Prepare your soil in early fall before it becomes to wet from fall rains. Choose a well-drained location, or create one. A soil test can be helpful to determine the organic matter content and soil pH.

Ammend the soil with organic material such as Canadian peat moss, aged pine bark, manure or compost. If the pH needs to be lowered (made more acidic), use garden sulfur, peat moss, or cottonseed meal. Mix your amendments deeply and thoroughly into the soil. Remember that roots will develop below the bulb and therefore good soil below the bulb is important. Deeply planted tulips may require good soil 12" deep. Plant your bulbs at recommended depths, settle soil over them well and rake smooth.

All bulbs prefer to be fertilized in the fall, but, spring fertilization is acceptable. In spring fertilize before flowers has senesced.

Incorporate fertilizer into soil for freshly planted bulbs. Broadcast fertilizer on soil surface for existing bulbs. Fertilizer on soil surface is less likely to wash away if scratched into the soil.

The best fertilizer for bulbs will contain both nitrogen and phosphorus. Bulb Tone and Bulb Booster are best. Bone meal is almost uselesss as it does not provide enough of either. Fertility and drainage are two of the most important keys to making bulbs more perennial.

Late August to September: for fall blooming crocus and colchicum.

Mid-September to Mid-October: Daffodils, they like to establish some roots in the fall.

October to Thanksgiving: Tulips and most other bulbs are best planted later since root development is not a factor.

Never save bulbs until the following year. It is better to plant late than not to plant at all.

Keep bulbs cool, dry, and frost free until planting.

A little blue mold is usually a superficial storage condition and will not affect performance.

Follow general recommendations but consider that you can plant deeper in well-drained soil and shallower in heavier soil. General rule: Plant 2.5 times the height of the bulb.

Large bulbs: 6" to 8" deep from the bottom of bulb. Such as regular daffodils, fritillaria, and colchicum.

Small bulbs: about 4" deep from the bottom of bulb. Such as small daffodils, crocus, and chionodoxa.

Tulips: about 6" (shallow) if soil is heavy or you plan to remove them after blooming.
or....deeply at 9" to 12" if they are to be perennial. This is the depth at which they grow in nature and is below the digging depth in most flowerbeds. Deep planting also prevents them from splitting into smaller, weaker bulbs.

Allow foliage to ripen thoroughly to rejuvenate the bulbs. It's better not to bundle or roll-up the leaves on your daffodils as it can prevent them from getting enough light. Your bulbs can be lifted or transplanted when the foliage fades to yellow.

Bedding tulips can be dug right after blooms with the roots and foliage attached. Heel into another bed to allow foliage to ripen naturally. Then clean, driy and sort for size before storing.

1. Foliage was removed too early last year.
2. The location is too shady.
3. Bulbs are stressed (or gone) from insects, pest, or disease damage.
4. Soil is very high in nitrogen. This yields many leaves and no flowers.
5. Bulbs are planted too close thus causing stress from a moisture or nutrient deficiency.
6. Planted too late. Bulbs dehydrated too much before planting.
7. Wrong climate. Bulb may not be hardy for winter lows or summer highs. Perhaps not vernalized.
8. Bulbs are too immature.
9. Bulbs are in soil that is too nutrient deficient.
10. Soil lacks sufficient drainage. This can promote rotting of bulbs in a wet winter.