To wait or not to wait . . .

Narshalla · #1 03/31/11, 04:01 AM

I recently got some tulip and daffodil bulbs, free. I have a place to plant them that is prepared, however, around here (microclimate Zone 9a), the time to plant tulips and daffodils is in the fall, not the spring. In fact, daffodils are in full bloom right now, and tulips are starting to show themselves, too.

My question is, is it a better idea to get these in the ground now or to wait until fall?

Some other things:

Spring is always rainy around here, and I expect that this year will be no different. The area I will use isn't as well-drained as I would like.

I expect at least two or three more nights below freezing, maybe more. We've gotten hard freezes as late as June, though that is not normal.

Most of the bulbs are a little soft and appear to have started to sprout.

TIA!

ETA: The bulbes are all mixed up and there is no way to separate them out, so it's an all-or-nothing proposition.

oregon woodsmok · #2 03/31/11, 04:10 AM

No way to sort the bulbs? I'm having a hard time picturing how that would work.

Plant them now. They won't be alive by next fall if you try to store them. A couple of nights below freezing won't hurt them.

Narshalla · #3 03/31/11, 02:32 PM

No way to sort them because they came to me in a big bucket. Some have been planted before, some have not, and there is enough dirt mixed in there with them that sorting would be a pain, to say the least.

Also, I know that freezing won't kill them, in fact, very cold temperatures is a necessary part of their natural growth cycle. I have heard, though, that if they don't get a freeze after they are planted, they will not last until next winter. I don't know how true that is, though.

mnn2501 · #4 03/31/11, 04:10 PM

I would get them in the ground, we had some bulbs in a bucket over the summer that rotted.
You could put them in the freezer for a couple days and then plant them.

Danaus29 · #5 03/31/11, 05:10 PM

I planted some in the spring a couple years ago. They didn't come up the year I planted them and I thought they were dead. Fast forward to this year when I was planning on tilling the area where the dead bulbs were. I have a huge stand of nice green daffodil leaves and now have to move them before I can till that section.

Natalia · #6 03/31/11, 09:58 PM

Cant comment ont he weather part as im from so-cal and dont have experiance with frost, lowest we get arounf here is about 30 - 35 F and thats rare. But with the bulbs were they fresh dug or already dry?

If dry i soak them in a fertilizer solution (or you could use compost tea im sure) at least overnight then plant. I figure if all i get are greens thats ok at least they will be established for next year and i wont forget about them. If they are fresh dug personally if be more confrotable letting them dry out in a cool place and then try closer to your growing season. Best of luck!

Narshalla · #7 04/01/11, 01:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Natalia

Cant comment on the weather part as I'm from so-cal and don't have experience with frost, lowest we get around here is about 30 - 35 F and that's rare. But with the bulbs were they fresh dug or already dry?

If dry i soak them in a fertilizer solution (or you could use compost tea I'm sure) at least overnight then plant. I figure if all i get are greens that's okay at least they will be established for next year and i wont forget about them. If they are fresh dug personally if be more comfortable letting them dry out in a cool place and then try closer to your growing season. Best of luck!

Some unplanted bulbs, and some dug up last December.

They're from my neighbor's yard a couple of houses down, so I'm not worried about bringing anything (fungus or something like that) into my yard with these. I figure that if the neighbor's yard had it, mine already does, too.