Drive stakes in place at planting time to avoid accidental damage to the bulbs or tubers. Mulching The bulb bed should be covered with two or three inches of mulch. Mulch will help minimize temperature fluctuation and maintain an optimal moisture level in the planting bed. The small, early blooming bulbs should not be mulched. Once the foliage dies back or matures in the late spring or early summer, the bulb is dormant.
Summer is the dormant period for spring bulbs.
As the foliage dies back, the roots that nourish the bulb also die back. With fall rains, the bulb comes out of summer dormancy and roots begin to grow again to provide the bulb nutrients and moisture. Once the spring bulbs enter dormancy, the time is right to dig the bulbs if needed. Some bulbs benefit from digging to divide the bulbs and spread them out over the bed. If the choice is to dig bulbs, they should be stored in a well ventilated place and replanted in the fall.