Say, I know you are eager to get out and plant those beautiful spring bulbs as soon as you can. You also might want to dig those nice big holes to have some beautiful azaleas, rhododendrons, forsythia and other blooming bushes in place for the spring. You may also want to dig up the weeds which have taken over your flower beds.
The Key Piece of Advice I can offer you at this time: WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!!
With 3-5 inches of rain this past week, you do not want to be digging that soggy soil for many, many days. A good soil has good drainage which means it will eventually dry out on the top layers. You need to have loose soil if you want to dig because, if you don't, the soil will be clumpy and difficult to work with as you make any holes.
I would love to say I have never done this, but that would be a lie!! Some times I just have to get out to the garden and I didn't want to wait. I don't do this any more because I realize the soil structure can be damaged easily. Even stepping in a garden bed where the soil is too wet can compress the soil so that the air pockets disappear. Not good.
When I dug wet soil in my youth, I ended up with huge clumps of soil that just won't break up well. When the soil is dry, it falls into place as if it was never disturbed. By waiting until the soil is drier, the bulbs you plant will be covered evenly so that they will not move underground as the soil settles. There also will be less chance of the frozen ground will heave the bulbs during the winter.
I only have about 50 bulbs to plant this fall, which is down from the 200 last year! Oh, another piece of advice: fertilize your bulbs when you plant them. If you use a bulb fertilizer, the key ingredients are balanced so the roots will be better established over the winter months and you will have a brilliant bloom when spring arrives!!
So, be patient! Your garden will thank you later!!
