Gardening with Children: Planting Bulbs

Planting and gardening are something parents can share with children. Flower bulbs make the task an easy one.

A spring riot of color is the reward for planting flower bulbs in the fall. Bulbs don’t require the attention that planting seeds do, so this is a task that parents can do with toddlers all the way up to teenagers. If you are gardening with limited space, bulbs can be worked with other plants that bloom in the summer and you can even plant bulbs in containers.

When to Plant Bulbs

Autumn is the time to plant many bulbs because the cold weather sends the plants clues about blossoming in the spring. If you are wondering which bulbs will work best in your area, go to the gardening section of your local store. Chances are all those bags of bulbs that are competing with the Halloween and Christmas displays are the flowers that will grow best in your area.

If you’re not the sort of person who does planting and gardening, bulbs are easy ways to start. If you want to create a pattern in your garden, look for specific colors; otherwise, go for a bag of mixed bulbs.

Gardening with Children while planting bulbs is one of the easiest ways to plant and grow your own flowers.

If planting bulb has sprouted and leaves reach a height of about four inches, tug on planting bulb stems to test their strength for transplanting. Ready to transplant planting bulbs when they are strong enough to stand on their own.

1. Dig up the planting area until you can see all planting bulbs roots clearly (roots will look like white string-like filaments no longer than planting bulb itself).
2. Cut planting bulb roots at the planting site with shears or snip off just below the soil surface.
3. Using a trowel, dig a hole as deep as the planting bulb and twice as wide (about three times the size of the planting bulb root system).
4. Place planting bulb planting hole and hold planting bulb root ball gently but firmly in the planting hole with one hand. With the other hand, fill the planting hole half full of planting soil, then water thoroughly so that there is water at the planting site and water well around the planting bulb.
5. Fill the rest of the planting hole with more planting soil, lightly patting it down as you go so as to cover up all the planting bulb roots (make sure dirt falls between sprouting leaves).
6. Water every few days until planting bulbs show signs of sprouting from soil or begin to grow leaves from planting bulb itself (at this point watering becomes dependent on weather conditions). planting area moist but not soggy or waterlogged.
7. If planting bulb has sprouted and leaves reach a height of about four inches, tug on planting bulb stems to test their strength for transplanting. Ready to transplant planting bulbs when they are strong enough to stand on their own.
8. Dig up the planting area until you can see all planting bulbs’ roots clearly (roots will look like white string-like filaments no longer than the planting bulb itself).
9. Cut planting bulb roots at the planting site with shears or snip off just below the soil surface.
10. Using a trowel, dig a hole as deep as the planting bulb and twice as wide (about three times the size of planting bulb root system).
11. Place planting bulb planting hole and hold planting bulb root ball gently but firmly in the planting hole with one hand. With another hand, fill the planting hole half full of planting soil, then water thoroughly so that there is water at the planting site and water well around the planting bulb.
12. Fill the rest of the planting hole with more planting soil, lightly patting it down as you go so as to cover up all the planting bulb roots (make sure dirt falls between sprouting leaves).

Planting bulbs teaches children patience. Unlike seed plantings that spout within days or weeks, bulbs won’t reveal their flowers until the next spring. Depending on the age of your child, you may engage them in planning a color pattern in the garden, selecting flowers based on the pictures of the plants on the packaging, digging holes for the bulbs, or placing the bulbs in the holes.

Older children may enjoy the planning process while younger children will prefer the spur-of-the-moment, “Help me plant some flowers. Put these bulbs in this hole.”

Planting and Gardening Bulbs

1. Choose a planting site.
2. Dig a hole to the depth of the size of the planting bulb.
3. Drop-in planting bulb and fill with planting soil, lightly patting it down as you go so as to cover up all the planting bulb roots.
4. Water thoroughly so that there is water at the planting site and water well around the planting bulb.

Re-water every few days until planting bulbs show signs of sprouting from soil or begin to grow leaves from planting bulb itself (at this point watering becomes dependent on weather conditions). Keep planting area moist but not soggy or waterlogged. The more sun your plant receives, the more often you’ll

Plant your bulbs in the fall after cool temperatures become the norm but before the ground freezes. Try to plant the bulbs somewhere you and your children can see the flowers when they bloom in the spring. Remember, the yard may be cold and muddy when the flowers bloom and your kids may not be spending much time outside so to appreciate their efforts.

You or your child can dig a trench that is a few inches deep and then scatters your bulbs in the trench. Have your child position the bulbs so they are root-side down. Another option is to work throughout your yard digging small holes between other plantings and setting two to four different flower bulbs in each hole. If you have the space, dig trenches in the shape of the child’s initial and they will enjoy the results even more.

If you don’t have a yard, you can still plant bulbs, just do so in a large flower pot or container. Keep these containers outdoors so they undergo the necessary temperature change that will allow them to sprout in the spring.

Planting bulbs with children is a fun way to connect to your children while engaging in a project that will beautify your yard – or even a porch adorned with flower pots. Depending on your children’s ages, you can have them plant the bulbs, dig the holes, select the types of flowers, and even plan a color pattern for the garden.