CULTURAL SUGGESTIONS - For Home Planters 
IN THE GARDEN 
Hardy bulbs require a deep soil of good fertility and drainage. Most kinds send their roots deep and therefore the 
soil beneath is more important than that around or above them. While direct contact with either green manure or fertilizer 
is not recommended, rotted manure, leaf mold or peat moss dug into the soil will aid in the formation of a good root growth. 
If the soil is poor and must be fertilized, the use of bone meal is recommended. |n northern states all hardy bulbs should have 
a winter cover of salt, hay, leaves or manure. This cover will prevent the damage that would otherwise result from the freez- 
ing and thawing of the ground. 
TULIPS—For best effect, Tulips should be planted in groups of solid colors either in front of shrubbery or in borders. They 
should be planted before frost hardens the ground. Plant the bulbs five inches apart and cover with three inches of soil. 
For best results, do not plant Tulips in the same spot year after year unless the soil has been changed completely. When the 
Tulips are not used as cut flowers, the flower should be removed from the stem before the petals drop. Dig up the bulbs as 
soon as the foliage has turned brown and store them in a dry, airy spot. 
DAFFODILS—Daffodils make a fine Spring showing in almost any spot in the garden. They do equally well in sun or shade 
and lend themselves to formal and informal planting. In formal plantings, allow five inches between the bulbs and cover 
with four inches of soil. For informal planting or naturalizing effect, scatter the bulbs by hand and plant them where they 
fall. Providing the foliage is not disturbed until it dies down naturally the bulbs can remain in the same location for several 
years and will bloom more profusely. When they become too crowded, they should then be dug up, pulled apart and replanted. 
This should be done about the middle of July. 
HYACINTHS—Hyacinths do equally well in beds or borders. Mass plantings are exceptionally impressive. They should be 
planted in October or November four to six inches apart and four to five inches deep. They can remain in the same spot from 
year to year but usually deteriorate in time and should be replaced with new stock. 
CROCUS—Crocus are equally as effective either in solid colors or mixed. Group plantings made in the location where the 
foliage will not be mowed or disturbed produce excellent flowers for many seasons. Plant the bulbs two to three inches deep 
and two to three inches apart. 
MISCELLANEOUS BULBS—AIll of the smaller miscellaneous bulbs such as Snowdrops, Scillas, Muscari, Chionodoxa, etc. are 
quite hardy and must be planted in the usual Fall season. Many prefer to plant them around shrubs or trees where the early 
flowers make a brilliant showing before any other Spring items. Group plantings of individual varieties are preferred and the 
bulbs can be planted two or three inches apart and covered with two inches of soil. Some leaf protection is desirable in the 
northern states 
We have pamphlets which give growing instructions in greater detail than the above and these will be gladly mailed upon request. 
IN THE HOME 
Included among the bulbous items we list are many that can be grown and flowered in the average home without prior 
preparation. These include all of the tender Narcissus, Roman Hyacinths and Amaryllis. They should be placed in light, 
sunny rooms where a relatively high humidity can be maintained and where there is an absence of drafts. A daytime tem- 
perature of 60 to 65° and nighttime of 50° is near ideal. The tender Narcissus and Roman Hyacinths can be grown in water 
and they will need no other nourishment to flower them perfectly. However, they do need some material to act as root 
anchorage otherwise the flowers will become top heavy and fall over. Place the bulbs in a bowl in an upright position and 
cover with crushed shells, pebbles, peat moss or sand. Fill bowl with water and add additional water as needed. Successive 
plantings made from early September to late December will provide flowers over a long period. 
AMARYLLIS are not only the showiest of all bulbous items but one of the easiest to flower successfully in the home. The bulbs 
are available from early October on through the early Spring months. The first plantings should flower in late February or 
early March. The bulbs should be grown in flower pots in good garden soil and planted so that about one-third of the bulb 
is exposed. Keep the plants in a sunny window and water sparingly until the flower bud shows and then more plentifully as 
the shoot lengthens. The foliage usually develops after the flower is finished. When the danger of frost is over in the Spring 
the whole pot can be set outdoors and the foliage will continue to grow. Before cool weather arrives the plant can be brought 
indoors and will flower again the following early Spring. 
Practically all other Fall bulbs can also be flowered in the home but they require an earlier cooler temperature while 
their roots are being established. This can be accomplished by placing them in flower pots and then submerging these pots 
in a cool place until a full root system develops. The usual practice is to dig a trench in the garden about one foot deep and 
to place the pots in this trench and cover them to the soil level. In northern states some additional covering of hay or other 
protective material must be put over the ground to keep out the frost. These pots can be brought in the house about the 
middle of February and placed in a light sunny window. A starting temperature of 60° is best and this can be increased 
slightly as growth progresses. 
PAGE ELEVEN 
