They should have been in the ground 2 months ago. You can force them inside, or plant them in the ground now - they MAY flower or may not - if they got too hot while they were in the store, they may have "blasted" and will not flower this year. If you feed the leafy growth that may eventuate, then you should get flowers next spring - how well fed/nourished a bulb is after flowering dictates how big the bulb is and how well it will flower next year. If you force them using pebbles and plain water and do get flowers, then you can plant the bulbs in the garden and get flowers maybe next spring and probably the following - that means of forcing does nothing to feed the bulb while and after flowering.

Having said when they should have been planted, I just found 2 partial boxes of crocus and daffs that I didn't finish planting in Dec., put away 'carefully' (which usually means I don't find whatever it is when I need to) when I got busy with a fund-raiser and meant to get back to doing, and will have to plant them ASAP, when I get over my cold and the weather warms up a little - I MAY get flowers and may not. So you aren't alone in planting now, just a bit late. You should get something, but maybe only leaves.

They are supposed to be fall planted but sometimes you can get them for such a bargain now it's worth it. In my yard I have planted well into January, and sometimes Feb. Assuming the ground is not too frozen, I would plant them ASAP. There is supposed to be a warmish day or two coming up here (not sure exactly where you live) so I would do it then. You could wait til next fall, but I think they'd be better off in the ground rather than trying to store them. I may be wrong about that so correct me (anyone) if I am. Those bulbs should be tough enough to take it and still pop up this year, whereas some types of bulbs might not be as tough. Possibly they won't flower this year, but I think they will and if not they should do fine next year so nothing lost by going ahead and planting them. -Ais.

Plant them somehow. If you try to store them, they will more than likely shrivel up and die.

Yes, plant them! Hope "Springs" eternal. Linda

You gotta wonder though, what store would sell a fur coat in the middle of July.....or a fall planted bulb just short of spring when they are ready to pop up.

Mad About....fall planted bulbs are put into the ground at that time so they can attain roots....and having roots, can stand up to whatever winter throws at it.
Without roots, the bulbs freeze their butts off....and cant survive. Don't ask me why.....but a bulb with roots can stand temperatures as low as 40 below.....that's fahrenheit or Celsius. (its the same anyway)

So a bulb put into the ground now...probably...I don't really know...but I'd say a bulb planted now will not have sufficient time to obtain its roots....and will be on the menu for all kinds of mice, squirrels, whathaveya.
The daffs....they are toxic so might survive attack.
Its a good reason to put daffs close to tulips. Squirrels love tulips.....steak and kidney to them.

Kidney? Americans don't use kidney do they. Once asked in Florida...."what do you put in your steak and kidney pie?"
"We don't make steak and kidney pie"
....then suggested I use giblets instead.

Giblets...indeed.

In any case, good luck....you don't really have any other choice except to plant them. They certainly wont last until next fall out of the ground.

Jeannie, you can often get a really good winter coat on sale in July :) Sometimes the deals on bulbs right now make it worth the risk. I got some late winter last year REALLY cheap and they did pretty well. Luckily we don't get very cold here so I think tough bulbs like daffs and muscari will do fine, even if they don't bloom. Now the squirrels, that's another problem altogether...

Jeanne, they will be able to grow roots, just not as slowly as they could have done planted last year. It has been warm enough this year that the ground hasn't frozen at all, other than the top inch or so, for a few days at the coldest. So, while it WOULD have been better if they had been bought in the fall - they will more than likely grow and probably flower now - it may be later than it would have been, but they will probably flower. Mad about, if you haven't planted them yet - do so, but put them in the coolest, semi-shadiest spot in your garden, so they won't get hit by really hot sun if they do run a bit later than they should, and the blooms can last longer than a few days. Most of the spring bulbs go over very quickly if the temps start hitting the 80's. ENjoy your bargain!

Most of the fall planting bulbs require so many hours of chilling temps to signal the bulb to forn a flower bud - without the chill hours, no flowers but lots of leaves. Some got chilled enough while waiting at the store for you to show up and buy them, others didn't. You could ask the bulbs themselves but mine have never answered a direct question.

Muscari should go ahead and bloom for you - I don't think they require much chilling. You could also place them in your refrigerator for a month or so and get some early summer blooms.

Well, I spent the day planting 400 bulbs ! ! I figure for 20 bucks, if they aren't so great this year, next year should be better, right? Sooo glad I have that bit that attaches to drill, just drill a hole and pop those babies in there.....

where did you get 400 bulbs for 20.00?

I forgot to mention that Daffodils will plant themselves if you're a lazy gardener (like me). Simply rake away any mulch or leaves, rough up the ground, sprinkle any bulb food if you want, toss the bulbs, move them around so that none of them are touching and try to make sure they are pointing up (but it really isn't that important), and cover with a thick layer of mulch. Simple as that. The first year they will emerge through the mulch and after their foliage dies down in the early summer the bulbs will pull themselves deeper into the soil. They will end up wherever they want I mean, at the proper depth. Even without muscles they do this. They do it anyway. Bulbs move up and down in the soil to get closer to the surface or further away depending on the weather. Most other bulbs hate this sort of treatment but daff's are very forgiving.