I've been stupid (or just plain forgetful). In 2009, in an effort to
get some multi-season use out of a large bed that before then only got
mass planted with summer bedding each year, I planted half the bed
with tulip bulbs - deep enough to pop the bedding on top in the summer
and the tulips die back in good time. Couldn't afford to plant the lot
in one go so last year I bought the second batch of 400 bulbs and have
just found them planted nicely in a box in the garage. I totally
forgot about them somehow. They have developed shoots about half an
inch long but that's it. They've been in the garage (cool if not cold
and very dry) and in a box (in the dark) since late October. They feel
firm and there's no sign of fungus/mould on any of them.

I guess that if I plant them in the bed, and they grow, they'll grow
late and interfere with the summer planting and probably won't
flourish long term anyway (otherwise why can we never buy tulip bulbs
in March?)

So my dilemma is do I:

a) leave them in the box, in the dry and dark, and remember to plant
them in November this year, or
b) compost them (I have no other practical place to plant them), or
c) give them away (only if someone else who planted them now could
expect a "return" for their efforts)

I suppose the question is do I stand any reasonable chance of them
doing the biz if I keep them in storage until November? And any
special treatment necessary?

Advice very much appreciated.

Cheers

Jake

On 22/03/2011 21:45, Jake wrote:
I've been stupid (or just plain forgetful). In 2009, in an effort to
get some multi-season use out of a large bed that before then only got
mass planted with summer bedding each year, I planted half the bed
with tulip bulbs - deep enough to pop the bedding on top in the summer
and the tulips die back in good time. Couldn't afford to plant the lot
in one go so last year I bought the second batch of 400 bulbs and have
just found them planted nicely in a box in the garage. I totally
forgot about them somehow. They have developed shoots about half an
inch long but that's it. They've been in the garage (cool if not cold
and very dry) and in a box (in the dark) since late October. They feel
firm and there's no sign of fungus/mould on any of them.

I guess that if I plant them in the bed, and they grow, they'll grow
late and interfere with the summer planting and probably won't
flourish long term anyway (otherwise why can we never buy tulip bulbs
in March?)

So my dilemma is do I:

a) leave them in the box, in the dry and dark, and remember to plant
them in November this year, or
b) compost them (I have no other practical place to plant them), or
c) give them away (only if someone else who planted them now could
expect a "return" for their efforts)

I suppose the question is do I stand any reasonable chance of them
doing the biz if I keep them in storage until November? And any
special treatment necessary?

Advice very much appreciated.

Cheers

Jake


You're not stupid, Jake, and you wouldn't be the first person to find
themselves in this predicament. Personally, I would plant them now and
risk that they may not flower well this year and that their foliage may
disrupt your bedding. If you can't live with untidy tulip leaves in
your bedding, then I suggest you gradually harden them off and feed them
to build up the bulbs for next year. You may still get flowers this
year, but there's no guarantee. Not having an ideal spare site is a
problem, though; could your tulip box live on the patio for now?

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

On Wed, 23 Mar 2011 11:54:20 +0000, Spider wrote:

On 22/03/2011 21:45, Jake wrote:
I've been stupid (or just plain forgetful). In 2009, in an effort to
get some multi-season use out of a large bed that before then only got
mass planted with summer bedding each year, I planted half the bed
with tulip bulbs - deep enough to pop the bedding on top in the summer
and the tulips die back in good time. Couldn't afford to plant the lot
in one go so last year I bought the second batch of 400 bulbs and have
just found them planted nicely in a box in the garage. I totally
forgot about them somehow. They have developed shoots about half an
inch long but that's it. They've been in the garage (cool if not cold
and very dry) and in a box (in the dark) since late October. They feel
firm and there's no sign of fungus/mould on any of them.

message pruned to let the light in

Jake


You're not stupid, Jake, and you wouldn't be the first person to find
themselves in this predicament. Personally, I would plant them now and
risk that they may not flower well this year and that their foliage may
disrupt your bedding. If you can't live with untidy tulip leaves in
your bedding, then I suggest you gradually harden them off and feed them
to build up the bulbs for next year. You may still get flowers this
year, but there's no guarantee. Not having an ideal spare site is a
problem, though; could your tulip box live on the patio for now?


Thanks, wise arachnid! You've given me hope that all is not lost (the
bulbs weren't exactly cheap). But I am stupid - I've been watching the
existing tulips growing in the bed and thinking that I must get more
tulips to fill it up later in the year! I only found the lot in the
garage when I wanted to move a large box to make reassembly of my lawn
mower a bit easier and wondered what was in the box.

But you've given me an idea. I bought a kit to build an additional
compost assembly in a sale late last year (you know, those split level
wooden slatted things with inbuilt shrubbery and hanging basket
brackets) but I don't actually need to assemble it until the autumn.
The ground is terrible but I can create a temporary raised bed using
some left over fencing featherboards and hopefully that will suffice.
Then I can lift the tulips in October and build the compost thingy in
time to remove the summer bedding from where I'll then replant the
tulips.

Wahey! Problem sorted. Thanks again for the inspiration.

Jake

On 23/03/2011 19:18, Jake wrote:
On Wed, 23 Mar 2011 11:54:20 +0000, wrote:

On 22/03/2011 21:45, Jake wrote:
I've been stupid (or just plain forgetful). In 2009, in an effort to
get some multi-season use out of a large bed that before then only got
mass planted with summer bedding each year, I planted half the bed
with tulip bulbs - deep enough to pop the bedding on top in the summer
and the tulips die back in good time. Couldn't afford to plant the lot
in one go so last year I bought the second batch of 400 bulbs and have
just found them planted nicely in a box in the garage. I totally
forgot about them somehow. They have developed shoots about half an
inch long but that's it. They've been in the garage (cool if not cold
and very dry) and in a box (in the dark) since late October. They feel
firm and there's no sign of fungus/mould on any of them.

message pruned to let the light in

Jake


You're not stupid, Jake, and you wouldn't be the first person to find
themselves in this predicament. Personally, I would plant them now and
risk that they may not flower well this year and that their foliage may
disrupt your bedding. If you can't live with untidy tulip leaves in
your bedding, then I suggest you gradually harden them off and feed them
to build up the bulbs for next year. You may still get flowers this
year, but there's no guarantee. Not having an ideal spare site is a
problem, though; could your tulip box live on the patio for now?


Thanks, wise arachnid! You've given me hope that all is not lost (the
bulbs weren't exactly cheap). But I am stupid - I've been watching the
existing tulips growing in the bed and thinking that I must get more
tulips to fill it up later in the year! I only found the lot in the
garage when I wanted to move a large box to make reassembly of my lawn
mower a bit easier and wondered what was in the box.

But you've given me an idea. I bought a kit to build an additional
compost assembly in a sale late last year (you know, those split level
wooden slatted things with inbuilt shrubbery and hanging basket
brackets) but I don't actually need to assemble it until the autumn.
The ground is terrible but I can create a temporary raised bed using
some left over fencing featherboards and hopefully that will suffice.
Then I can lift the tulips in October and build the compost thingy in
time to remove the summer bedding from where I'll then replant the
tulips.

Wahey! Problem sorted. Thanks again for the inspiration.

Jake


Glad to be of service :~). Hope your construction goes well and that
you get to see your tulips bloom.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay