It’s Not Too Late To Plant Tulip Bulbs - But Do It Now

For the procrastinators - those of us who never got around to planting our tulip bulbs last fall - do it now. Hopefully they have been kept in a cold spot - the garage or refrigerator.

Spring flowering bulbs require between 14 to 16 weeks of cold temperatures in order to bloom. If they didn’t receive this required chilling, they may not flower this spring. Also, before planting them, make sure they are firm and free of mold.

So you’re not disappointed in their flower display this spring, plant these potential non-bloomers somewhere out in the far reaches of your yard instead of in the display garden.

Q. When can we begin cleaning up the yard? Roger, Spokane

A. It’s a little early to be walking on or digging in the soil. Right now our soils are saturated with wonderful rain. We can feel the moisture under our feet as we walk, each footstep sinking into the ground. Our weight compresses the soil particles, driving the oxygen out of the ground.

This may not seem harmful now, but as the season progresses, these traffic areas will start to dry.

The soil that we crushed under our feet will become hard as rock. Water will find it difficult to penetrate the ground. Brown areas may develop in the lawn over the summer, even though it’s receiving ample water.

Soil that is tilled or spaded too early may also be damaged. Saturated soil particles that have been thrown together through tilling may bind, creating lumps that eventually dry into hard marbles. These lumps may take years to break down.

Before working the soil, take the soil test. Take a handful of soil from about 2 inches under the ground. Squeeze it tightly in your hand.

If water can be squeezed from it or if it stays together like a wet mud ball, don’t work the soil. If, on the other hand, you squeeze it and it falls apart like crumbs of cake, enjoy your day in the garden.

Q. How do I care for my poinsettia and amaryllis now that they have stopped blooming? Helen, Spokane

A. Both plants require bright light and moist soil.

With the poinsettia, it’s your call. Do you wish to add it to the compost pile now, or later, in the fall? Or, are you up for a challenge? The challenge is getting them to bloom again. This requires a regimen of short days and long nights - about eight hours of daylight and 16 hours of total darkness beginning around the first of October.

I have heard some success stories, where plants have been left undisturbed in cool rooms near windows. Here they receive the natural light changes - where days get shorter and nights get longer.

If you wish to try your hand at getting these plants to flower in the winter, keep them in bright light for now. Around the first of June, they can be moved outside.

Place them where they will receive plenty of light, but not the direct, hot afternoon sun. Keep them moist and fertilize them when you fertilize your other container plants.

If they are straggly now, cut them back to within 6 inches from the top of the soil. If they have lots of foliage, enjoy the plant as a foliage houseplant and cut them back the end of September.

Amaryllis: Snip off the spent blossoms and tuck the plant behind other houseplants. Make sure the strappy leaves receive plenty of light. Amaryllis are like any other bulb; they receive food for the bulb through their leaves. The more leaves the plant produces, the better chance of flower development next year.

Once the danger of frost has passed, take these fellows outside for the summer. Place them where their leaves will receive plenty of light, but not the direct, hot afternoon sunlight.

Come the end of September, gradually hold back the water so the leaves will fade. Once the leaves have turned yellow, cut them off and store the bulb, in its pot, in a dark room for a month or so.

Q. When can we use Roundup, and can it be used to kill quackgrass around berry bushes? John, Spokane

A. Roundup is a non-selective herbicide that will kill or damage anything that is green. It is most effective when temperatures are in the 70s. However, newly emerging weeds can be zapped now. It will take longer before you start to see them shrivel up, but spraying now does work. Roundup must have seven hours without rain.

Berry bushes have green canes. You must protect all the canes from drift or direct spray. The best procedure is to use a sponge dampened with Roundup. Run the dampened sponge over the blades of grass. The Roundup will move through the grass into its roots without damaging the roots or canes of the berries. Always wear plastic gloves when handling any pesticide.

Quackgrass is best handled with an herbicide. The more you pull it, the more it will grow - kind of like mowing or pruning.

Never put quackgrass into the compost pile.

One positive point about quackgrass is that it tends to repel slugs. See, there is a little good in everything. Very little with quackgrass, but a little.

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