Secrets to success with bulbs

As I walk through the local stores, I realize that the ghost and goblins are giving way to turkeys and holiday ornaments.

Being a gardener, I notice in the garden center an abundance of bulbs waiting to be buried to wait for just their right time of spring to pop up and brighten those cold last days of winter. I also notice gift boxes of bulbs and small planters ranging anywhere from $8 to $15 and sometimes more. Well, not to slow the economy or be a Grinch by restraining from the impulse to buy these prettily packaged goods, but you and I can make our own with less and have an equally if not more bountiful display.

The wintertime favorite is usually the Narcissus and the Paperwhite. You can pick up a whole bag of these, probably in the same store, for $4 to $8 and possibly enjoy 12 to 20 blooms instead of the measly one that often comes in those holiday boxes.

Don’t get me wrong, those do great in a pinch and you can get some great  bargains after New Year’s Eve, but for you and me, I’m betting we’ll be just fine making our own.

Here are the easy steps to a quick display that should be ready in time for the holidays:

• Purchase a bag of bulbs from the home store garden center, I’ve even found some at the grocery store. They are usually in a netted bag or a cellophane type bag with holes for air.
• Make sure they aren’t soft or squishy to the touch. They should be firm.
• Take them home and if you aren’t going to use them until the next day, put them in a dark, dry, cool cupboard. But don’t forget them.
• Find a container. You can use just about anything. I like using canning jars or reusing a spaghetti sauce jar.
• Make sure it is clean. Put in about 2 to 3 inches of rinsed pebbles.
• Set the bulbs on top of the pebbles root side down and add lukewarm water until it touches the roots.
• Add more water as the level drops daily. Occasionally I like to carefully hold the bulb and change the water completely. Some folks use a couple tablespoons of rinsed aquarium charcoal layered in with the pebbles to help keep the water clear and odor free.
• Keep them in a bright sunny area but not in direct sun.
• In a few weeks, success, you’ll see blooms.

Some folks suggest tossing the bulbs when you are done because they may not bloom again, but I always “toss” them in the garden and often the next year I have blooms both indoors and out.

Patricia Brantley is a Master Gardener with the University of California Cooperative Extension office in Fairfield. If you have gardening questions, call the Master Gardeners office at 784-1322.