Nothing screams spring like a rainbow of colorful blooms. But if you want that explosion of color, fall is the time to plant.

Fall is perfect for planting spring flowering bulbs, such as crocus, hyacinth, tulips, daffodils, lilies, allium and iris.

“You’re not planting them to grow now,” says Jesse White of Earl May Nursery and Garden Center in St. Joseph. “They’re dormant.”

In essence, you’re putting the bulbs to bed. They will sleep through the cold months and awaken in the spring.

Bulbs generally can go into the ground right up until the ground freezes, says Linda Vannaman, owner of Hilltop Greens Greenhouse in St. Joseph.

“You want to wait until the weather breaks and it cools off,” says Ronna Moore, owner of Idyllwild Gardens in Savannah, Mo.

After deciding on what bulbs you want to plant, experts say to make sure to pay attention to planting instructions for the type of bulbs you’re planting. Those instructions will include information about the soil conditions the bulb requires, the depth at which to plant the bulb, where to plant (full sun vs. partial sun) and how far apart to plant the bulbs.

“Plant them at the depth the bulb requires,” Ms. Vannaman advises.

If you plant the bulb too deep, it will take longer to come up. If you plant the bulb too shallow, the freezing and thawing of the ground can kill it.

Mr. White says bulbs normally aren’t planted more than eight inches deep. Some, such as crocus, scilla and grape hyacinth are planted about three inches deep, according to an Earl May spring blooming bulbs pamphlet that can be downloaded from www.earlmay.com.

Once the bulb is in the ground, feed it a little fertilizer, such as bone meal, and water. Constant watering is not a concern, the experts say. Again, you’re not trying to get the bulbs to grow.

If you’re not going to plant your bulbs immediately, Mr. White says it is important to keep them in a cool, dry place.

“Some people take and put them in the freezer,” he says.

Of course, Ms. Moore says bulbs aren’t the only items that can be planted in the fall. Trees, shrubs and ornamental grass also can go into the ground.

“It’s just a really good time for planting,” she says. “Then you’ve got an investment in the ground.”

Lifestyles reporter Cathy Woolridge can be reached at cathyw@npgco.com