Found bulbs - ok to plant? [Archive]

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Float On

3-2-11, 1:10pm

So last night I was standing on a stepstool to reach some things in the cabinet above the fridge. I found a bag of black tulip bulbs my 13 year old bought last fall to plant and apparently didn't. Some are sprouting. Can I go ahead and stick them in the ground and see if they'll do anything or what?

redfox

3-2-11, 1:23pm

Of course! They'll die if they don't get into the ground, and may live if they do. Bulbs are tough, and I bet they'll sprout and bloom!

CathyA

3-2-11, 2:39pm

I think it depends on if they used up their supply of food or not. Also.....aren't bulbs one of the things that need to freeze before they grow? I'm not sure.
What the heck......just plant them and see what happens!
I thinned some of my irises a few years ago and didn't get around to cleaning up the ones I'd thrown on the ground..........and they grew the next year! ......even after sitting on top of the ground through a cold winter. You just never know!

iris lily

3-2-11, 10:31pm

At this point there is no other option other than to stick them into the ground if your ground is workable. Tulips need vernalization (cold weather) to produce, but perhaps there's enough juice (technical term, ha ha) from last year's plant to get them through this non-standard growing cycle. I supposed it's no different from forcing bulbs, but once bulbs have been forced the are not good for much, and tulipe are notorious for petering out after a few years.

rodeosweetheart

3-5-11, 5:50pm

I just bought some that looked like this in the clearance aisle at Walmart, and they are coming up fine--a little stunted, but getting ready to bloom in the pots, and the planted ones are looking fine too.

Greg44

3-5-11, 7:02pm

We have a road that the local grange has planted daffodils for years. They plant them in the Spring when the others are done blooming. They said if they waited until fall they wouldn't remember where they need to fill in! It is quite an impressive show each spring, so I guess it works! Below is a link to the daffodil festival.

http://www.junctioncity.com/news/daffodils/index.htm