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Neglected tulip bulbs. Do I plant or not?

11 years ago

I've found myself in a predicament & hope you can advise me.
I dug out about 50+ tulip bulbs & 20 allium last fall in order to redesign an entry bed where I replanted new tulip bulbs to ensure flowers this spring.
I ran out of time & left the dug up bulbs in mesh trays in an unheated shed(zone 5). To my surprise I see that many of those bulbs are showing green leaves sprouting from the bulb tips. They are not in soil/dirt of any kinds & were destined for the garbage bin ...
Would you take a chance & pot them up? or would it be a waste of time to think they'd develop flowers. None are Darwin type to my knowledge.
Your expertise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
KanuK

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Comments (5)

kanuk
Original Author
11 years ago
I found threads already giving me the answer(s). Please disregard my query.
KanuK
williamlittig
11 years ago
I'd throw them in a pot. Growth is always good and in the end what is the harm?
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kanuk
Original Author
11 years ago
@williamlittig thanks for the encouragement! that's exactly what I did
I have everything I needed on hand to do it otherwise I don't think it would be worth the time & cost should the bulbs not be viable
... even if I get one blossom out of it ... I'll be happy!!
ontnative
11 years ago
I often don't bother with tulip bulbs, since they are notorious for deteriorating as they age from year to year. However, I would try to keep most other bulbs, including your allium, as they get bigger and better each year.
kanuk
Original Author
11 years ago
@ontnative I'm with you on the fact that rarely do tulips make good displays, if any, following their first year. The Darwin tulips I one year continued to bloom as well the second year. I've still got a patch of them that bloomed last spring(year 4). Looks like it might've been their last.
Alliums tended to decline in bloom(year 3) so that's why I dug these ones up...to find them way deeper than originally planted. Probably the reason they gave only foliage & weak blooms if any.
I will pot them & see what they do for me.
Thanks for chiming in I appreciate it.
KanuK

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