King Kullen Offers Fall Planting Tips
Bethpage, NY (PRWEB) October 30, 2013 -- October, or late fall, is the time to plant spring flowering bulbs. King Kullen has some tips and advice for gardeners to ensure their spring blooms are healthy and vibrant.
There is a wide array of spectacular bulbs that are just perfect for planting in the late fall such as tulips, lilies, daffodils and hyacinths. Bulbs need to be planted in the ground in the fall before the first hard frost. It is best to wait until the outside temperature does not reach 65 degrees anymore. Bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, narcissus, hyacinths, iris, allium, fritillaria, and scilla must go through a cold cycle in order to form roots, and based on lighting and warmth conditions, will bloom in the spring.
“When buying bulbs, you should look for bulbs that are firm. If bulbs are mushy, it usually means they have not been kept in a cool, dry place. These bulbs tend to rot and then will not flower,” said Lesa Forte, Floral Coordinator.
For gardeners that have issues with animals and rodents that tend to munch on plants in their landscaping, Forte has tips to prevent this as well. While these bulbs can be sprayed with soap, pepper, or a chemical, these substances will usually wash off after a rainfall. There is a list of gorgeous bulbs to plant that deer, rabbits and other rodents don’t like to eat: daffodils, narcissus, hyacinths, allium (all types), Fritillaria, fall flowering crocus, iris (all types), anemones (all types), scilla (all types), snowdrops, eranthus, chinadoxa, muscari, grape hyacinths. King Kullen floral departments carry a large selection of most of the above fall planting bulbs.
Flowers aren’t the only bulb that is best for fall planting. “Plant garlic, shallots and chives in the fall,” said Rich Conger, Director of Produce. “You can plant them in spring, but they produce much bigger bulbs with better flavor when they’re planted in the fall before the ground freezes.” Gardeners should harvest the young bulbs in early spring and leave some to grow to maturity during the summer.
To add that rich pop of color to landscapes, mums are one of the most popular garden perennial plants. They come in a wide array of colors, shapes and sizes. People think of hardy garden mums as a fall crop, but the best time to plant mums is from spring into late summer. Mums can be found in garden centers and most super markets starting in the early fall, but King Kullen floral departments have been bringing them into stores earlier and earlier every year. Customers can find them in the floral department as early as July. At King Kullen this year they have sold more mums than past years and if they were to line them up end to end they would stretch over 7.5 miles.
King Kullen works to educate customers in understanding the best times to plant perennials so they can get optimum performance from their plants when they purchase them. Planting Mums earlier gives them time to get acclimated to the soil, put down strong roots, and prepare to bloom in the fall. It’s also best to plant mums early because when mums bloom in the fall, they use some of their energy blooming instead of putting down roots, which could mean that if there is a very harsh winter they may not survive.
As always, customers can count on King Kullen’s experts in the floral and produce departments for advice and tips on planting and choosing the right products. Stop in to one of the 41 King Kullen stores today for fall bulbs and plants.
About the company:
Headquartered in Bethpage, New York, King Kullen Grocery Co., Inc. is recognized by the Smithsonian Institution as America’s first supermarket. Michael J. Cullen opened the doors of King Kullen in 1930. Today, three generations later, King Kullen is still family owned and operated. It remains a leader in the supermarket industry. From that very first store in 1930, King Kullen today operates 41 supermarkets and four Wild by Nature stores across Long Island. In addition to traditional grocery, King Kullen features a large catering and prepared foods department, freshly baked breads and sweets, and healthy and organic areas, with pharmacies in many stores as well. For information about King Kullen, please visit their website at: http://www.kingkullen.com.
Tracey Cullen, King Kullen Grocery Co., Inc., http://www.kingkullen.com, 516-218-1937, [email protected]
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