Plant Bulbs Now In Central Texas For Spring Blooms

Maybe your like

Statesman LogoHearst Newspapers LogoSkip to main contentTRENDING:2026 Voter Guide|Endorsements|February heat waves|Olympics schedule|How to vote early

Travel

Home & Garden

Plant bulbs now in Central Texas for spring bloomsBy Diana C. Kirby Special to the American-StatesmanOct 23, 2018

Plant bulbs in November to ensure they have enough time to come up in spring. Paperwhites brighten the occasionally cool and gray spring days. [Diana C. Kirby for American-Statesman]Austin 360

The sudden, dramatic temperature drop reminds us the garden will soon go dormant with plants settling in for a long winter’s nap. Or, in our normally temperate climate, a short snooze.

Bulb are the first signs of renewal in the garden. They peek up from mulch, adding bright color when most things remain brown and dormant under a crunchy blanket of leaves.

Article continues below this ad

Plant bulbs in November to ensure bulbs have time to cool in the ground to prepare for their emergence from February through May. For best results, we typically plant around Thanksgiving in Central Texas to ensure a beautiful spring crop.

Most local independent nurseries offer a nice selection of bulbs now. Websites and catalogs include a vast array of bulb choices. Winters in Central Texas might not get cold enough for some bulbs, so make sure you plant suitable bulbs. Look for those marked Zone 8, which covers the Austin area.

Be sure you can see the bulbs sold in bags and look for firm, papery bulbs; avoid soft, bruised or moldy bulbs.

Statesman Logo

Want more Statesman?

Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search.Add Preferred Source

While bulbs want a cold winter, they should be planted in a bright, warm spot in full sun or partial shade with well-drained soil. Most bulbs want five to six hours of sun per day. You also can refrigerate bulbs that require a longer cold period. Be sure to research specific needs for your bulbs.

Article continues below this ad

Different bulbs need different planting depths. The general rule of thumb is to plant bulbs two times to three times deeper than the height of the bulb itself. Most packaging includes bulb-specific instructions.

You will find a variety of tools that may make bulb planting easier than a shovel. The most common is a hand bulb planter, a 9-inch-long cylinder with a round metal blade that allows you to kneel, push and twist down into the soil, removing a tube of soil as you pull it back up. These are available with an automatic soil release mechanism, a much better choice than shoving the plug out manually after digging the hole. It’s worth looking around to find one with this option. If you prefer to stand, long-handled planting cylinders are available as well.

For planting small bulbs in looser soil, a dibber provides another option. Metal with a tapered, pointy spike at the end, it punctures the ground to create deep, precise holes. Dibbers are available in straight, T or D handles, and kneeling or standing lengths.

Unless you plant in a raised bed, our clay and limestone make bulb planting a chore. That’s where the planting auger comes in. A large drill bit designed to fit on standard power drills and available in short or long length for kneeling or standing can make planting bulbs more manageable. In my opinion, a tool that requires less elbow grease is a must-have. The fact that it works with a power tool is an added bonus for those of us who have a thing for power tools.

Article continues below this ad

With your tool of choice and bulbs in hand, start digging. Make sure you follow instructions for the proper planting depth.

Plant nose, or growing point, up and roots, or wide basal plate, down. Fill the hole with fertilizer and water well. For years, gardeners have used bone or blood meal to provide nitrogen to bulbs when planting. But it has come under scrutiny for slaughterhouse sources. As an alternative, many growers recommend compost or fertilizer with phosphorus, potash or alfalfa meal.

Even though the bulbs are hiding underground, don’t forget all plants continue growing roots and need water throughout winter, especially if it doesn’t rain much.

If you garden with deer, they typically leave daffodils, jonquils, paperwhites, irises and grape hyacinths alone, though they may paw them up when you first plant them. You might want to put up a barricade or netting over the planting area the first few weeks because deer might be attracted to the freshly turned earth.

Article continues below this ad

Once your beautiful bulbs have bloomed in the spring, be sure to leave the strappy leaves on the plants until they have died back and turned yellow. This allows the energy in the leaves to revitalize bulbs for next year. This food is then stored in the white fleshy part of the underground bulb for next spring.

Spend a little time in the garden working off your Thanksgiving meal and you’ll be rewarded with beautiful blooms come spring.

Which bulbs to plant We have great success with the following spring bulbs: Daffodils Paperwhites Grape hyacinths Snowbells Irises Ground orchids Some lilies and tulips

Local landscape designer and garden coach Diana Kirby provides landscaping tips at dianasdesignsaustin.com and writes a garden blog at sharingnaturesgarden.blogspot.com.

photo ghows-TX-78e94c01-a40d-380c-e053-0100007f72b2-afbc6f9a.jpeg from article titled "Plant bulbs now in Central Texas for spring blooms" — Austin 360

photo ghows-TX-78e94c01-a40d-380c-e053-0100007f72b2-d6780025.jpeg from article titled "Plant bulbs now in Central Texas for spring blooms" — Austin 360

photo ghows-TX-78e94c01-a40d-380c-e053-0100007f72b2-48cbec24.jpeg from article titled "Plant bulbs now in Central Texas for spring blooms" — Austin 360

Most Popular1.Crockett vs. Talarico: How the Dems running for US Senate stack up on issues2.Chinese New Year 2026: See symbolism behind 'Year of the Fire Horse'3.UT's new Academic Medical Center will no longer be based at Erwin Center site4.Jasmine Crockett says Colbert interview drama gave James Talarico a 'boost'5.The Texas primaries that will decide 2026: Here are the races to watchMore NewsGolden: AD Chris Del Conte Texas football canceled Arizona State seriesATX Open set for 2026 event with its biggest name yet: Venus WilliamsTexas A&M basketball vs Ole Miss: Aggies complete comeback vs RebelsMike Elko has a solution to help the future of NCAA football: 'Put somebody in charge'Taylor Sheridan's Bosque Ranch Live music fest returns to Weatherford ranchBest OfCommunity's ChoiceLooking for better rates? These local credit unions are worth a lookWhen every percentage point counts, these Austin credit unions deliver wins for your wallet.

Community's ChoiceThe best plumbers in Austin, according to local homeownersEven if it’s 2 a.m. or Sunday morning, these plumbers won’t leave you in distress.

Community's ChoiceThe best plastic surgeons in AustinThe community chose these surgeons for results that look real, feel right and last.

Community's ChoiceThe top 5 law firms in Austin you’ll wish you found soonerVoted the best by locals, these Austin law firms have proven results in personal injury, divorce, estate law and more.

Community's ChoiceYou won’t believe the difference these Austin eye clinics can makeThese clinics make LASIK, eye exams, dry eye relief and everyday eye care surprisingly easy.

Editor's Picks The demolition of the Frank Erwin Center continues Monday May 20, 2024, after it was mostly flattened on Sunday. The demolition of the Erwin Center and the adjacent Denton Cooley Pavilion basketball training facility was intended to make way for a UT academic medical center.

The demolition of the Frank Erwin Center continues Monday May 20, 2024, after it was mostly flattened on Sunday. The demolition of the Erwin Center and the adjacent Denton Cooley Pavilion basketball training facility was intended to make way for a UT academic medical center.

EducationUT's new Academic Medical Center will no longer be based at Erwin Center site Nate Paul suffered a setback Wednesday in his efforts to hang onto a prime piece of Rainey Street property. He's seen here outside the federal courthouse ahead of an earlier hearing. He was not in court Wednesday.