Cut any remaining stems and foliage back to a couple inches above the soil level. Loosen the soil around the bulbs carefully and remove them. Shake as much soil as possible from the bulb and roots. Spread them out on newspaper in a cool, shady place and allow them to dry for a few days.
Make sure they are out of reach of animals and children as some bulbs are poisonous. Store in an aerated paper or mesh bag or cardboard box with holes. Store in a cool, dark, and dry location with temperatures 50 to 60 degrees, such as a basement or garage. Check bulbs monthly for any signs of mold or rot. They emit ethylene gas that can kill the plant inside the bulb. Soil pH of 6 to 7 brings out better color in blooming bulb flowers. Bulbs need to breathe, so store them in aerated paper or mesh bags, never in plastic.
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Twist 'n Plant gardening auger. Like many other bulbs, they are planted in the fall and bloom in the spring, she told me, with not the slightest bit of disdain. Thankfully, my interview with Barbara Pierson, nursery manager of White Flower Farm , in which I asked beginner questions about spring-flowering bulbs, was conducted over email. Thank you, Barbara, for not inserting any eye-roll emojis. This is music to my ears.
The hardest part may be figuring out which way to orient the bulb when you plant. A: Soon. In most areas, September through mid-November is prime time. Tip: Tulips can be damaged by warm soil, so they are planted later in warmer zones.
A: Choose a sunny spot. Consider adding bulb food in the hole before you plant. Water your bulbs after planting. For more on how to properly plant bulbs, see Gardening How to Plant a Bulb.
And for a chart on which bulbs bloom when, go here. The latter two condition very slowly below 2C 34F and if planted in cold soil they may not flower well in spring. I am a big believer in taking advice from nature. If bulbs that are already in the ground start making roots in August it tells me that this is a benefit for the plant. Starting growth early allows the bulb to make a larger root system before the ground gets too cold.
The exact reason for making roots early may not be known, but it is clear that bulbs prefer to make roots early in my climate and soil conditions. It then follows that new bulbs should also be planted as soon as possible usually not available until August. If you ask people that believe in late planting for an explanation you will not get much of one. Some people think that the bulbs need to feel the cold before going into the ground.
How much cold can they experience when you walk from the house to the garden and plant? No one suggests leaving them out in the cold to get some frost, which would harm some bulbs. I think that this idea of giving the bulbs some exposure comes from the fact that tulips and other bulbs will not flower in warm climates. They do need a chill period during winter to flower. Knowing this, it is easy to understand why people might think that it is best to plant after a frost.
Another explanation is that early planting will expose them to too much warm weather during Indian Summer, resulting in early growth and flowering that will be harmed when it gets cold.
Consider the bulbs that are in the ground from last year. They experience the heat of summer every year and that does not result in fall blooms. Many of our spring bulbs originate in climates that have hot summers. They break dormancy in late summer before the chill of winter. None of the above are good reasons for plant spring bulbs in late fall, but there might be a good reason that few gardeners know about.
To better answer the question about best planting time I contacted Dr. William Miller at Cornell University. He has been studding spring bulbs to better understand how they react to various temperature regimes. He is also an expert on tulip diseases. Most spring bulbs can get a Fusarium fungal infection ref 2. Each type of bulb has its own species of Fusarium, but they behave similar to one another.
The fungus grows best in warmer temperatures. So planting late fall will reduce the incidence of Fusarium, resulting in healthier bulbs in spring. Where does Fusarium come from? It can live in soil and if the soil is highly infected, it may remain infected for years — this is not clearly understood yet. Planting annually in the same spot using the same type of bulb can create a spot where the bulb does not do well because they get killed or damaged by Fusarium. You can image that this disease is a major problem for bulb producing companies who replant yearly.
As a result, Fusarium is frequently found on new bulb purchases. This is one reason why it might be a better idea to plant new bulbs later, once the soil is cooler. I asked Dr. Is it possible that squirrels get blamed for robbing bulbs when the real problem is disease? If you are planting bulbs and you see any kind of fungal disease on the bulb it is best not to plant them. Discard them in the garbage. Reference 2 shows pictures of the fungus on tulips and gives a good description of the disease.
What about bulbs planted in previous years — can they get Fusarium? I have not seen a clear answer to this. Since the fungus lives in soil it is certainly possible, but it seems as if the major source of the fungus is handling during the production process.
Once you have clean bulbs and plant them, it is less of a concern. For root growth and bulb development, early is better. For disease control, late is better. The best time is a compromise between the two. Below 9C 48F , root growth is reduced as temperatures get cooler. Root growth for most spring bulbs is nearly zero at C 33F. If you are digging up your own bulbs, and disease is not a serious concern, they should be planted as soon as possible. There is no advantage keeping them dry until the soil cools down.
Any damaged or diseased bulbs should be discarded.
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