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Bulbs + no freeze = ?

HU-17497
12 years ago

So im alittle new to bulbs, i bought around 70 bulb of different types and sizes, and planted them acording to the packaging back in octobe., 1 of 3 of my amaryllises shot right up and flowered, now the other 2 are just poking up out of the soil, is this normal?

out of the 70 or so other bulbs i planted there might be 10 or so that have come up. i was wondering if they were going to grow or not, due to the lack of us not haveing hardley any freezes this year. and if they dont grow can i find, buy, get, some and put them in the ground and have them grow.

Comments (4)

  • grant_in_arizona
    12 years ago

    Hiya! Well, it probably depends where in AZ you are and what other kind of bulbs you purchased. I'm in Scottsdale and my amaryllis/Hippeastrums are fine outside in the ground, frost or no. Sometimes they'll bloom in winter the first year (especially if they've been given a special regime to be 'forced' indoors in winter), but after they've settled in a year or three they tend to bloom in late winter/early spring. Now isn't too unusual though.

    I do 'paperwhite' narcissus in the ground and they're fine too, freeze or not, plus I do a lot of rain lilies (Zephyranthes), oxalis, and Lachenalias. I leave the "typical spring bulbs" to folks in colder winters, but I'm curious to hear where in AZ you are in general and what kind of bulbs you've purchased. I bet most will be fine either way. :)

    Happy gardening! Keep us posted!
    Grant

  • HU-17497
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    mostly tulips and lilys of diferent colors and sizes, and im in downtown MESA. i just wonder do bulbs need freeze hours or not

  • grant_in_arizona
    12 years ago

    Well none of them need to be frozen, although several types (tulips especially) need quite a few weeks of substantial chill.

    A lot of narcissus/daffodils do really well here. Tulips really struggle as they don't get much chill, and they bloom when it's already getting warm so the flowers don't last long, especially when there are so many other plants in bloom during that time that have a longer bloom time. Still, they can be fun to do now and then, especially if you think of them as annuals. Most small flowered daffodils will come back year after year.

    There are lots of other bulbs that do better here than those cold winter bulbs, so if you feel like experimenting think about possibly getting some Scilla peruviana (amazing blue purple blooms in late winter), Dutch iris (bulbs/corms), and surprise lilies too. They all do great here.

    Good luck and keep us posted. Hopefully you'll be posting pics of a nice bed of spring bulbs soon. :)
    Take care,
    Grant

  • azbookworm
    12 years ago

    I am confused as well. I saw a bunch of bulbs sold at Summer Winds. A woman was buying all sorts of bulbs. I wondered about that. I assume these bulbs have experienced their coldness and are ready for planting? I am also assuming she was buying not for them to come back up next year but more like annuals.

    So...the bulbs in the nurseries are ready for planting and growing? Sorry for the really stupid question. Just always heard the bulbs need to be planted in the fall for NEXT years blooming season. Thus my confusion.

    Thanks.

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