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bulbs coming up too early!

14 years ago

It IS December, but we've had a few days here lately that it's been above 60 degrees. Today my thermometer reads 76 degrees!! It's crazy. Usually it's in the 30s or low 40s this time of year.

So a few of my bulbs are starting to come up. Looks like it's some daffodils and hyacinths. (Note that I may be guilty of not planting them deep enough, but temps in the 60s-70s I suppose can't be ignored!) Is there anything I can do? Two weeks ago we had a cold snap and temps were in the single digits with wind chill - now I'm wearing short sleeves outside!

I tried to cover the little sprouts with some leaves. Should I mulch over them? I don't want them all to die out when (if?) it gets normal cold temps again. Especially since I planted a lot of bulbs in the fall - hyacinths, stardrift, alpine bells, crocus, tulips - all kinds of things I am looking forward too!

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Comments (6)

wvbetsy
14 years ago
Don't worry about your bulbs. It's not unusual for them to sprout now. Many of mine are already poking out of the ground. The only time I've had a problem was when some daffodils that bloom in February got buds early and we had single digit temperatures and the buds froze. I don't think you have anything to be concerned about.
jennahw
Original Author
14 years ago
So will they continue to bloom through the spring if they do get that far? I've now covered them over with some boughs from the xmas tree. Should I just uncover them and let them be?
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Do not cut off the leaves. Grape Hyacinths will be the hardiest of the bulbs you dug up so you might want to split them now, but put them back in the ground now and add some bone meal to each hole. Here is a link that might be useful: Propagating Perennials
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It's pretty common for spring flowering bulbs to show some sign of above ground growth very early in the season. And even more so with those planted in containers, as the planting tends to be not as deep. Usually, this is of no concern. Bringing them in now may be too soon - not enough cold vernalization to produce flowers. I'd leave them outdoors until the late winter - generally I leave mine where they are not in the full exposure to rain and other weather - and they should bloom on schedule or if you prefer, bring them inside in February for an earlier flowering.
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Before settling on a mid-November plant date I had several years with top growth up to 10" above the mulch. While cold winters and snow caused the top growth to get all twisted and gnarly, they all survived and put up new growth in the spring without problems. Don't worry, garlic is hardy stuff and you should be fine. TomNJ
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Well by the time I got to Costco last evening the bulbs had been picked over....but I still managed to find two bags of bulbs. 50 large cupped narcissi..assorted. 50 triumph tulips 'bastoque' I was hoping to find a bag of two colors of triumph tulips but they didn't have any left. The same with the narcissi...I was hoping to find 'ice follies' Oh well for this price these will still look good in my garden. Tonight after work....plan on visiting the local nursery to see what specialty bulbs they have.....would like to find some blue/purple fringed tulips. Now hopefully the weather today will stay nice so I can get these planted. Sierra PS....Gillian...I can see lots of color in your photo. You have to lift tulip bulbs every couple of years and divide. Replanting only the largest bulbs from each mother plant. It you don't they will crowd themselves out and die out. According to the Lois hole bulb book.....you can plant the two largest bulbs from the mother plant and they will flower the next year. The smaller bulbs can be replanted but will take a year or two to flower again. This book also says if you want to be sure of a display replant new every year. I have some double late tulips...yellow and white that I have been dividing for years in the front flower bed. It seems to work for these at least. The ones I have scattered in the perennial gardens...I just let peter out and then replace.....because I am lazy. LOL.
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MissMyGardens
14 years ago
The deer ate the daffodil foliage that started coming up last summer! First time I've had to spray the DAFF foliage to keep the buggers away.

Noticed Hyacinth foliage poking up last weekend.

It was 70 here yesterday...freezing again a couple nights from now. Crazy weather is messin with our plants.
Donna
14 years ago
Your bulbs will likely bloom right on schedule, give or take a little. It's not impossible for them to be damaged by this weather, but it would be extremely unusual. Daffodils, in particular, are very tough. In my opinion, you should uncover them and leave them alone.

The fact is, there are very very many kinds of narcissus, and they bloom at different times. In my garden, they come up in pretty close to the order in which they bloom. So, my early ones are about six inches high, but my late ones have not all emerged yet. Last year, I had some type of narcissus blooming continually from the first week of February until almost May.

I have two kinds of paperwhites blooming right now: Grand Soleil D'Or and Grand Primo (both are only hardy to zone 8).These paperwhites are new this year and I am so excited at how much they are going to extend the season.
jennahw
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks everyone. I'll uncover them then, and can def deal with a few sad looking leaves if that's all that will happen. And after enjoying a couple nice warm days, now I really can't wait till it IS time for them to bloom and me to start planting!

Incidentally, I found a few other threads covering this topic while thumbing through (they didn't show up with whatever search terms I tried to use). I have them bookmarked on my home computer, so I'll try and post them all here if I remember, so they're all on one spot. Thanks again for calming my fears :)
MissMyGardens
14 years ago
The way the temps have fluctuated up and down since a very cold November and then holiday prep I haven't gotten mulch on beds with bulbs yet after rearranging beds they were in. Once it freezes this week they're getting covered with pine needle mulch so they stay colder than if exposed to more temp fluctuations.

I'll gradually move back mulch over bulbs in very early spring giving bulbs room to grow up and away. I've got seeds of Larkspur planted around them with half small water bottle over them (top open) so they don't wash away this winter. Figured it was worth a try.

I think the Hyacinth bulbs were heaved up a bit as they weren't mulched during very cold spell and they're peeking up after being planted 5-6" deep in little raised corner bed. Nothing like the smell of Hyacinths to make me feel good in early spring.

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