great addition to your landscape for spring color and delight, but Brent warns that bulbs don’t belong in a conventional lawn. In fact, his advice is to plant bulbs in your “yard” but not in your “lawn.” He describes the difference like this: A lawn has a mindless irrigation system and is treated with chemicals, such as preemergent herbicides.
To grow bulbs among grass, mow to 3.5 inches high. Not only will the grass grow deeper roots and be more drought tolerant, the bulb foliage will have the chance to mature. Crocuses, Galanthus (snowdrops), and Chionodoxa (glory of the snow) are good candidates for your yard.
Plant Daffodils in Full Sun
When a daffodil bulb is planted in the fall, it uses the energy stored within the bulb to bloom the following spring. To replenish its reserves for the next year, the foliage absorbs sunlight. This means that while a daffodil may thrive in the shade during its first year, it will likely struggle to bloom in the second year without enough sunlight to recharge the bulb.
“The leaves of the daffodils are solar collectors, and they need to gather that sunlight to recharge the batteries — the bulbs,” Brent says.
In early spring, when the daffodils bloom, the surrounding trees may have yet to leaf out, allowing the plants to receive plenty of sunlight. However, once the flowers fade and only the foliage remains, the trees fully leaf out, blocking the sunlight and preventing the foliage from gathering the energy it needs.
“If the leaves come on the trees and block that light a while, you’re not going to get enough light to fully recharge the batteries,” Brent says.
Once the flowers have finished blooming, the foliage needs at least eight weeks to mature. When the leaves turn yellow, the bulbs enter dormancy, and it’s safe to cut back the foliage.
Brent also notes that almost all bulbs prefer to sleep in a dry bed. If the bulbs are in wet soil, they will be stressed and can get Fusarium oxysporum, a fungal disease. Grass and other groundcovers plus perennials and annuals are good companion plants for bulbs because they will use the moisture in soil, keeping the bulbs dry.
Narcissus “Tete-a-Tete.” Daffodils are unappealing to deer and rodents, so interplanting them with other bulbs will help repel animals that want to eat (most) of your flowers.
(Photo Credit: Flowerbulbs.com)
I hope you enjoyed my conversation with Brent Heath on fall bulb planting. If you haven’t listened to the podcast yet, you can do so now by scrolling to the top of the page and clicking the Play icon in the green bar under the page title.
What techniques do you use for fall bulb planting? Let us know how in the comments below.
Links & Resources
Some product links in this guide are affiliate links. See full disclosure below.
Episode 126: The Scentual Garden: Exploring Botanical Fragrance With Ken Druse
Episode 224: Expert Advice on Planting Flowering Bulbs in Fall, with Brent Heath
Episode 269: The Ultimate Guide to Flower Growing, with Jenny Rose Carey
Episode 274: Growing Cool-Season Annuals for Earlier Color and Hardier Plants
Episode 286: Naturalizing Bulb Lawns
joegardener Free Resource: Fall Bulbs 101
joegardenerTV YouTube: How to Add Spring Flowering Bulbs to Your Landscape in the Fall
joegardener Online Gardening Academy™: Popular courses on gardening fundamentals; managing pests, diseases & weeds; seed starting and more.
joegardener Online Gardening Academy Organic Vegetable Gardening: My new premium online course. The course is designed to be a comprehensive guide to starting, growing, nurturing and harvesting your favorite vegetables, no matter what you love to eat, no matter where you live, no matter your level of gardening experience.
joegardener Online Gardening Academy Master Seed Starting: Everything you need to know to start your own plants from seed — indoors and out.
joegardener Online Gardening Academy Beginning Gardener Fundamentals: Essential principles to know to create a thriving garden.
joegardener Online Gardening Academy Growing Epic Tomatoes: Learn how to grow epic tomatoes with Joe Lamp’l and Craig LeHoullier.
joegardener Online Gardening Academy Master Pests, Diseases & Weeds: Learn the proactive steps to take to manage pests, diseases and weeds for a more successful garden with a lot less frustration. Just $47 for lifetime access!
joegardener Online Gardening Academy Perfect Soil Recipe Master Class: Learn how to create the perfect soil environment for thriving plants.
Brent and Becky’s Bulbs Living Flower Arrangements Booklet
Brent and Becky’s Bulbs on Facebook
Brent and Becky’s Bulbs on Instagram
Brent and Becky’s Bulbs on Twitter
“Daffodils for North American Gardens” by Brent and Becky Heath
“Tulips: For North American Gardens” by Brent and Becky Heath
Critter Ridder Deer and Rabbit Repellent
Milorganite® – Our podcast episode sponsor and Brand Partner of joegardener.com
Disclosure: Some product links in this guide are affiliate links, which means we get a commission if you purchase. However, none of the prices of these resources have been increased to compensate us, and compensation is not an influencing factor on their inclusion here. The selection of all items featured in this post and podcast was based solely on merit and in no way influenced by any affiliate or financial incentive, or contractual relationship. At the time of this writing, Joe Lamp’l has professional relationships with the following companies who may have products included in this post and podcast: Corona Tools, Milorganite, Soil3, Greenhouse Megastore, Territorial Seed Company, Earth’s Ally, Proven Winners ColorChoice, Farmer’s Defense, Heirloom Roses and Dramm. These companies are either Brand Partners of joegardener.com and/or advertise on our website. However, we receive no additional compensation from the sales or promotion of their product through this guide. The inclusion of any products mentioned within this post is entirely independent and exclusive of any relationship.
