It’s time to plant spring bulbs!
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October 1, 2011 — Spring bulb planting time is almost here! Mike McGrath reveals when to plant your bulbs and how to protect tulips and other tasty ones from squirrels and other outdoor omnivores. Plus, how to grow a green wall; and your fabulous phone calls!
[audio: garden20111001.mp3]
Although they delight us in March and April, Spring bulbs must be planted in the Fall— between Halloween and Thanksgiving in the Philadelphia area and similar climes. (That means AFTER Halloween, oh you with itchy planting fingers.) Plant them earlier and they might sprout prematurely, thus ruining the Springtime show. (Unless we’re talking about grape hyacinth or one of the other weirdo bulbs that normally sends up shoots in the Fall.) South of Philly, wait until Thanksgiving. North of Philly, sometime in October. When exactly? The ideal is to get the bulbs in the ground with about a month to go before the soil freezes hard for the season, but not much longer. See all Spring bulb planting tips »
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