Here in Central New York (Zone 5), it is pretty much too late to plant tulip and daffodil bulbs. I received them late and it's been raining almost nonstop, with temperatures from the low 40s to mid50s. Is it safe to plant these bulbs, or should they be preserved until spring? If I have to preserve them over winter, how do I do that?
I planted some last year in Rochester, in mid-November. They all did fine. Keep your eye on the weather forecasts and have the trowel ready. Have the shotgun ready for the deer, who will eat your tulips in the spring.
I routinely planted very late in Anchorage, Alaska when I lived there, sometimes having to break through a thin layer of frozen soil to do it. This was not by choice -- some supplier were just slow. As long as the bed is prepared well and has decent drainage (most bulbs dislike permanently sodden soil) you should have no problems.
Plant them now as long as the ground is not frozen. They will not keep very well otherwise. I know from finding forgotten bulbs in the spring. JAB
If you can get a shovel in the ground, it's fine to plant them now. I doubt your soils are frozen yet.
Otherwise, you can pot the bulbs up and chill them for a couple of months, then bring them to bloom indoors, a method called "forcing". Search
Unplanted storage will probably just lead to tbe bulbs respiring themselves to death.
Kay, who's planted bulbs as late as mid December in the upper midwest. With snow on the ground -- but the soil was still warm enough to dig.
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Yep. I'm still planting bulbs here, a few hundred miles south of Anchorage. We've got snow on the ground, but the ground isn't frozen yet.
Jan
I don't know about the US but here in the UK you should plant tulip bulbs later rather than earlier ( say late Oct early Nov) to avoid a disease known as "Tulip Fire" which tends to attack tulip bulbs planted at the same time as you plant Narcissus in late September.
Malcolm
Jan Flora wrote:
What they said... plus
keep in mind 1)dry 2)dark 3)cold
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