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fall bulbs - can I plant in ealry spring

18 years ago

I ended up with over 200 bulbs unplanted due to an unplanned surgery on my knee - they are wintering in a cool basement in Michigan. Does anyone know in lower Michigan when and if these tulip and daffodil bulbs can be planted in early spring?? Or saved (how?) until fall of 2006?

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Comments (2)

shrubs_n_bulbs
18 years ago
You can try. They need to be chilled at 40F or so for 6-14 weeks depending on the bulb. Bulbs planted very late may not have time to establish properly so they may flower poorly or not at all. There isn't much visible, but by the time the ground freezes, autumn-planted bulbs have a good root system and have already shooted to near the surface, or in warmer climates just above the surface. They can then flower almost instantly in spring.
DianeKaryl
18 years ago
Four days before Christmas..and still, if you can get the tulips (cant speak for the daffs) into the ground, then that's the best place for them.

They may not come to anything....this year ('06)...may produce just foliage. In that case, let them go through the same cycle as other tulips, let them wither on the vine....and they should recover to give you much flowering in '07.

For the daffs....I'd venture.....get them also into the ground.

Even if they don't come to anything, they will be able to be moved after they yellow up and should show well in '07.

A heavy mulch over the site is I think valuable.
You could just find a place ---away from your garden...and dump the whole lot of them into a ditch. Let them come up and then decide where you wish to move them to.
(of course, plant them properly....I used the word 'dump' to mean to go whole hog and put them all in the one place.
Imagine them all coming up..in flower..what a sight that would be.
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WOW! I am so glad that I am not the only one! LOL! I bought some tulip bulbs last fall, and I was going to plant them in containers. However, I never got round to doing that. I left the bulbs in the unheated (but insulated) garage, which was in the mid 30's to low 40's during winter. About a month ago, I planted the bulbs in some containers, and now they are sprouting very well in the garage! My questions are: 1. When will it be safe to take the containers outside? It can still go to low 30's here at night. 2. How likely are they going to bloom this year, given that the bulbs were chilled in the garage? I am quite surprised by how well they are sprouting! Thanks!
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Allium....the ornamental onion is planted in the fall and at depths that correspond to their size...4 to 5 inches deep for the average, up to 8" for the larger size. This is the bulb you leave where it is if you wish it to re-seed and prosper to bigger numbers. When they begin to crowd out nearby plants, its time to lift and divide. Iris can be planted from about the end of August thru the autumn. If you are familiar with iris, then you need no further mention about how they are planted. If not, then I suggest you learn about their unusual planting needs that can make all the difference about whether they bloom or how well they bloom.
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That makes sense to me . I was thinking about this last night and figured the only reason they woudn't fall sow would be moisture. Too much moisture will rot the seed but if you plant them late enough, they will start to sprout as soon as the ground starts to thaw in the spring. I don't think they are really great for fall sowing but it's worth a try. I have had the odd garden pea self sow but again, if it was in a dry spot. I hope you post in the spring to let us know how things work out. :)TFS!
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yep. They may not bloom this year but they'll live to bloom and multiply another year. If they have growth they are alive and raring to go!
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