On Fri, 07 Mar 2003 13:20:25 GMT, "Robert Gray"
wrote:

In Raleigh NC, I have a nice row of bulbs coming up in a front flower bed.
However, there will be some construction work in that area very soon, and
the bulbs will be covered by 2-3' of dirt. I would like to save the bulbs by
transplanting them to another bed.

The advice that I read tells me to wait until June, but in this case, that
is not possible. Is it OK to dig them up now - before they bloom - and move
them? Any specific steps to take to help them survive?

You didn't say what sort of bulbs. Many (daffodils, crocus) just
*love* to be dug up, stirred around and re-distributed. Most are
pretty tough, too. If you feel you need to move them, they will
probably be OK, although bloom might be sparse next year.

We lazy gardeners (or hole-diggers) often plant bulbs at less than
their 'ideal' depth, so a couple of inches of extra dirt would be an
improvement.

Anecdotal evidence: when I had a front bed dug up and replanted (in
summer), the workers very sweetly gathered all the bulbs they found
and put 'em in a box, and I planted them elsewhere. The next spring
there were more crocus in the dug-up bed than I'd ever seen before.