Honestly, I think the Dutch are just magical. lol I would love to know how to do that.

Hi prhart, are you chilling your bulbs? I understand (but don't know firsthand) that the growers have large chillers that they use after harvesting. I've been forcing my bulbs - sounds like a horrible word really - mostly because I don't have the space to keep them all in pots year round. I have ones that bloom first then ones that bloom later, but they pretty much all bloom within a 2 month window. I've added a bunch more bulbs this year so I'll see if that continues. Alana

So, Alana - what is your actual process? Do you unpot them all? And then where do they go? How do you store them? Thanks!

Hi Anna, well, yes - I put them all in planters at the beginning of nice weather here (beginning of May is well past any frost potential) and leave them out until Sept-Oct. Then I dig them up and store them for the winter bare root in the garage closet. It gets cold in there but doesn't freeze since the closet backs up to the interior house. I take them out after the holidays when I've got space and time, and start the potting up process using individual pots or smaller planters in the house.

That said, I seriously don't have the number of bulbs you do - you've got quite a collection and doing what I do might take forever! I know my system has drawbacks since the bulbs have to re-grow roots every year, but it works ok for me and my situation. The one up-side is I just love how the bulbs look in planters surrounded by shorter flowering annuals. A really striking display. Alana

yes Alana I think the look of your planters with the other annuals looks great-- will remember that for when I get a garden again.

Alana I thought of unpotting and storing my bulbs in our outside closet (it is kept from freezing during the winter by a heater). But I think my less-than-ideal lighting situation having faced North for a season now leads me to think that if I do store my bulbs in the closet it will be in their pots, kept just moist enough not to kill the roots. This will be all an experiment and I have no idea if it'll work or not. In fact I bought a min/max thermometer for just this reason-- I need to keep an eye on both of the extremes so I don't bake or freeze any plants.

The downside of having so many summer blooms like I have now is that I feel I need to keep those who bloomed growing longer past the season so that they regain their strength. With the except of the aussie bulbs, I think the others haven't shrunk or anything-- so perhaps they'll be ok.

But its the Aussie bulbs that will likely need to keep growing-- though I'm fairly certain they all have roots now, blooming without the leaves too is hard on these bulbs. Russian Halo is getting soft-- but there are little leaves peaking out.

Ryan

Ryan, I completely agree on keeping the Aussie bulbs potted and letting them figure out what they want to do. But my other big ones in planters are going in the closet till January. I'll also leave the late season purchases potted since they're still on bloom recovery (as yours are). I'm sure your Russian Halo will plump back up soon, too. Alana