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blameitontherain

Costco Bulb Prices?

blameitontherain
13 years ago

Hi.

Went to Costco over the weekend. Meant to take a mental note of the price of the spring bulbs while there to compare to Van Engelen's. Well, I did, but I didn't write it down (how hard can it be to remember a single dollar amount, same price for different amounts of different bulbs?) and now I can't remember what it was -- 12.99 for 50 tulips, 100 daffs, 3 giant alliums?

Can anyone help this absent minded shopper with the annoying habit of using waaaay too many question marks in her post?

Thank you,

Rain

Comments (21)

  • madeyna
    13 years ago

    You might be able to get the price from the Costco web sight.

  • Embothrium
    13 years ago

    I've sometimes had a problem with the ones they buy being on the small side or having other quality deficiencies. Probably something to always keep in mind when shopping price only - the cheapest ones may not be as good as those that cost more.

  • lilydude
    13 years ago

    Watch out for Narcissus bulb fly damage. Once you've got them in your yard, you'll never get rid of them.

    Here is a link that might be useful: narcissus bulb fly

  • buyorsell888
    13 years ago

    I will not buy bulbs from them again, three different times what I bought was not what was in the bag.

    I got Asiatic lilies instead of Orientals, I got King Alfred daffodils instead of the white/pink ones.

    price is not the only consideration. I buy bulbs from Brent & Becky's now....

  • hallerlake
    13 years ago

    I bought from Colorblends last fall. Really good prices on really good bulbs. ALL the snowdrops and winter aconites came up. I've never had that happen before. They have a $60 minimum, but that's easy to get to

  • elliesfun
    13 years ago

    I have not had very good luck with Costo's bulbs / plants. I purchased about $150 worth of things and probably only 1/4 of them came up and grew. I had better luck with Lowe's.

    Ellie

  • Karchita
    13 years ago

    I'm another huge fan of Colorblends. I have been ordering from them for the last 5 years or so - large orders - and never had a single bad bulb. Their prices and service are absolutely excellent.

    If you are looking at buying the quantities they sell at Costco, it shouldn't be a problem to meet their $60 minimum, but you can also split the order with a friend.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Colorblends

  • buyorsell888
    13 years ago

    I have read multiple good reviews on Colorblends on the Bulb Forum.

  • anuparaj
    13 years ago

    I love Costco Bulbs. I've been planting their bulbs for years (both fall planting bulbs and Spring bulbs).
    I have 200 bulbs in my yard this spring. All from Costco.

    The prices are fantastic but the selection is limited.
    The pricing is 50 bulbs for $12.99. Usually they have two varieties in a bag that bloom together but you can also get one variety like 'Pink Impression'.
    They have another set of bulbs with are 80 bulbs for $18.99 or $19.99...
    I usually get the $12.99 bags. This year they have daffodils, dutch iris and Hyacinths...
    Hope this helps

  • PRO
    George Three LLC
    13 years ago

    so basically, costco bulbs cost about the same as colorblends, but have mixed reviews instead of strong reviews?

    sounds like not so great a deal.

  • anuparaj
    13 years ago

    eeldip:
    I'm not sure I understand your cost analysis.
    How are the prices the same at Costco and colorblend?

    On colorblend the price of 25 bulbs averages $13.00/$14.00.
    At Costco, 50 bulbs for $12.99. Costco is 1/2 the price.
    Plus don't you have to pay shipping? If so, add more costs. Plus, they have a minimum order rules....

    Too much hassle.. I'm sticking with Costco. I wish I could attach pics of my garden..All bulbs are from Costco.
    However, I'll leave it to you to make your own decision.

  • PRO
    George Three LLC
    13 years ago

    cost analysis:

    costco 13 bucks for 50
    colorblends 15-25 for 50 depending on variety

    quality reports:

    costco, many bulbs fail to come up. undersized.
    colorblends, high proportion come up. larger.

    so you know, sounds like a deal to me to try colorblends. heck, i'll try both this year and see what happens.

  • hallerlake
    13 years ago

    Don't forget Colorblends also gives you a larger selection, and in Washington, we pay sales tax at Costco which raises the cost. Too bad Colorblends doesn't carry spring planted bulbs, too.

  • anuparaj
    13 years ago

    Eeldip:

    Where on colorblends are you seeing $15 - $25 for 50 bulbs????
    A bulb as common as 'Menton' runs $14 for 25 bulbs.
    That's still way higher in price than Cocosto.

    Note: I am not trying to influence you or anyone else from using or not using Costco or colorblends...

    MY VIWE: From a price perspective Costco is 50% cheaper. Honestly, I have not found 50 bulbs for less than $25 on Colorblends.
    As for quality, Costco bulbs have worked for 'ME'. Other folks may have a diffrent experience and that's OK.
    Also for a bulb I treat as an annual, price beats quality. Again for 'ME'.

  • hallerlake
    13 years ago

    You can get 100 crocus for a little as $10.

  • buyorsell888
    13 years ago

    My problem with Costco was that I didn't get what was pictured on the bag. I don't want King Alfred Daffodils. I especially don't want them in a bag that had pinks and whites on it.

  • anuparaj
    13 years ago

    Good Point buyorsell888. That's not a good thing...

    Not to beat a dead horse but I finally put my pics on the photo gallery. Now I can share my pics..These bulbs were all from Costco.

    One other thing, I only buy tulips so I have no idea how other bulbs perform from there.
    http://photos.gardenweb.com/garden/galleries/2010/09/this_springs_tulips.html
    http://photos.gardenweb.com/garden/galleries/2010/09/springs_tulips_2.html

    Brent & Becky's is my second choice for bulbs like bluebells, Erythroniums etc...
    Tulips I treat like annuals.

  • PRO
    George Three LLC
    13 years ago

    i've clicked on 3 random tulips on color blends. saw $17, $15, $28 entered in the cart for 50.

    but the same ones were also.. $26, $22, $37 for 100.

    so thats another angle, if you are buying 100, colorblends gets you a lot more value.

    also, it seems to me that a supplier that is widely reported to have bigger bulbs with a higher rate of flowering would be preferred. where is the savings if only 70% of your bulbs come up? or if they come up a different variety?

  • anuparaj
    13 years ago

    It really does not matter to me what size the bulbs are. For me tulips are annuals bulbs.
    I'm looking for savings and as I've stated before the Costco bulbs have worked for me.

    But goos to know that Colorblends has options. Worth investigating but in general for mail order bulbs I go with Brent & Becky's. Superb retailer..

  • blameitontherain
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks to all who responded. Costco doesn't publish its prices on warehouse items on its website, so really appreciated anuparaj's confirmation of my hazy recollection. I just wanted to buy a big ol' bunch of cheap bulbs as am planning on putting our house on the market and have had most of our bulbs "disappear" -- including thousands of bulbs purchased from B & B, Colorblends and other highly reputable mail order companies. I'm talking mostly daffs/narcissi, lots of crocus and a whole bunch of chionodoxa, all of which should have naturalized in the areas in which they were planted. Perhaps I have the dreaded narcissus bulb fly that lilydude mentioned? At any rate, to buy more bulbs, at whatever the price, seems to be throwing good money after bad at this point and I obviously need to figure out what happened to the bulbs already in the ground (if I can find any remaining!).

    By the way, the only problem I've had with mislabeled bulbs was when I used to buy them out of bulk bins at local garden stores. "Bulk", as in individual bulbs tossed into one of several containers. One day, I observed a darling little flaxen-haired tot about 4 years old, picking up bulbs from one container and carefully depositing them into another, having fun with her own version of Mancala. No wonder why some of my Thalias came up as Tete-a-tetes!

    Rain

  • anuparaj
    13 years ago

    blameitontherain:

    You can get cheap bulbs at the local Fred meyer's. They have bags of very cheap bulbs..
    As always when buying bulbs in bags, go with the sniff test (whether this be bulbs from Costco, Fred Myers or local garden center). The bulbs should smell like 'nothing' or very faintly of earth.
    If it smell musty, moldy or any other funky or strong order, walk away... :)