Spring break > Mulch Your Spring Flower Bulbs in the Fall for a Beautiful Spring Display

Mulch Your Spring Flower Bulbs in the Fall for a Beautiful Spring Display

by: Michael McGroarty

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Flower bulbs need a good, long, winter?s sleep. Like some people we know, if they wake up before they are fully rested they get kind of cranky, and then they don?t bloom well at all.

Actually what happens is during a mild winter, the soil stays too warm and the bulbs begin to come out of dormancy early. They start to grow, and once the tips emerge above the soil line, they are subject to freezing if the temperatures dip back down below freezing. And that?s usually what happens. After the bulbs have emerged, they freeze and then don?t bloom at all, or if they do it?s a very sad display.

Another reason this happens is because the bulbs are not planted deep enough. They may have been deep enough when you planted them, but as the soil goes through the freezing and thawing process, the bulbs can actually work their way up in the ground. One way to keep your flower bulbs sleeping longer, which will protect them from freezing, is to mulch the bed.

In the fall just apply a 3-4? layer of well composted mulch. This layer of mulch will do a couple of things. It will maintain a higher moisture content in the soil, which is good as long as the soil isn?t too soggy. Well composted mulch also adds valuable organic matter to the planting bed. Organic matter makes a great natural fertilizer.

A 3-4? layer of mulch also acts as an insulator. It will keep the soil from freezing for a while, which is good because you don?t want the bulbs going through a series of short cycles of freezing and thawing. Then when the temperatures drop below freezing and stay there for a while, the soil does eventually freeze. Then the mulch actually works in reverse and keeps the soil from thawing out too early. Keeping it in a frozen state is actually good because the bulbs remain dormant for a longer period of time.

When they finally do wake up it is spring time, and hopefully by the time they emerge from the ground the danger of a hard freeze is past and they will not be damaged. If you can keep them from freezing, they will flower beautifully. The extra organic matter will help to nourish the bulbs when they are done blooming, and the cycle starts all over again.

We also plant annual flowers in the same beds with our spring bulbs. By the time the danger of frost is past and it?s time to plant the annuals, the top of the bulbs have died back and are ready to be removed. The mulch that is added in the fall also helps to nourish the annual flowers, as well as improve the soil permanently. Any time you add well composted organic matter to your planting beds, you are bound to realize multiple benefits. The key words here are ?well composted?. Fresh material is not good.

About The Author

Michael J. McGroarty is the author of this article. Visit his most interesting website, http://www.freeplants.com and sign up for his excellent gardening newsletter.?

Insomnia: Break the Cycle and Get Some Sleep!

Insomnia: Break the Cycle and Get Some Sleep!

by: Kristina Haisten

Insomnia is a common sleep sickness that affects many people around the world. For some, it is a chronic situation that may require medical attention; for others, an occasional nuisance. Whichever applies to you, a few tested methods can help.

You know the frustration of looking repeatedly at your clock while tossing and in your bed.
It's mental and emotional stress to say the least.
Just when you think you might drift off due to pure exhaustion, your alarm rings and you dread trying to get through the day with no energy.

Well, it?s time to break that cycle.
Here are some tips to help you fall asleep faster and sleep better through the night.

1) Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time, EVERYDAY, even on the weekends.
Some insomniacs try to catch up on lost sleep by napping on Saturday or Sunday or ?sleeping...

Insomnia: Break the Cycle and Get Some Sleep!

Spring break > Insomnia: Break the Cycle and Get Some Sleep!

Learning To Inline Skate Is Easy When You Break It All Down

Learning To Inline Skate Is Easy When You Break It All Down

by: Lee Marshall

When I started out skating all those years ago a friend told me that learning to skate on roller blades was like learning to ride a bicycle.
However looking back at my own learning curve I now have to disagree.
Learning to inline skate for me was a more complicated affair.

Riding a bicycle requires balance and road awareness.
There isn't really much more to riding a bike than pushing the peddles round, using the breaks, switching gears and turning the handle bars to steer.
Don't get me wrong, riding a bicycle isn't always that easy, but for me learning to ride a bike was a whole lot easier than learning to rollerskate.
My 6 year old son taught himself to ride a bike in less than an hour after I removed his stabilisers, but learning to rollerskate at a basic level (start, stop and turn) took him weeks.

I like...

Learning To Inline Skate Is Easy When You Break It All Down

Spring break > Learning To Inline Skate Is Easy When You Break It All Down

It's Spring - Time for a Compensation Program Tune Up

by: Michael Maciekowich

It's Spring - Time for a Compensation Program Tune Up

Now that winter has passed, the annual ritual of spring cleaning is in full swing. Spring cleaning is more than cleaning the windows and clearing the cobwebs that hid in the corners during the winter. ?Spring is a time to take a serious look at your compensation program and begin planning for the next budget cycle. Depending on your organization's fiscal year, it may also be time to determine appropriate market adjustments and pay increases for the coming year,? said Michael Maciekowich, National Director, Astron Solutions.

Compensation program spring cleaning is more than looking at the market and determining adjustments. It is a time to step back and determine if the system remained in alignment with organizational and employee needs. Most organizations have long-term strategic plans with short-term objectives...

It's Spring - Time for a Compensation Program Tune Up

Spring break > It's Spring - Time for a Compensation Program Tune Up

5 Steps To A Better Lawn And Garden

5 Steps To A Better Lawn And Garden

by: George Chapman

If you're lucky enough to have a lawn with a good topsoil base, much of the hard work of keeping a lawn beautiful is already done for you. But many of us do not have this luxury, and besides, even with a good topsoil base, you still have to work hard to keep a beautiful lawn and garden.

1. The best time to mow a lawn is when it is cool and dry. Wait for the morning dew to dry off, and before the afternoon heat takes hold. Alternatively, late afternoon or early evening following a watering in the morning is also a good time.

2. A hedge is a much better boundary divider than a fence. It will provide better privacy and keep pets and children in - or out. It will attract birds to its shelter, and provide a great backdrop for plants and flowers.

3. Bring the beauty of your garden to you; plant hyacinths near walkways and doors. Their magnificent perfume will swamp the spring air and...

5 Steps To A Better Lawn And Garden

Spring break > 5 Steps To A Better Lawn And Garden

Spring Is Around The Corner - How is your Garden?

by: Anita Johnston

Spring is in my opinion the most wonderful time of year for the gardener. You can shake of that winter weariness and get ready for a new gardening season.

The most difficult part of spring gardening is trying to manage your impatience. Don?t start digging around too early. The soil must be dry enough to have it fall apart when you pick it up. When it still sticks together like glue that?s definitely not the case.

Early spring is the best time of year to change (parts of) your garden design. You can transplant existing shrubs and perennial plants before they begin to leaf out. This also is the time to prune your trees and shrubs. Cut back the remaining dead foliage from last season and remove dead, damaged or diseased branches of trees and shrubs.

And then flowers! That?s really what spring is about isn?t it! There are many that are suitable for cool spring...

Spring Is Around The Corner - How is your Garden?

Spring break > Spring Is Around The Corner - How is your Garden?