tallpines
Pro Member
Posts: 298
Zone:: 4a
Favorite Vegetable:: This week, it’s Rhubarb
Joined: February 2019
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Post by tallpines on Nov 20, 2019 20:23:32 GMT -5
When we traveled to Holland last April I bought tulip bulbs which would be mailed to me “according to my planting season.” When they arrived in late Oct, my life was too busy for planting tulips.
Well, winter temps came early and the 75 bulbs never got planted. So ..... today the temp was up to 45 .... it was plant now or next April.
Our ground is already frozen!
It was a real chore for me to chisel through .... so DH came with an old hatchet and chopped into that 3 inches of frost so I could get most of the bulbs in. Given the extra work involved, the placement was not well planned. I just hope they survive. I’ve not had much experience with tulips.
Still have about 2 dozen bulbs that did not get into the ground. My thought is ...... I will buy a sack of soil from the garden center, and, divide it between 3 larger pots. And .... plant those remaining bulbs in them. Set those pots out on the deck .... they will freeze .... then bring them inside to warm up, about 3 weeks before Easter.
What do you think? Will it work? Looking for advice and suggestions, please.
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Post by paquebot on Nov 20, 2019 21:54:25 GMT -5
Yes, tulips can be planted in pots. Early spring, one can find tulips for sale in pots everywhere flowers are sold. If commercial growers can do it, so can you.
At the Jung's store yesterday, there were two big crates of prime 2" bulbs. I was tempted to find a home for a pound or so but no good place ready for them.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by ladymarmalade on Nov 21, 2019 5:49:00 GMT -5
You can definitely plant your bulbs in pots, but I'm not sure you want to put them outside to freeze. A friend of mine just asked me this the other day and in my research I found that it was recommended to plant them in pots and then store them in a spot that is generally just above freezing- like an attached garage that doesn't get a ton of heat. You keep them super chilled and in a kind of suspended animation until March (or so) and then pull them inside to warm up, give them some water and a sunny window and the tulips will grow and become your first flowers of the season. Then you can plant out an established tulip once the ground can be worked. It's called "forcing" tulip bulbs.
The other recommendation I found was to store them in a cardboard box between layers of newspaper and store in a dark, dry, cool-ish place like a dark basement. Check them every couple of weeks to make sure none are rotting, but held like that they should make it until spring healthy and whole and you can plant them out then.
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Post by paulf on Nov 21, 2019 10:37:40 GMT -5
[quote author=" ladymarmalade " source="/post/80302/thread" timestamp="1574333340" The other recommendation I found was to store them in a cardboard box between layers of newspaper and store in a dark, dry, cool-ish place like a dark basement. Check them every couple of weeks to make sure none are rotting, but held like that they should make it until spring healthy and whole and you can plant them out then. [/quote] This is what we do and have had good results
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tallpines
Pro Member
Posts: 298
Zone:: 4a
Favorite Vegetable:: This week, it’s Rhubarb
Joined: February 2019
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Post by tallpines on Nov 21, 2019 22:46:22 GMT -5
You can definitely plant your bulbs in pots, but I'm not sure you want to put them outside to freeze. A friend of mine just asked me this the other day and in my research I found that it was recommended to plant them in pots and then store them in a spot that is generally just above freezing- like an attached garage that doesn't get a ton of heat. You keep them super chilled and in a kind of suspended animation until March (or so) and then pull them inside to warm up, give them some water and a sunny window and the tulips will grow and become your first flowers of the season. Then you can plant out an established tulip once the ground can be worked. It's called "forcing" tulip bulbs Because any bulbs planted in the flower beds would normally freeze (at least here in Wis.), I thought perhaps, a good hard freeze was part of the conditioning process for good spring blossoms. That’s why I thought I would need to set the pots outdoors after planting the bulbs .... 😏 .....
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Post by paquebot on Nov 22, 2019 8:51:45 GMT -5
Tulips were always planted 4 to 6 inches here and did well. I think a reasoning behind keeping the pots in an unheated area is to prevent possible damage due to water freezing. In the soil, water would be able to drain. Unless the pot medium were sufficiently porous, could be a problem. Personally I would put the pots outside and pile some leaves over them.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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