What is the best tool for planting bulbs?
That depends to some degree on what type of bulbs you are planting and how many.
If your bulb planting is limited to a dozen daffodils, this is a relatively simple operation that can easily be performed with a regular garden trowel. If, however, you are planting a hundred or even a thousand bulbs, your greatest challenge will be digging down to the recommended depth repeatedly without wearing out your wrist, your back, or your good humour.
Thankfully, specialized tools exist to make the job easier.
If you're planting small bulbs such as snowdrops, species tulips, or croci, a dibber is a specialized tool that makes the job easier. Dibbers are cylindrical tools that taper to a point at one end and look something like an oversized pencil. They are designed to punch holes in the soil and are the perfect tool for planting large numbers of small bulbs. In freshly tilled soils, you can punch dozens of holes inside a minute. In untilled or clay soils, you'll need to twist the tool into the ground, but it's still more convenient than a trowel.
For planting medium-sized bulbs such as Dutch tulips or daffodils, a bulb planter can be a good choice. Most people are familiar with traditional bulb planters which look kind of like metal coffee cups with the bottoms cut out and bulky handles attached. They are designed to be plunged into the ground and removed along with a plug of soil. You then place a bulb at the bottom of the hole and replace the soil plug. These tools receive as much scorn as they do praise because although they work well in light or well-tilled soils, they can be challenging, to put it mildly, in heavy clay soils. I'm sure more than one has been drop-kicked all the way to the garbage can. The good news is that bulb planters are now commonly available with long handles and foot holds (that make them look endearingly like pogo sticks) so that now you can stomp them into the soil without wearing out your wrists or your back.
Another option is a bulb auger. Bulb augers look like drastically oversized drill bits and are good for planting large quantities of medium-sized bulbs, such as tulips or daffodils, or for planting bulbs in heavy clay soils. They do exactly what you would expect them to do – they bore down into the soil, usually to a depth of about five inches. They require you to be in possession of outside electricity, a 3/8” or larger drill and extension cords. The main drawback to this tool is that it can be bulky and awkward. It can also behave unpredictably if it hits a rock or catches hold of a root. I almost dislocated a shoulder once when the auger I was using got wrapped up in the roots of a vine. But if you're planting a large number of bulbs in clay soils, these augers make a seemingly impossible job possible.
If you have any questions or comments, please send them to me at vanessa@gardenmuse.ca.
Originally published in the Creston Valley Advance.
