Bulb planting -- when?

crabcake

crabcake

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I picked up a mass quantity of bulbs to plant ... clematis, lilies, gladiolas, those pretty red/greeny leafy plants, etc. that state "plant now for summer color". Our night temps are still sporadic (mid-20s tonight; 55 predicted for low Monday night, etc). Day temps are ranging between mid-40s to 70 this coming few days. When is it safe to plant the bulbs? :shrug: Given our drought situation, I want to get them in the ground right before (if not during) the rainfall.
 
mAlice

mAlice

professional daydreamer
Plant bulbs in the fall. I know you can force them by putting them in the fridge..may want to do some research on that.
 
crabcake

crabcake

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mAlice said:
Plant bulbs in the fall.
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That's what I thought, too. :confused: But I'm a sucker for adding color to the landscaping. Right now, it's all green -- grass, shrubs, trees, etc. (except the gardenias, which are green and white).
 
mAlice

mAlice

professional daydreamer
crabcake said:
That's what I thought, too. :confused: But I'm a sucker for adding color to the landscaping. Right now, it's all green -- grass, shrubs, trees, etc. (except the gardenias, which are green and white).
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My suggestion, which isn't worth much....plant your bulbs, and add color with annuals this year. Even if you had planted the bulbs last fall, that doesn't mean they'll bloom the first year.
 
GWguy

GWguy

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mAlice said:
Plant bulbs in the fall. I know you can force them by putting them in the fridge..may want to do some research on that.
Click to expand...

The bulbs in the stores now *probably* have already been wintered, so putting them in the ground now is OK. However, they won't do much flowering until next year. Fall is the correct time to plant them, but the stores never put them out at the right times.

I would say another week or 2 before planting down by you. If you do wait that long, pop them in the fridge until then so they don't get too confused.
 
mAlice

mAlice

professional daydreamer
You may also want to consider iris. They take a couple years to bloom, but once they do, they really take off. Every couple of years you split them. Bonus! My iris are my favorites, even more than the glads.
 
crabcake

crabcake

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GWguy said:
If you do wait that long, pop them in the fridge until then so they don't get too confused.
Click to expand...

I bought 12 big bags of bulbs (some of 'em have 120 bulbs in each bag) ... s/o's gonna get pissed if I toss the beer and liquor outta the extra fridge to house some flower bulbs. :lol:

With the temps still cold out, can't I just store 'em outside? :shrug:
 
crabcake

crabcake

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And Nanny, if you're reading this, wait'll you see the "black magic" elephant ears I picked up! They're bootiful! :starcat:
 
mAlice

mAlice

professional daydreamer
crabcake said:
I bought 12 big bags of bulbs (some of 'em have 120 bulbs in each bag) ... s/o's gonna get pissed if I toss the beer and liquor outta the extra fridge to house some flower bulbs. :lol:

With the temps still cold out, can't I just store 'em outside? :shrug:
Click to expand...

Buy him a cooler and fill it with ice.

I'd just plop 'em in the ground in a few weeks and let them get a head start on next year. :yay: In the fall, the leaves feed the bulbs when they start dieing.
 
GWguy

GWguy

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crabcake said:
I bought 12 big bags of bulbs (some of 'em have 120 bulbs in each bag) ... s/o's gonna get pissed if I toss the beer and liquor outta the extra fridge to house some flower bulbs. :lol:

With the temps still cold out, can't I just store 'em outside? :shrug:
Click to expand...

As long as it stays cold, sure. But if the temps start getting above 40-45 where they are, they will start to sprout. Remember, the ground isn't as warm as the air might be, and the ground temp is what makes them sprout on time in the spring, along with the day length. Best to keep them cool until yo're ready to plant. Also, if they are outside, critters will eat them if they aren't in a strong box or cooler or something.
 
L

lugebob

Guest
you can have all the aged and already sprouting bulbs from my garden you want. I have been digging them out for 3 years as they were at least a foot deep and solid thick clusters left from last home owner. I try to start fresh but can seem to stop them from coming back.... get em now.
 
GWguy

GWguy

*
mAlice said:
Buy him a cooler and fill it with ice.

I'd just plop 'em in the ground in a few weeks and let them get a head start on next year. :yay: In the fall, the leaves feed the bulbs when they start dieing.
Click to expand...

That's a good plan, as long as they don't start sprouting and get too big in the bag!
 
crabcake

crabcake

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lugebob said:
you can have all the aged and already sprouting bulbs from my garden you want. I have been digging them out for 3 years as they were at least a foot deep and solid thick clusters left from last home owner. I try to start fresh but can seem to stop them from coming back.... get em now.
Click to expand...

It's a little far for me to travel. Do you DHL? :shrug: :lol:
 
crabcake

crabcake

But wait, there's more...
Here's my bulb inventory (that I bought today) ...

Dahlias
Elephant Ears
Caladium
Pavonia (fancy-lookin' lilacs)
Clematis
Coronaria (anemone)
Gladiolus (lg flowering, butterfly & murielae)
 
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