You have heirloom bulbs given to you or your bulbs just arrived in the mail? Here is the best guide to planting bulbs in the fall.
Planting Bulbs: A Favorite Fall Homeschool Activity
You will want to know when to plant, how to plant but also you will need to research your hardiness zone.
When and How to Plant Bulbs
The National Gardening Association has some simple steps to follow.
Here is how to find your hardiness zone for the best time for planting in the area you live.
“The best time to plant spring-flowering bulbs depends on where you live. Ideally, wait until the soil temperature is below 60°F. As a general guide, plant in September through early October if you live in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 or 5; October to early November in zones 6 or 7; and November to early December in zones 8 and 9. Plant bulbs that have been refrigerated for 8 to 10 weeks in late December to early January in zone 10.”
Planting Bulbs in Your Yard with Children
Our Outdoor Hour Challenge founder, Barb McCoy, shared her experience with planting bulbs in the fall:
I ordered the bulbs online and they held my order until it was time to plant them in the ground. I decided I needed to just do it before I forgot about the bulbs and they sat in the box all winter. (Not like I have ever done that before.)
The instructions that came with the bulbs said that the soil needs to have good drainage and our natural garden soil is a little on the clay-like side so we added some soil enhancer to increase the texture of the soil.
- The instructions also said to add a little bulb booster product and I found this sack at Home Depot for a few dollars. I read the back and added the prescribed amount into each hole I dug.
- You can see, in the photo above, my holes for the allium gladiator bulbs that I purchased. I am so excited about planting these guys and I look forward to seeing them bloom sometime next year.
- The photo collage also shows my tulip bulbs going in. They will be in the front of the garden box that the allium is in and they will bloom at different times. I purchased purple tulips for the first time. I also planted dutch iris and double daffodils for a total of forty-one new bulbs.
It took me the better part of an afternoon but now I can sit back and wait for spring and some new color in my garden.
Don’t miss your best opportunity for a spring bloom. It will be a delight to see all that spring bulb color after a long winter.
More Homeschool Garden Activities in Homeschool Nature Study Membership
These homeschool garden activities are perfect for your nature studies. Includes outdoor activities and gardening tips for kids. Enjoy all of these and more in homeschool nature study membership:
- Garden Outdoor Hour Challenge Curriculum
- Herbs Outdoor Hour Challenge Curriculum (annual members)
- Flower and Gardening Activities and Notebook Pages
- Learning leaf parts
- Poppies and buttercups
- Ferns
- Looking for pollen
- Pressing flowers
- How to draw flowers
- Learning flower parts and dissection of flowers
- The garden snail
- Garden Seed Ideas
You will find hundreds of homeschool nature studies plus all the Outdoor Hour Challenges in our Homeschool Nature Study membership. There are 25+ continuing courses with matching Outdoor Hour curriculum that will bring the Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool! In addition, there is an interactive monthly calendar with daily nature study prompt – all at your fingertips!
Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!
By Barb McCoy, founder of the Outdoor Hour Challenges with The Handbook of Nature Study. Updated and new resources added by Tricia.