Will your spring flowers be annuals or perennials? It depends how you plant the bulbs

The transition from summer to fall means the colorful annual flowers are fading. Once the annuals are frost-damaged and removed, it’s time to plant bulbs. They announce the much-awaited spring season with a splash of vibrant, cheerful colors.

Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocus and other species are all excellent addition choices. Spring flowering bulbs should be planted in October through mid-November for best results. Once planted in the cool, moist soil, these dried-looking globes packed with life are ready to grow.

Fall-planted bulbs have time to establish a strong root system. This root development supports the plant and keeps it strong into spring. To ensure success, start them off with adequate soil moisture levels.

Purchase large bulbs for the best effect. Each planted bulb already contains the flower bud set, so the bigger the bulb, the larger the flower. It just needs the dormant season to develop and be ready to emerge next spring for a colorful impact.

Planting depth is important if your goal is for them to return each year. Bulbs are planted deeper compared to other plants. The bulb is usually planted two to three times its diameter deep. Follow the directions on the package. If given a range of planting depth, in our heavy clay soils, go with the shallower depth. Planting depth is from the base of the bulb.

People ask how they can get the commercial look of a tall, big mass of color when it comes to tulips. This is achieved when the bulbs are treated as an annual, not a perennial. After the tulips bloom, remove them and replace them with summer annuals.

Treating tulips as an annual and discarding them is hard to imagine for many people. This choice has its advantages. Besides achieving a stunning effect, planting takes less effort since these bulbs are not intended to last for more than one season.

Plant about 2 inches deep instead of the depth advised on the package. Even with this shallow depth, the bulbs still have room for root development and strong flowers. Planting and removal at this depth is easier as there is less digging.

Some people like to change out their garden beds with spring, summer and fall colors. Treating bulbs as annuals makes this switch simple. If you want to keep your bulbs and still have some summer color, plant them at the normal recommended depth, leaving additional space between them to interplant with annuals. Be careful not to dig into the bulbs when planting the seasonal annuals.

Lastly, if you want the bulbs to rebloom each year, do not remove the foliage until it yellows naturally. This means leaving it alone. Don’t tie, twist, or braid the foliage, as this reduces the plant’s ability to make energy and develop a flower for next year. Just tolerate the withering foliage. By the time the bulb dies back, your flowers are set for next year.

Dennis Patton is a horticulture agent with Kansas State University Research and Extension. Need help? Contact the Johnson County Extension gardening hotline at 913-715-7050 or email garden.help@jocogov.org.