Is it too late to plant spring bulbs and garlic in BC?

It is not too late in most of BC. Plant spring bulbs and garlic in November as long as the soil is not frozen. A bulb in the ground in late fall is better than a bulb left in a paper bag until spring.

The only hard limit is frozen soil. If you can push a trowel in without a fight, you can plant.

Planting dates by region

On the south coast, including Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, and Vancouver Island, the ground stays workable through November and often into December. Bulbs planted now have time to root before growth starts in late winter.

In the Interior, Kootenays, Cariboo, and Northern BC, the best window is usually September to early October. Many yards in these regions are already frozen or close to it. Check the soil first. If it is still soft, plant today. If it is frozen, store the bulbs somewhere cool, dry, and dark, such as an unheated garage, and plant them the moment you can dig. Check them for mold every week or two.

Elevation and shelter change the dates. A hillside yard freezes sooner than a sheltered one. Watch the overnight lows and the soil, not the calendar.

Bulbs that go in the ground now

Tulips, daffodils, crocus, hyacinths, alliums, and grape hyacinths all need fall planting. They need a stretch of cold soil to flower in spring.

Plant tulips last. They tolerate cool soil and late planting better than most people expect. Daffodils do best when they go in earlier, so they get more time to root. If you have both, plant the daffodils first.

Pick firm bulbs. Skip any that feel soft, look moldy, or have gone light and papery.

How deep and how far apart

A common rule is to plant a bulb at a depth of about three times its height. The pointed end faces up.

In practice, that means about 15 cm (6 inches) for large tulips and daffodils. Small bulbs such as crocus and grape hyacinth go about 7 to 10 cm (3 to 4 inches) deep. Hyacinths sit in between. Deeper planting protects bulbs from frost heaves and from some digging animals.

Space large bulbs about two bulb widths apart. Small bulbs can sit closer. Plant in clusters of seven or more rather than single rows. A clump shows from the street. A line of single flowers does not.

Dig one wide hole for a cluster instead of many small holes. Loosen the soil at the bottom. Bulbs rot in soil that stays wet, so avoid low spots where water pools in winter. Heavy clay needs coarse compost or sand mixed in for drainage.

After planting

Water once after planting to settle the soil, unless rain is on the way. Most BC coastal yards will get that from the weather.

Add a layer of mulch, such as shredded leaves or bark mulch, about 5 cm (2 inches) deep. In colder regions, wait until the ground has frozen and then mulch. The goal is to keep the soil frozen, not to warm it. The fall yard cleanup checklist covers what to do with leaves, and shredded leaves work well here.

Wear gloves when you handle hyacinth bulbs. The papery skin irritates some people.

Protect bulbs from squirrels and deer

Squirrels dig up tulip and crocus bulbs. Deer eat tulip flowers and buds in spring. Neither tends to bother daffodils, alliums, or fritillaria, which taste bad or are toxic to animals. If wildlife visits your yard often, plant those instead.

To protect tulips, lay chicken wire or hardware cloth over the bed after planting and cover it with mulch. Pin the edges down. The shoots grow through the holes in spring. You can also plant bulbs inside wire cages. Keep bulb scraps and the papery husks off the surface, since the smell draws squirrels.

Keep pets and children away from daffodil and tulip bulbs. They are toxic if eaten.

Planting garlic in BC

Garlic also goes in the ground in fall. Plant individual cloves, not whole heads. Use cloves from a seed garlic grower or a garden center. Grocery store garlic may be treated to stop sprouting, and it may not suit local conditions.

Set each clove pointed end up, about 5 cm (2 inches) deep, and about 15 cm (6 inches) apart. Choose a sunny spot with loose, well-drained soil. Garlic rots in soggy ground.

Ideally garlic goes in a few weeks before the ground freezes, so it grows roots but little top growth. A November planting on the south coast works if the soil is workable. In colder regions, plant in October when you can.

Cover the bed with straw or shredded leaves, about 10 cm (4 inches) deep. Pull the mulch back a little in spring when the shoots push up.

Planting bulbs in lawns and under trees

Daffodils and crocus look good naturalized in a lawn. They need the grass left uncut until their leaves yellow, about six weeks after flowering. Skip this if you want a tidy lawn in April and May.

Small bulbs also do well under deciduous trees and shrubs, where they bloom before the canopy leafs out. Dig carefully near tree roots. If you plan to plant trees or shrubs as well, read can you plant trees and shrubs in November in BC.

When to hire help

Home gardeners handle bulbs and garlic without trouble. A large bed, a sloped site, or poor drainage may call for a landscaper who can grade the ground, build a raised bed, or lay out a planting plan. A gardener can often do the planting. The guide on who to hire in BC explains which trade does what. Many crews book up in spring, so ask about fall work now.