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Consider using chicken wire in the planting holes to prevent moles from disturbing bulbs.
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Tammy Algood of the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension service shares some tips on bulb potting mixes, how to stake floppy flowers and more. Bulbs respond well to a little extra care at planting time. And it's wise to make your bulbs as strong as possible if you're going to dig and store them later in the season. Bulbs like a loose soil that they can push through easily, so if your soil is heavy, till the bed before planting to make it light and fluffy. After tilling, add bone meal, superphosphate or a specially formulated bulb fertilizer to the soil. Don't use ordinary fertilizer on bulb plantings: the extra nitrogen will make them floppy and weak. To protect her bulbs from moles, Tammy uses chicken wire in the planting holes. Although moles don't eat the bulbs, they push them around in their search for grubs and worms. Once the bulbs are in place, cover them with plastic mesh to protect them from squirrels. When you begin to see top growth emerge, remove the mesh: once the bulbs begin to grow, squirrels don't seem to be interested. Another rodent repellent is catnip, which you can plant around your bulbs. Of course, this may attract cats -- but they won't bother your bulb plantings. If your containerized bulbs produce floppy flowers, you'll need to stake them. Bamboo stakes work well, as long as you don't spear the bulbs. Place the stake near the side of the container. Tie a piece of raffia or string to the stake, then surround the foliage and flowers. For a more natural look, allow a few of the leaves to hang out of the captive foliage. You may need to use more than one stake.
GUESTS :
Tammy Algood
UT Agricultural Extension Service
5201 Marchant Drive
Nashville, TN 37211-5201
Phone: 615-834-5162
Fax: 615-832-0043
Email: Talgood1@utk.edu
Website: http://www.utextension.utk.edu
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