• Overview

  • In this video, This Old House landscaping contractor Roger Cook demonstrates the right way to plant spring-blooming bulbs in the fall.

    Steps:

    1. Use pointed shovel to dig large hole about three times deeper than diameter of the bulbs.
    2. Add compost and low-nitrogen bulb fertilizer to the hole; mix into soil with a three-prong cultivator.
    3. Press one flower bulb into the center of the hole, then add four or five more bulbs in a circle around the center bulb; space the bulbs 4 to 6 inches apart.
    4. Fill the hole with soil, then water thoroughly.
    5. Cover hole with a thick layer of mulch or dead leaves.
    • Difficulty: Easy
      Fortunately, bulbs can be planted in relatively shallow holes.

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    Video Directory

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      Tools List

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      • pointed shovel
        Pointed shovel,
        used to dig holes
      • hand cultivator
        Three-prong cultivator,
        used to work fertilizer into soil

      Shopping List

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      1. Variety of spring bulbs

      2. Low-nitrogen bulb fertilizer