Bulbs, Tubers, and More

Ready to transform your garden with vibrant flowers and homegrown potatoes? Whether you're dreaming of colorful blooms or harvesting your own delicious spuds, planting flower bulbs and potato tubers is the perfect way to kickstart your garden.

With Edmonton and surrounding areas usually being clear of frost hazard by early May, you may be looking for bulbs and tubers to plant. These are quite easy to plant - no need for grow lights or germination trays - these can just be planted straight into the ground once it is thawed enough to be worked.

As of Wednesday, March 26, we have a plethora of flower bulbs, potato tuber, asparagus, and horseradish roots. During this time of the year, you can expect to find bulbs such as gladioli, begonias, dahlias, lillies, ranunculus, anemones, gloriosas, and more. WHen planting, you'll want to scope out an area that has lots of sunlight and well-draining soil. Generally, you can estimate the planting depth to be about 2-3 times as tall as the bulb is itself, making sure to keep the pointed part directed upwards.

Recommended Bulb Spacing

Anemones	4-6 inches apart
Allium	4-6 inches apart
Begonias	8-12 inches apart
Dahlias	12-18 inches apart
Gladioli	4-6 inches apart
Gloriosas	8-10 inches apart
Lilies	6-8 inches apart
Ranunculus	4-6 inches apart

In our cold climate, many of these flowers will not survive the winter and must be dug up in order to preserve them for the following year. This should be done after the first frost has damaged the foliage. Remove any soil that might be stuck to your bulbs, wiping them off if necessary. It is best to dry them out for a few days before packing them away to prevent mold or rot. Store in a cool, dry place throughout the season - a garage, cellar, or basement is usually suitable. It is recommended to check on them periodically, as rotted or moldy bulbs should be removed as soon as possible.

Potato Tuber Information

We carry a wide selection of potato varieties, including red, white, yellow, purple, and russet-skinned potatoes. Different potatoes are better suited for boiling, baking, making french fries, or more. Check out this link to get some more information on various potatoes to find the one that is best suited for you.

When planting potatoes, you can aid the process by allowing the potato to sprout. You can do this by placing the potato in a brightly-lit area. Often, smaller potatoes will have sprouted eyes, which can be planted as is. Larger potatoes may need to be cut prior to planting, but ensure that they are thoroughly dried for a few days to prevent rot. As plants grow, mound soil around stems to support growth and prevent tuber exposure. When harvesting, wait about 7-10 days after the flowers of your potato variety have wilted before you dig them up.

Potatoes can also be grown in containers, or potato bags. Usually 4-5 tubers are planted per bag, however this depends on the size of your bag. When harvesting, you may opt to tip your bag over instead of digging up your potatoes to prevent damage to them.

Spring Garlic

Garlic can be categorized as either hard-neck or soft-neck. A hard-necked garlic will have the stalk firmly dried into the center of the bulb, while a soft-neck garlic does not. Hard-neck garlic is typically smaller overall, but has larger individual gloves. Additionally, it does slightly better in cooler climates. Garlic is typically planted in the fall as it takes about a year to have fully matured cloves, however you are still able to plant in the spring for a fall harvest - your harvested garlic might just be smaller than usual. Plant garlic as soon as the ground can be worked and let it grow!

In the coming weeks, we will be receiving onion sets as well, so keep your eyes peeled for updates on our website, social media, and storefront. Please note that those who have pre-ordered bulk onions will be contacted directly.

Happy planting,

Apache Seeds Ltd.