For great summer color, the best time to plant summer flowering bulbs such as cannas is in the spring. Summer flowering bulbs prefer a sunny location with at least 6 hours of sunlight and well drained soil. Most summer flowering bulbs are hearty, and return year after year. The trick is to plant them in such a way as to prevent root rot, or damaging the bulb by planting other flowers or plants over them.
Select your site for planting your bulbs. Summer flowering bulbs need a sunny location with well drained soil.
Loosen the soil to a depth of 10 inches by driving the tip of a shovel down into the dirt.
Work compost into the soil with a garden fork. Leave the location alone for 5 days to let the compost dissolve into the soil.
Arrange your bulbs on the ground over the location that you intend to plant them. Mass summer blooming plants into unevenly-numbered clumps for the most dramatic color effect.
Dig out a hole in the ground using the plant augur to plant your bulb. The planting depth for most bulbs is twice as deep as the bulb itself. Add 2 inches to the planting depth for drainage and amendments.
Place horticulture grit into the bottom of the hole to a depth of 2 inches to increase drainage and prevent the bulb from rotting.
Add a handful of blood meal to the hole to nurture your bulb.
Place the bulb with the tip pointed upward into the hole.
Cover your bulb with dirt that has been excavated from the hole.
Mark the location of your bulb bed with a garden stake to prevent damaging the bulb with future plantings.