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maidenhairfern

Planting Bulbs in January

maidenhairfern
16 years ago

Is it too late to plant the following - tulips and crocuses, anemones etc that are usually planted in the Fall. I got busy with the Holidays and did not get around to planting it on time.

Will they bloom if I plant them today.

Comments (6)

  • Dibbit
    16 years ago

    They might miss a year, and they might be late or small. I just "found" hyacinths and crocus that I was going to force and then forgot before the Holidays, buried under a bag of potting soil in the garage - so will plant them out and take my chances - I HOPE for blooms, but expect they will bloom in years to come if not this year!

  • tamelask
    16 years ago

    i've planted stuff this late before and had bloom. cross your fingers!

  • trianglejohn
    16 years ago

    The Tulips will have the most trouble but many of the newer types seem to be a bit relaxed about chilling hours.

    Remember to soak the Anemone bulbs until they plump.

    Newly planted crocus can sometimes miss the first year even when you plant them on schedule.

    Most of the spring blooming bulbs have specific requirements of so many hours around or below freezing or else they won't develop a bloom spike. If our winter stays pretty cold from here on out you should be fine. It usually comes out to 35-45 days of winter. What you don't want is a long warm streak in the middle of winter, that will screw everything up.

  • jody
    16 years ago

    I received 250 bulbs for a Christmas present, so I planted them - tulips, crocus and daffodils.

    I've been in North Carolina only a year, but my experience in the Chattanooga area of TN (similar zone) is that the daffys will be fine, although they will be stronger the second year. The crocus may or may not show this year, but next year will show up in force. The tulips are doubtful. Tulips are always doubtful which is why I treat them as annuals. Unless you dig them and put them in the frig they just don't get enough chilling days.

    I'm a big daffy fan, there are varities that bloom early middle and late, single blooms, multiple blooms, all sizes, many colors, doubles, fragrant, very fragrant and not fragrant at all. You plant one and in a year or two you have a dozen. As far as spring bulbs go, daffys are a southern gardeners best friend.

    I try to buy a few of the more exotic/new types every year so that I have a variety.

  • amateur_anna
    16 years ago

    Is there any other bulbs besides tulips that you would recommend digging up each year? I planted anemones, alliums, daffys, crocuses, hyacinths. Also, what do you when you dig them up? Dark bag in fridge? Thanks in advance for advice.

  • tamelask
    16 years ago

    nope, of that list the only one to fuss with again would be the tulips. actually, you can leave them in the ground- they probably won't bloom again. they will probably eventually bloom a little again. they divide after they bloom, and sometimes the babies get big enough to bloom down the rd. problem is, they don't like our heat and the babes don't do as well as up north. so they'll produce leaves, but not much else but a sporadic bloom. if they're somewhere you don't mind that leave them. if not, dig. exceptions are the species tulips, which do well here and multiply. if you're digging tulips up, you don't want to keep them- just toss them in the compost- they're done. the big hyacinths will diminish over the years as well, though not as quickly as tulips. grape hyacinths are just fine and will multiply well. anemone coronaria will do fine for a few years and then probably diminish (but don't fuss with digging them). they are great and make the best cut flowers. anemone blanda do well here and multiply.

    a few things can get dug and kept are mostly because they don't want the cold not the reverse, like caladiums, glads (though they are semi- hardy here), dahlias(ditto), ee's(ditto), etc. if you keep fruit in the fridge, you don't want bulbs there- the ethelyne gas the fruit gives off will kill the flower bud. the warm season bulbs wouldn't want kept in the fridge. rather, put them in some peat, just barely damp, and keep them above freezing. or, do what i do and plant them in pots, let the pots dry overwinter and keep them on top of a fridge/freezer in your basement/garage. you don't even have to replant in spring- just rewet and stand back.

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