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planting spring bulbs in the spring?

16 years ago

I have bulbs that I ordered from a fundraiser the kids were having at school last fall. by the time they arrived it was too late to plant them. can I plant them now and still have results this spring? or is it best to plant them in the fall, like I did with my other bulbs. last fall was my first attempt at planting bulbs and it was wonderful seeing them peek up out of the snow. So what should I do with the dozens of bulbs needed to be planted?

Norma

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Comments (6)

bullthistle
16 years ago
You can plant then now but all you might get is leaves, because if you keep them until next fall you may not get any growth. Give them a handful of bone meal when planting now.

Here is a link that might be useful: Propagating Perennials
Chemocurl zn5b/6a Indiana
16 years ago
Yes, plant now and hope for the best. Due to them being planted this spring, as opposed to last fall, they will likely put up foliage and possibly a few blooms. Also, they may be compromised some too next spring as well, but should be just fine in the years that follow.

Beware of using bone meal if you have any doggies in your yard/area.
I few years ago I planted lots of tulips, carefully placing a little bone meal in each planting hole. My 3 doggies weren't happy until they had dug absolutely everyone of them up, when my back was turned of course.

Sue
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I'd put them in the refrigerator for a week, then plant them and see what they do. If they don't bloom this spring, they most likely will next spring.
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Comments (42)
Hi Adam and everyone, Hmm. So it was not just me having little success with Minnow. Someone had problem with his Thalia earlier this year. I forgot where he got it from. Sun Disc/Sundisc didn't live long for me either. Just too crowded in my garden. Craigford is a mid season bloomer. Much earlier than Geranium. Looks almost like Geranium. Smells good too. re Leucojum. LOL. Amanda is right. Way too many leaves. Stay green longer than narcissi too. :-P But I love them. Planted only 25 the first year. Loved it so much I added 100 the next year. A mistake, because they multiply like rabbits. :-) I suggest that you plant no more than 25-30 and quite far apart, say 2' to give them room to increase. I like mine right in front of the border between Alchemilla mollis so I can admire its delicate beauty and Alchemilla can hide the Leucojum later in the season. Since it is white, it goes well with everything. I have clay soil. I learned that large size narcissi don't mind it one bit, but miniatures don't like it at all. I planted a couple hundred of N. bulbocodium on my lawn that had not really been cultivated hoping to get a drift of it. Didn't work. Only one bloomed then totally disappeared. Nell's reading suggestion is good. My soil is heavy clay. I have amended it over the years. In fact, I add leaves in the planting hole as I go. Here is what I actually do when I plant blulbs: Dig a deep hole, place a handfull of leaves and a pinch of bone meal at the bottom- a bit of soil-large bulb-a bit of soil & bone meal-a handful of leaves-a bit of soil with bone meal-minor or small bulb-soil-leaves-soil-another bulb-soil-leaves and a bit of soil. I call it composting in situ. LOL. My own invention. Works like charm. My garden beds is quite loamy now. Still rather heavy, though. I may plant 2 or 3 bulbs in one hole, depending on what I have. When I have mulch and/or compost I dump the whole thing on top of the beds whenever I clean them up.
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normathenewbie
Original Author
16 years ago
thank you both for the tips, I'm going to plant my tulips, crocus' and dafs asap and just keep my fingers crossed. so wish me luck
Norma
Chemocurl zn5b/6a Indiana
16 years ago
Good Luck!

Sue
normathenewbie
Original Author
16 years ago
well we have had a few nice days this week and almost all the snow has melted from the yard. I got out all of my bulbs. which were over 150 of them, I planted about 50 of them,and am crossing my fingers. but the other 100 plus didn't make it through the winter. a lot of them were very solf, and some were molded. what a shame. I wish that order from the kids school had come in in time to plant them last fall. But live and learn. I will know not to buy any bulbs unless I can be sure to plant them in the fall.
Norma
jeannie7
16 years ago
Newbie, don't waste your time.....the reason why spring bulbs are planted when they are is because the bulb needs a particular temperature range to promote ROOTS.

Without a root, the tulip, the crocus, the daffodil bulb is just fodder for squirrels, mice, skunks and whathaveya.

You didn't plant them when you were supposed to.
Now you pay. They are useless unless you can keep them in cold storage until next fall.
Chances of that....keeping a bulb for 7 months...is pretty nil. The bulbs will dry out and be useless.

Its forever being said ---"oh, that's alright, just plant them, they're tough, they'll probably just grow foliage until next season"....and so on and so on.

They wont. I suggest you throw them into the compost pile now so that in the fall what comes from them, might be used in your garden to promote bulbs that have been properly planted.

Next fall....write across your calendars....BUY BULBS
PLANT BULBS.
Do this for the months of September/October/November/December.....whenever you get around to purchasing them.
But, when you purchase....plant them IMMEDIATELY.

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