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This Procrastinator is Still Planting Bulbs!

17 years ago

Well, I do get everything done, but not on a "normal" person's schedule. As a result, I'm still planting spring bulbs, and enjoying this warm weather we've been having. Plan to contine planting through this weekend, until the storms come in on Monday.

As I plant, I realize I need some more bulbs (different colors, varieties, etc.). I can't visualze what I really need until I start planting.

Have any of you in northern Utah area seen a good variety of spring bulbs when you've been out and about? My concern is that what's available may be pretty picked over.

Appreciate any heads-up you have to offer. Thanks, in advance.

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Comments (7)

dereks
17 years ago
No tips on bulbs, just wanted to say that I don't think that it is unusual to be planting bulbs this time of year when its so warm still. Did you get it done?

Today I plan on getting some ornamental grasses cut down and the bird feeder put up before this cold storm moves in.
beth4
Original Author
17 years ago
Still working on it. I'm making progress slowly, but don't think all the bulbs will be in the ground when the snow hits Monday afternoon. We'll see... And, I did find a local nursery that still has some bulbs...rather picked over, but they may have what I need to fill in the holes.

I bought 900 bulbs, but clearly should have bought more! And, I'm betting that when they come up next spring, I'm going to see many areas where I should have planted. So, while I'd like to have planted everything this fall, so I'm DONE planting, and can just enjoy and maintain my yard, I fear that is not the case.
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A snowy winter will be much, much better for newly-planted flowers and bulbs than a cold and dry one! It wouldn't be crazy to see the snow as a positive thing for perennials in their first year. It's moisture for your plants and it insulates the soil to help them grow roots and establish, while at the same time chilling the tops so they put their energy into root growth rather than leaves. The biggest danger to new plants is frost heave - when freeze/thaw cycles push them up out of the ground and expose the roots. Wet snow cover stops freeze-thaw cycles; it keeps the soil surface really stable at 33 or 34 degrees just below the snow itself. The snow itself is, of course, below 32 degrees.
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I'm still planting here in Kansas. The last few years, I've found bargains real late in the season, and so ended up planting waaaaay into Jan. and Feb. Everything grew, but I still had daffodils blooming in the middle of June! The blooms didn't last nearly as long, and luckily we didn't have tremendous heat by then, but I still think it's worth it to go ahead and plant them, no matter how late. Our ground wasn't frozen when I planted. We didn't have 2 feet of snow to dig through, either! You have my sympathy out there in Colorado. Cindi
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Yes I am still planting bulbs. Sams Club and Home Depot have had 50 percent off on their big 50 bulb bags. I've just finished planting 300 more bulbs along the road this weekend. Yesterday I went to the Christmas Tree Shop(Don't you just love a bargain!!). Their remaing bulbs were 75 percent off.Couldn't resist so bought a few more bags to plant. I hope the ground freezes. I really need to start concentrating on Christmas. Annie
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I actually think you might have better luck with anything except the oriental lilies. The lily bulbs have probably been trying to grow in their bag on the shelf for the last month or two and might be close to death! The others will be perfect. I haven't even started my caladiums yet and cannas are barely sprouting. It's been a cool spring and most of the non-hardy summer bulbs are just sitting there waiting for this weekend's hot weather to get here. so feel free to buy on-sale summer bulbs, it's the gardeners who are losing interest in growing bulbs, but the bulbs are still very interested in growing! -but be careful with any bagged or boxed perrenials or perennial bulbs such as lilies, check to see if they're solid and if you want to take a chance go for it... And don't expect blooms this year, maybe next.
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stevation
17 years ago
I love it when people garden like you! 900 bulbs is awesome! I'm sometimes a garden extremist, but my best record so far is 300 perennials in one week. I planted about 200 bulbs this fall, but I've never come close to your record! Bravo!

- Steve
psittacine
17 years ago
Good to meet another procrastinator, Beth.

Most years I don't get my daylily seedlings all planted in until the end of Oct. or the first of Nov. I've been lucky and have only lost a couple of them from frost heave.

One day when I finally get my shrubs all moved around where I want them, I plan on planting bulbs. I'm sure I'll be late with them too. ;-)

Crystal
beth4
Original Author
17 years ago
Well, I got about 600 of them planted. Still have the bulbs for the front of the house to do. But, we'll have a period of Chinook winds and I hope to tackle the rest of the bulb planting then.

Now, to clean house. I confess that during the gardening months the house cleaning suffers while my attention is directed outdoors.
stevation
17 years ago
Well, it sure looks like the ground is frozen now, doesn't it Beth? Yeah, we'll probably get a thaw in a few weeks, but if we don't thaw before Dec 31st, I wouldn't plant those spring flowering bulbs -- I'd keep them in a cool, dry, dark place till next fall.

Have fun cleaning house! For me, winter is time to read a few books. I never seem to have time to feed my mind when I'm busy in the garden until 9 or 10 PM most nights in the summer!

Steve
psittacine
17 years ago
Wow, Beth.. 600 bulbs planted. That's amazing! Hope you can slip in a photo when the spring bloom season comes.

I'm still playing catch-up with the house cleaning thing too. Someone must be having free-for-alls while I'm out pulling weeds and pollinating daylily blossoms while they're in bloom. Heavens knows I'M not in the house long enough during that time period to mess it up this badly!! My bet is it is my 96 y.o. MIL, who lives with us!

Crystal

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