Or, dig a large trench and then place the bulbs in the trench at the advised spacing and cover them with soil. Whichever method is used, be sure there is loose soil at the bottom for drainage and to allow the roots to grow. Bulbs along with corms, tubers and rhizomes are always planted with the pointy end up. Ranunculus, a tuberous root, is the hard one - you will have trouble deciding which end is up. In this case, the pointy clusters go down, with the flat part facing up.
Some bulb growers sprinkle bone meal in each hole, and others use superphosphate.
Bulbs, by their nature, are food storehouses and come packed with all the food they need for the first season's growth. If you want bulbs to come back next year, it helps to add fertilizer, especially for those planted in pots. Give the area a good soaking to help settle in the bulbs and stand back. Nature will do the rest - underground, out of sight, and without further ado on your part. The information you receive on-line from Mercury Center is protected by the copyright laws of the United States.