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Forgot to Plant your Bulbs?
How to salvage last fall's daffodil and tulip bulbs
by R. Wayne Mezitt
We forgot to plant some of the tulip and daffodil bulbs I bought last fall. Are they still good, or should I throw them away? -- R.S., Springfield, VT
Most spring flowering bulbs require at least 2 1/2 months of cold temperatures (between 35 and 45 degrees ) to fulfill their dormancy requirements and produce the best flowers. When planted outdoors in fall, bulbs have time to grow roots that help them become anchored in the ground and develop the strength to support new growth. But you still have a couple of choices for your forgotten bulbs.
If you plant them in pots now you can satisfy their cold requirements in a cold cellar or a refrigerator. Make sure you use deep pots and good potting soil, and that the bulbs stay properly moist -- not too dry or soggy wet. After 2 to 3 months of cold, bring the pots into a warmer area, and their new growth, along with some flowers, should appear. Once the danger of frost has passed, remove them from the pot and plant the growing bulbs outside, treating them the same as if they had been planted last fall.
Even simpler may be to put the bulbs in a plastic bag in your refrigerator for about 3 months and then plant them outdoors in spring. They probably will not perform as vigorously as fall planted ones because they won't get the same opportunity to root-in, but they will likely survive and may even produce some flowers this year.
Reader Comments
Comment from Cin McLinn on March 31, 2008
A word of caution; the main reason that bulbs don't flower correctly in pots inside is because they were planted too deeply. Actually, the tops of tulip bulbs should peek out of the potting soil. Daffodil bulbs can be covered with an inch or so of soil. This is contrary to their normal planting depth of 6 to 7 inches outside. Planting bulbs too deeply, inside or outside, is the kiss of doom. Plant bulbs touching each other/crowd the pots. A non-freezing temp garage is the best place for the cool-down period. Cover the pots with newspaper & screening to keep out mice and light. I only wish you could see the 200+ bulbs blooming/growing in my home right now. Trial and error brought this success. Enjoy!
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