Get soil ready now for those spring bulbs

Q: I have two beds, about 6 feet by 3 feet, on either side of the walkway that leads to the front porch that are just sitting there. They receive late midday to sunset sunlight. Nothing is growing in them except the occasional weed popping up, which I’m faithful about plucking. My plan is to plant a lot of spring bulbs in those two spots. Is now a good time to be doing that project, and if so, how? — N.D., Albuquerque

A: If you’ve been to any garden center or nursery as of late, you’ll be seeing bulbs galore available this time of year. I suggest you wait a few more weeks to do any actual planting in order for the soil to “cool” a bit more. Planted now, while the soil is so warm and the daytime temperatures could easily stay warm, you’d run the risk of spring bulbs actually starting to pop up.

There is a good chore you should do for the beds in the meantime. Get out there with a shovel and rearrange all the soil in your beds.

Dig deep, at least 12 inches deep, deeper would be great, giving all the soil a good turn. As you do this you’ll probably have chunks of soil and those need to be broken up, making all the soil smooth so to speak. You don’t say how long the beds have sat fallow, so I’ll recommend, once you’ve turned and smoothed each bed, you spread a stout two-inch layer of compost on top. Once that is spread, go ahead and turn the beds again, working the compost into each area.

If the soil is “heavy,” meaning it seems to cement itself together, consider adding some clean sand along with the compost to keep the soil from plating. Think of heavy soil like a shingle roof. Once it settles, any water offered takes a long time to percolate into that area and most of the oxygen in the soil is pushed out. By turning, dechunking, amending and smoothing those areas, anything you choose to plant will have a much better environment.

So get out there and prepare the beds now. By giving them a good turning you might also uncover any grubs or twigs or rocks that are in them. Those need to be removed and pitched, especially any grubs. If you have the time you could turn these spaces twice, maybe three times, a week apart, before the soil and our weather has cooled enough to plant your spring bulbs. I think waiting until the first week in October will be a better time to plant those spring treasures.

For the time being, just get out there and play in the dirt.

Dear readers, on that note, I’d recently talked about moving iris, and sometimes I do get ahead of myself. Mr. R. reminded me that while you’re reheeling a bevy of iris you should consider adding a smidgen of superphosphate and epsom salts while planting.

If you do need to continue with any iris relocations, go ahead and add a teaspoon of each into the hole beforehand. Cover them with a slight layer of soil, as you don’t want the bulb to sit directly on the added fertilizer. Now, if you’ve already completed an iris project, don’t fret. You can sprinkle the superphosphate on the soil, gingerly scratch it in and give the space a good watering. The epson salts can be diluted in a watering can and offered that way. Both elements will, with your dormant season maintenance waterings, be worked into the soil and feed the iris. Thanks Mr. R!

Recently, I suggested to G.M. that he get out there and cut away all the dead from his troubled Spanish broom. G.M. says he did tackle that chore, and a chore it was. He feels safer about the fire hazard, and the broom doesn’t look as bad as he thought it would.

I will suggest to G.M., that twice, maybe three times, during this dormant season and a month apart each, he should apply root stimulator (diluted to the label recipe) to give the broom a leg up on regenerating itself next growing season. Healthy roots will help any above ground growth have a better, stronger way to deal with whatever comes its way.

Thanks to you all for the kind words, and be happy while you’re out there Diggin’ In!

Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send garden-related questions to Digging In, Albuquerque Journal, 7777 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109, or to features@abqjournal.com.