Bulbs should be planted from 3 to 6 inches deep, and, as a rule of thumb, the larger the bulb, the deeper it should be planted. (Both tubers and corms are treated similar to bulbs.) Using a spade, a slice is dug in the soil to the required depth, the bulbs placed in the hole and the sod replaced. If the soil is poor, a sprinkling of bone meal is added and mixed with the soil at the bottom of the hole.

Each spring, flowering bulbs should be well-fertilized. (Use manure and chemical fertilizer.) Care must be taken to keep fresh manure away from the roots or the bulb or tuber itself. The fertilizer should be worked well into the soil. The soil itself should be cultivated to a depth of 3 to 4 inches each week. During the blooming season, it is a good idea to cut off most of the buds to get bigger and showier flowers. Watering regularly is essential, and when the soil gets too dry, punching a few holes in it around the plant will help get the much-needed moisture down near the roots.

Spring-Flowering Bulbs

Among the important spring-flowering bulbs are a number of the tulip types, some blossoming as early as April. These early tulips include albion, coleur cardinal and pink beauty. Other spring-flowering bulbs include varieties of narcissus, grape hyacinth, snowdrop, crocus, winter aconite and iris.

Summer-Flowering Bulbs

Summer - flowering bulbs require the same planting procedure as the earlier varieties. Some typical summer-flowering species include:

Autumn crocus
Gladiolus
Cluster amaryllis
Lilies
Bearded iris
Dahlia
Peonies
Summer hyacinth
Calla lily
Mariposa

Propagation of Plants

Certain varieties of perennials can be used to create new plants. This is accomplished by the use of various propagation methods. The general methods used include cuttings, division of old clumps, propagation from leaves, and budding. Some varieties can be propagated by a number of methods; for others, only one way works.

Cuttings

Cutting is the process of removing a small portion of a growing plant and treating it so that roots are developed. The cutting can then be transplanted and will, in time, produce its own blooms. Cuttings are usually made from a portion of the stem, from leaves, from tubers or from roots. Cuttings are usually rooted in a mixture of sand and peat moss. Some varieties can be induced to root in water, in sphagnum moss, or in light, sandy soil. For softwood cuttings, made from the wood stem of soft-stemmed plants, insert small pieces of stem about 2 or 3 inches long in 4-inch-deep (or deeper) flowerpots, with about one-half their length exposed. Some provision should be made for shading. The flowerpot should be inserted in another pot filled with water, so that there is a steady seepage through the porous clay. The hole at the bottom of the pot should be tightly plugged with a cork.