Bulb Planting
 

Hi There.
I am wondering if anyone out there could tell me if it is too late to plant bulbs now.
I have many Iris and dafodils and tulip bulbs that were purchased in October.
They have been stored in a cool dak place since.
Any advice regarding the use of these would be greatly appreciated.
Thank-you.

Hi Paul
We moved house last march and in April/ May time I planted what I thought were ( I forget the name but something like "Chimcherees"). They were, in fact, daffodils. And they did come up and flowered, in about August. They formed a bit of a talking point!

So does this mean that they will grow, but may flower a bit later than usual??

I can only speak from my experience, but I'm going to hazzard a guess and say "Yes". The flowers were quite a bit smaller than usual, but they came up very quickly and flowered not much after. Seemed to be in a race to get up, flower and die back ready for this spring. You may even be lucky and find that all that happens is that they prolong the flowering period.

As I say though, there will no doubt be more proficient gardeners on this forum who will have more of an idea, but that was just from my experience.

Bulb Planting
 

On 2/6/2011 8:13 AM, GrowGuru wrote:
Hi There.
I am wondering if anyone out there could tell me if it is too late to
plant bulbs now.
I have many Iris and dafodils and tulip bulbs that were purchased in
October.
They have been stored in a cool dak place since.
Any advice regarding the use of these would be greatly appreciated.
Thank-you.


Whether it is "too late to plant" is probably less important than "is there
going to be a better time to plant?". Face it, the bulbs aren't getting any
younger and it is unlikely that any time in the future will be a better
time than right now to get them into the ground. If you plant them and they
don't perform well, at least they will be performing far better than they
will in the "cool da[r]k place". If you wait until the traditional Autumn
planting season you can be sure that the situation won't improve any.

My idiot daffodils are breaking ground now along with a hyacinth or two and
a sprinkling of crocuses. I'm sure that, given our sporadic weather, that
they will all have their tender little tips frozen solid before long. That
is a perfect reason for planting bulbs by the hundreds wherever you can get
away with it -- some always survive. With luck the 150 English bluebells I
planted last year will make an appearance this Spring and reward me for my
hard labor. Those bulbs are hard to come by over here but I keep thinking
back to the splendor of the meadows and woods full of them that I saw while
walking across Cumbria and Northumberland so I keep planting them hoping to
finally find a site which they can tolerate.

Ok, so the longer you keep bulbs, the less likely they are to perform. So plant now rather than later is the idea.
The best way to deal with bulbs will be plant them in Autum when you are supposed to then!!!!
I have a few hundred bulbs that I will plant tomorrow!!
Thanks for the advise......

I haven't started planting them yet, nd am wondering if they are ok as they have started sprouting.....
Do I plant them with the sprout pointing up or down...........?

You will need luck. I have had zero success transplanting English bluebells into my garden, and scattering seeds for luck, even though I live in prime bluebell territory, and presumably am giving the right conditions. I can't get lily of the valley to grow either.

Gladioli Bulbs
 

I've grown them fine in ammended clay, containers, etc. About the
only type of soil I've not tried them in is sandy.

On Tue, 8 Feb 2011 18:06:50 +0000, GrowGuru
wrote:


I have a dozen bulbs that need planting and not sure what to plant them
in, which soil to use, what position to put them in etc.
Please help....
Thanks

I can alone allege from my experience, but I'm traveling to hazzard a assumption and say "Yes". The flowers were absolutely a bit abate than usual, but they came up actual bound and flowered not abundant after. Seemed to be in a chase to get up, annual and die aback accessible for this spring. You may even be advantageous and acquisition that all that happens is that they prolong the beginning period.