Hello!
My husband gave me a beginner's gardening kit as a gift, and I have no clue where to even begin! The kit came with the following bulbs:
40 Gladiolus Mixed
60 Liatris "Blazing Stars"
20 Crocasmia "Lucifer"
60 Dutch Iris "Blue Pearl"
20 Zephranthus "Robustus"
50 Acidanthera
The kit came with a guide book, but it seems to be very general and not specific to what's in the kit or where I'm located. Here are some of my questions, I'd really appreciate any answers/tips anyone can provide!
1. How much space do I need to plant all of the bulbs?
2. I live in Maine and the kit says April is a good time to plant these flowers in Maine. There is still snow on the ground, and I'm not sure how long it takes to melt (this is my first northern winter). Can I plant the bulbs if the snow hasn't melted?
3. The book that came with the kit says that if I can't plant the flowers immediately, I need to put them in a tray with damp peat moss or sawdust in a cool, dark, dry, well-ventilated place. Is there a specific way that I'm supposed to organize the bulbs on the tray? Can they all be mixed on the same tray, or do I need to keep each type of flower seperate?
4. The kit came with starter, but what type of fertilizer should I use?
5. When I plant the flowers, should I keep each type seperate, or can I mix them all up?
6. My husband says that the clay in our yard won't work for gardening and that we'll probably need to dig a big hole, line it with plastic, and then fill it with soil. How deep should the hole be?
Any other tips you can provide would be much appreciated! This is my first real attempt at gardening, but I'm really eager to learn and I really hope I can get this to work!
Oh, also, if anyone has any book or website recommendations, please pass them on.
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opabinia51
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 4659
- Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 5:58 pm
- Location: Victoria, BC
Well, with regard to your first question: I generally space my bulbs about 4 to 6 inches apart and try to mix them up a little so as to not have a uniform flora display.
If there is still snow on the ground don't plant the bulbs until the ground is thawed but do get them in ASAP. Just use a little spade and bury the bulbs completely.
Oh yeah, you can mix them. Like I said above, it doesn't really matter. Nature has no planting instructions, seeds and bulbs just grow wherevever they are.
Aha! Your fertilizer question leads me to the most important answer of all. NONE. At least non in the sense of synthetic fertilzier, just get some manure or compost from a local farm or nursery.
You can buy some organic fertilizer such as liquid seaweed or liquid fish fertilizers but, these will need to be applied each week. Kelp meal is a slow release fertilizer that you can just add a handful to the hole and then forget about. But, do add some manure or compost or even better both before doing any planting.
And in the Fall, collect up any fallen leaves, grass clippings and manure and layer them over top of your beds. This will help to build a healthy soil with a diverse flora and fauna that will keep disease to a minimum and your plants will grow better than you have ever seen.
Even your lawn surrounding the beds will grow better.
If there is still snow on the ground don't plant the bulbs until the ground is thawed but do get them in ASAP. Just use a little spade and bury the bulbs completely.
Oh yeah, you can mix them. Like I said above, it doesn't really matter. Nature has no planting instructions, seeds and bulbs just grow wherevever they are.
Aha! Your fertilizer question leads me to the most important answer of all. NONE. At least non in the sense of synthetic fertilzier, just get some manure or compost from a local farm or nursery.
You can buy some organic fertilizer such as liquid seaweed or liquid fish fertilizers but, these will need to be applied each week. Kelp meal is a slow release fertilizer that you can just add a handful to the hole and then forget about. But, do add some manure or compost or even better both before doing any planting.
And in the Fall, collect up any fallen leaves, grass clippings and manure and layer them over top of your beds. This will help to build a healthy soil with a diverse flora and fauna that will keep disease to a minimum and your plants will grow better than you have ever seen.
Even your lawn surrounding the beds will grow better.