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| Is your packaging recyclable? |
Yes, we care about our environment which is why most of our packaging is recyclable. In many areas where "single stream" recycling is offered, you can simply remove your bulbs and place the box and packaging in your recycle bin. In areas where recycling needs to be separated, here are the codes/categories you need to sort into the appropriate bin:
- Bulb Boxes = Cardboard
- Shredded Newspaper = May be placed in your yard waste container or compost
- Mesh Bulb Bags = #4 LDPE
- Bulb Tags = #6 PS and cardboard
We are working towards 100% recyclable packaging in the future. For more detailed information on recycling in your area, please visit your local waste management website. |
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| What actually is a bulb? |
| Think of a bulb as an underground storehouse with a flower (or sometimes many flowers) hidden in it. The food in that storehouse will provide the energy for healthy flowers. Over the years, the word bulb has come to mean a whole group of plants. They include:True bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths. Corms such as crocus and gladiolus. Tubers or roots such as dahlias and begonias. |
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| Do daffodils multiply like tulips do? |
| Daffodils multiply by growing and splitting. In areas that they like, they will continue to grow and split. If conditions are not optimal, they will continue to split but the splits will not grow, leaving you with more but smaller bulbs. Eventually these bulbs will be too small to flower. Tulips actually disintegrate and new bulb(s) take their place. Depending on the variety and growing conditions, these may either increase in size or remain small. |
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| Which types of bulbs naturalize or perennialize best? |
| We have found that daffodils, crocus, muscari, and scillas are some of the better naturalizing bulbs. While all bulbs differ in their ability to naturalize, they do much better in moist / temperate climates than in hot / dry areas. |
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| Can you recommend some tulip varieties that are stronger or perennialize better? |
Mr. Roozen's choices for our Pacific Northwest climate are as follows:
Darwin Hybrids - Ad Rem, Apeldoorn, Golden Apeldoorn, Elite, Gordon Cooper, Ollioules, Pink Impression
Triumph - Attila, Kees Nelis, Merry Widow, Negrita, Rosalie
Single Late - Aristocrat, Ile De France, Maureen, Menton, Queen of the
Night
Single Early - Apricot Beauty, Keizerskroon, Yokohama |
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| What are your grower's choices for daffodils? |
Mr. Roozen recommends the following:
Yellow Trumpets - Dutch Master, Standard Value
Bicolor - Ice Follies, Red Hill, Salome
Cyclamineus - February Gold, Jack Snipe, Tete-a-Tete
Tazetta - Geranium |
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| Why aren't tulips planted in the same fields year after year? |
| Washington Bulb Company rotates crops on a five-year cycle for disease management purposes. For example, tulips planted in a field will not be planted in that field again for 5 years. In this time, diseases that attack tulips or need tulips as a host will die out. Rotation is a good practice for all farm crops and helps us reduce the need for chemical disease control. |
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| How come my bulbs don't always flower at the same time or even the same height as a catalogue says? |
| The growing region and temperature treatments all affect flowering characteristics. A variety from Holland will normally flower one to two weeks later than the same variety from Skagit Valley. Just as important, though, is where you plant your bulbs. For example, tulips from the same batch may flower two weeks later and be six to eight inches taller when planted in full shade as opposed to full sun. The color may also vary slightly. |
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| What type of fertilizer do you use? |
| We test the soil every year. As needed, we will add lime to bring the ph up to 6 - 6.5. We also use a blended mix fertilizer. Each field may get a different mix depending on the soil test. A well-balanced bulb fertilizer can be bought at most garden centers. |
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| What is the best way to store my bulbs if I dig them every year? |
| After digging, make sure to dry (cure) them thoroughly. After drying, it is ideal to store them in a well-ventilated area at a temperature of 65-70 degrees. They should be stored in thin layers in flats or trays or even hanging in mesh bags. |
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| When do I replant them? |
| The best time to replant them is in the fall when the soil temperature starts to drop below 50 degrees. In Western Washington this is usually in October. Later planting is OK but you may run into wet and miserable conditions. Remember that in nature, bulbs always remain in the ground. The longer you wait to plant, the more your bulbs will deteriorate. In warmer climates, November or early December is best. (Usually after an artificial cold treatment.) |
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| How should I prepare my soil for planting? |
| Loosen your soil by tilling or spading to a depth of 10-12 inches. Add some bulb fertilizer and you're ready to plant. Make sure that you have a well-drained and airy soil. Most of the problems we hear about can be traced to soils that are too wet or that have sealed off. Both of these things will result in a lack of oxygen and eventual bulb suffocation. Adding compost and coarse sand will make a soil more airy. Work these in to a depth of 12-18 inches. Fine sand and much clay contribute to sealing off. |
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| How many bulbs should I plant in a grouping to have the most effect? |
| The more the better. Mr. Roozen actually recommends groups of at least 10 daffodils, 10-25 tulips, 5-10 hyacinths, and 25 or more of the miscellaneous bulbs such as crocus, muscari, and scillas etc. |
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| Can bulbs be planted in containers? |
| Nature affects bulbs more when they are planted in containers because they are not surrounded by the mass of the ground to buffer extremes. A few suggestions will guarantee success in containers. Water containers in dry periods and when flowering. In prolonged wet periods, cover containers to shield from excess rain. During extreme cold periods, move containers to a garage or some other sheltered area. |
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| When will my bulbs arrive? |
We ship your bulbs in the Fall, so that they arrive at the appropriate time to plant. For our customers in warmer climates, we pre-cool the bulbs (free of charge), giving them the false sense of winter that the warm climate cannot provide naturally. Examples of warmer climates are Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta and all of Florida. We use the USDA planting zone (based on the planting location zip code) to determine appropriate shipping time and pre-cooling needs. |
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