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?

Appreciate any help,
Robert

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?

Appreciate any help,
Robert




2-3 inches of additional dirt will not inhibit the bulbs from blooming
as long as (1) the application of the additional dirt will not break the
stems (either apply dirt before emergence -- might already be too late
in NC or apply the dirt carefully) and (2) the construction equipment
won't drive over the area.

If the above looks like a problem can you protect the plants temporarily
during the construction? Place concrete blocks over the plants so that
the stems come through the holes? A board over the plants supported so
it leaves room for the plants?

If you absolutely have to transplant them, first prepare the holes you
are going to put them in. Then try to take a shovel, insert it into the
soil about 4-6" from the bulb, lift it out and do the same thing on the
sides and the back of the bulb so that you cut a block of soil
containing the bulb. Then lift it out trying to keep the block together
so you minimize root disturbance. You have to put the shovel in far
enough to get well below the bulb so that the block of soil includes the
roots. You might have to excavate around a couple of bulbs to see how
deep they are. It will help to water the plants a day or two prior to
doing this.

If you can't get the block out without disturbing the roots, you might
lose flowering for this year, but if you keep the bulb watered and
fertilized it will probably survive and come back next year.

Agree agree - do anything that seems to work - you are preapared to lose
them so anything that survives is better
M
"Dwight Sipler" wrote in message
...
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?

Appreciate any help,
Robert




2-3 inches of additional dirt will not inhibit the bulbs from blooming
as long as (1) the application of the additional dirt will not break the
stems (either apply dirt before emergence -- might already be too late
in NC or apply the dirt carefully) and (2) the construction equipment
won't drive over the area.

If the above looks like a problem can you protect the plants temporarily
during the construction? Place concrete blocks over the plants so that
the stems come through the holes? A board over the plants supported so
it leaves room for the plants?

If you absolutely have to transplant them, first prepare the holes you
are going to put them in. Then try to take a shovel, insert it into the
soil about 4-6" from the bulb, lift it out and do the same thing on the
sides and the back of the bulb so that you cut a block of soil
containing the bulb. Then lift it out trying to keep the block together
so you minimize root disturbance. You have to put the shovel in far
enough to get well below the bulb so that the block of soil includes the
roots. You might have to excavate around a couple of bulbs to see how
deep they are. It will help to water the plants a day or two prior to
doing this.

If you can't get the block out without disturbing the roots, you might
lose flowering for this year, but if you keep the bulb watered and
fertilized it will probably survive and come back next year.

Dig them up as carefully as you can and put them into pots. I'm assuming there
is no foliage yet? Our spring bulbs are already blooming in Texas USDA Zone 8b.
The worst will be you won't have bloom this year, possibly next year, but that
is the worst case scenario. I think you will only lose this year's bloom. In
pots they can be kept at a reasonably warm temp (45-50 degrees).


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?

Appreciate any help,
Robert

"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?

Take as much dirt as possible with the bulbs.

Make the new spot ready before you start digging them up.

Move them fairly quickly.


Tsu

--
To doubt everything or to believe everything
are two equally convenient solutions; both
dispense with the necessity of reflection.
- Jules Henri Poincaré

Dwight Sipler wrote:

2-3 inches of additional dirt

I thinnk he said FEET of dirt.


Tsu

--
To doubt everything or to believe everything
are two equally convenient solutions; both
dispense with the necessity of reflection.
- Jules Henri Poincaré

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.

Thanks for all the suggestions. It will indeed be several feet of fill, so
leaving them there is not an option. They have a growth of about 4-6 inches
so far. And I think I remember them being daffadils.

So, I will plan on digging them up with their root balls intact and
pre-preparing the transfer spot. On the other hand, it occurred to me lately
that the original spot - once filled in and leveled - will need some
plantings. So, I may put transplant the bulbs, and then transplant them back
in the fall.

It just may be that they bloom before the construction starts. If that
happens, then I guess I could just put them into 'storage' in a bucket in
the crawlspace. That is, until the site is ready for replanting in the fall.

Robert

"Dwight Sipler" wrote in message
...
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?

Appreciate any help,
Robert




2-3 inches of additional dirt will not inhibit the bulbs from blooming
as long as (1) the application of the additional dirt will not break the
stems (either apply dirt before emergence -- might already be too late
in NC or apply the dirt carefully) and (2) the construction equipment
won't drive over the area.

If the above looks like a problem can you protect the plants temporarily
during the construction? Place concrete blocks over the plants so that
the stems come through the holes? A board over the plants supported so
it leaves room for the plants?

If you absolutely have to transplant them, first prepare the holes you
are going to put them in. Then try to take a shovel, insert it into the
soil about 4-6" from the bulb, lift it out and do the same thing on the
sides and the back of the bulb so that you cut a block of soil
containing the bulb. Then lift it out trying to keep the block together
so you minimize root disturbance. You have to put the shovel in far
enough to get well below the bulb so that the block of soil includes the
roots. You might have to excavate around a couple of bulbs to see how
deep they are. It will help to water the plants a day or two prior to
doing this.

If you can't get the block out without disturbing the roots, you might
lose flowering for this year, but if you keep the bulb watered and
fertilized it will probably survive and come back next year.

On Sun, 09 Mar 2003 00:21:32 GMT, "Robert Gray"
wrote:

Thanks for all the suggestions. It will indeed be several feet of fill, so
leaving them there is not an option. They have a growth of about 4-6 inches
so far. And I think I remember them being daffadils.

Oops. I, too, read 2-3 inches, not feet. There's a practice called
"heeling in" which means, roughly, putting plants *somewhere*, either
in some corner of the garden or maybe a container (with dirt), until
you can find the proper place to plant them. I would recommend this
over just putting them in basement storage -- after blooming, bulb
foliage grows for a time to gather strength for next year's blossoms.
After the foliage dies is, as you know, the ideal time for digging up,
dividing, and transplanting. Most will probably survive, in any case.