This Power Drill Gardening Hack Is the Easiest Way to Plant Bulbs

With spring well underway, gardeners everywhere are feeling that familiar urge to head outside and get their hands dirty. Depending on your climate and location, this is likely the perfect time of year to plant roses, lavender, nepeta and clematis, just to name a few. Or if you plan to wait until next fall to plant bulbs, try lilies, crocosmias, freesia or gladiolus. Gardening is a wonderful activity, and for green-thumbed folks everywhere, planting time is one of the most special seasons of them all.

That said, it doesn’t mean gardeners don’t appreciate innovations that save them time and effort. That’s where this hack comes in. Keep reading as we review this unusual approach to planting bulbs that promises to yield great results while saving you tons of time. Believe it or not, it involves a power drill.

How to Plant Seeds With a Power Drill

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• Gather a drill, a 1 1/2 inch diameter bit, some colored string and a bag or two of topsoil. A pair of kneepads also won’t hurt. Keep in mind that in most regions you’ll need to plant your bulbs in early fall to ensure they bloom into flowering plants by spring.
• Fit your power drill with the 1 1/2-inch diameter steel bit, or if you prefer something a little longer and less expensive, go with an auger bit made specifically for planting. Either a plug-in corded drill or a cordless battery-powered drill will work fine. Personally, I prefer planting bulbs with a cordless drill, since my garden space is quite far from my house and reaching a receptacle isn’t too convenient.
• Decide where in your garden you’d like to plant your flower bulbs of choice. Consider laying some colored string around your yard or garden to make the boundaries of various flowerbeds.
• Drill a series of holes into the earth where you plan to plant your bulbs. Make the holes about 4 inches deep, and locate them in spots where you want flowers to sprout.
• Carefully place one bulb in each hole. When each hole contains a bulb, gently fill the holes with topsoil. The ideal depth for bulbs varies by species, so be sure to do some research on your particular bulbs before planting.
• Water your newly planted bulbs thoroughly, then wait for the magic to happen in the spring.

Tips for Planting Seeds

• Choose the right seeds. Make sure the plants you’re hoping to grow have a good track record of thriving in your region.
• Start your seeds in containers. You’ll have the most success growing plants from seed if you have healthy, container-grown seedlings ready to transplant into your garden when the weather gets warm.
• Read seed packets for specific instructions. Different seeds have different needs, so find out the best planting timeline for yours, if they’re best started indoors before the last frost, or outdoors when the weather is already warm, etc.
• Transfer your seedlings outside gradually. Don’t transplant them into the garden abruptly. Instead, let them spend at least a few days in a warm, sheltered area outdoors while bringing them in each night. This will toughen the plants so they have a better chance of surviving when you do transplant.
• Till your soil. Your garden bed is most likely hard and compact after winter. Don’t do any planting or transplanting until you’ve thoroughly broken up the soil with a rototiller.