BULB CULTURE 67 



cessible to the feeding roots but be kept away from the bulb. Do not 

 use manure at all unless the bed is excavated to a depth that makes 

 it possible to spade the manure in below the level on which the bulbs 

 are to rest. Tulips are less apt to be injured by manure than are 

 narcissi. For planting with a trowel or dibble, bone meal only should 

 be used. Leaf mold and sand should be added to heavy soils. Bone 

 meal used with bulbs tends to increase the size of the blooms. Liquid 

 manure, added liberally when the plants are budding, has often given 

 excellent results. To increase the development of new bulblets and 

 especially of gladioli, a fertilizer containing a large percentage of 

 potash is desirable. 



Depth for Planting Bulbs. Unless a bed of bulbs is planted at 

 uniform depth they will not bloom uniformly. It is a good practice to 

 excavate a bed to a given depth, place the bulbs as desired over the 

 bottom, and then cover all to the same depth, thus making certain 

 that they are evenly planted. The larger and stronger bulbs are, 

 the deeper they may be planted. They may be planted deeper in 

 sandy soil than in heavy clay soil. A general rule for planting depth is 

 three times the average diameter of the bulb. Bulbs are frequently 

 planted too shallow. For depths at which to plant bulbs, also 

 distances apart, see "Bulb Table" (Plate IX, Page 46). When 

 planted in holes made with a dibble, put loose dirt or sand in 

 the bottom of the hole to avoid air space. Planting with trowel or 

 dibble, however, should not be done where uniform show beds are 

 desired. For lawns, bulbs may be dibbled in, but it is better to cut 

 the sod and press back after planting. This is done in the fall when 

 lawns are soft from rains. 



Mulching Bulbs. Bulbs lie dormant, to all appearances, over 

 winter, and should be thoroughly mulched to insure that they do not 

 start to grow in any unseasonable warm spell of weather, and also in 

 order to prevent heaving. Mulch with straw or leaves to a depth of 

 four mches to six inches, but do not add this mulch too early; wait 

 till a fairly thick crust has been frozen over the ground. Lilies always 

 require heavy protection and will succeed better in partial shade. 

 Remove the mulch or litter in spring before warm weather and after 

 damage from freezing is past. The coarse part of the mulch should 

 be picked off carefully, care being taken not to injure the tops of 



