Planting Camassia Bulbs

I hope that you're well. Today, I'm thrilled to share with you my experience of planting camassia bulbs, and I thought, why not bring you along and show you what that's like? Camassia is a wonderful perennial plant. It's known for being cold-hardy (zones 3-8) and blooming beautifully in the early summer in that gap between peonies and summer annual plantings. Moast varieties bloom blue or white.

Discovering Specialty Varieties

Here on our farm, we're starting up some specialty varieties that we hope to offer for sale in the future. One thing I adore about camassia is its remarkable adaptability to various soil types. Even in our particularly heavy, wet soil, they thrive. What's more- camassia are native to the Pacific Northwest of the U.S.

Understanding Camassia Bulbs

If you're wondering what camassia bulbs look like, think small onions. Sometimes they can appear smaller or more oblong, and while they are edible, they require cooking due to their starchy nature. Personally, I haven't tried them myself, but their potential as a food source intrigues me.

Planting Procedure

To start planting, I laid out my bulbs to fill an entire row, ensuring they were evenly spaced. If you're planting camassia in your own garden or farm, aim to plant them about four to six inches deep, with about six to eight inches between each. Here, we grow them primarily for bulb production, so we often dig them up and divide them, planting a bit closer than recommended.

My camassia bulbs are positioned down the center of this bed—it’s strategic, with daffodil bulbs already gracing both sides. As daffodils bloom and begin to fade away, the camassia rises impressively in their stead.

From Seed to Splendor

An important point to remember is that camassia might take a little while to settle in. If you plant them this fall, expect to be patient; flowers might not emerge in the first year. Over time, however, they spread vigorously and form large clumps, which you can later divide to expand your garden.

Here's a bulb that's starting to divide right now—it's ready to transform into a new plant, not unlike daffodils. I’m using a Korean gardening tool today, perfect for planting and weeding. We sell these through both retail and wholesale avenues like Ampersand Bulb Co.

Simplifying the Planting Process

The actual planting process is simple: pull back the soil, place the bulb pointy side up, and cover it back with soil. This efficient method works wonders for both small and large-scale farms, where you might prefer using a tractor for digging troughs.

We amend our soil here with compost made from flower farming scraps, food waste from our roadside stand, and material from container-grown plants. We've come a long way from the compact clay beds we started with.

Wrapping Up

As I continue planting today, I even timed myself—after a phone call distraction, less than 15 minutes had passed to plant two crates of 200 camassia bulbs!

I'm now moving on to plant a different camassia variety. With its splendid bloom window in early summer, these flowers will complement other blooms like Columbine and Bearded Iris.

I invite you to stay tuned for more updates! Feel free to reach out with questions. Visit our Garden store to shop for camassia bulbs or tools, and ampersandbulbco.com if you’re a wholesale grower.

I hope you're also having a beautiful weekend and find joy in this planting journey.