RADIO TRANSCRIPT
Date:  October 21, 2020
Agent:  Donna Teasley

Hello, this is Donna Teasley, Horticulture Agent with the North Carolina Cooperative
Extension, Burke Center.

It’s time to plant bulbs! If you want some bright, early spring color in your garden, fall bulbs are just what you need. In order to bloom, spring flowering bulbs need a period of cold weather so they have to be planted in the fall.

Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and crocus are the most popular choices. They can be ordered or purchased at area garden centers. Look for large, firm bulbs. Notice that the bloom times can be quite different for each type so be sure and group them together according to their flowering times.

If voles are a problem in your landscape, it would be smart to start with daffodils and narcissus. These bulbs are poisonous and voles and squirrels won’t bother them. Daffodils and narcissus also naturalize well and will rebloom for many years. Tulips don’t last as well. They perform much better when replanted each year. Follow the planting and fertilizing directions on the package and always plant in a well-drained area. After your bulbs have finished blooming, leave the foliage until it turns yellow before removing. If you remove it earlier you won’t have flowers the next year.

Try some bulbs this fall. They’ll be an early promise that spring is on the way!

This is Donna Teasley with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Burke Center. If you would like more information about this program you can give us a call at 764-9480.