I live in zone 8, north Louisiana. I am pre-chilling the following bulbs: crocus, hyacinth, daffodil, tulips and Globemaster/Gladiator/His Excellency Alliums. 1) I'm getting a lot of different advice regarding the chill time for each bulb. Can you help me with that? 2) Will each bulb flower in the same amount of time after planting? Unfortunately, the bulbs I care about the most are the latest flowering, the alliums. I need to understand how to design my garden; do I design it on them all blooming at the same time, can I plant, for instance crocus, and leave the alliums in the fridge until the crocus die and then plant the alliums where the crocus where? Or do I expect them to all bloom according to the regular blooming schedule? I know this is complicated, (it is for me!) thanks you SO much for any help you can offer!!! Thank you, Kathryn
Because there is so much here to research, I will not be able to answer all of your questions here. They may all bloom at different times, and they may all require different chill hours. I can suggest asking your local extension service, as they will be able to help you will all of your questions. This article will help you to find the nearest one: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/extension-search/
In your article"Longevity Of Flowering Bulbs: Are My Bulbs Still Good?" ( https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/bgen/flower-bulb-shelf-life.htm ) you say: "Consider planting in a pot indoors if you cannot get the bulbs outside. Just be sure to provide adequate chilling time for fall bulbs." What is adequate chilling time? I am late planting my bulbs this year and I want to know if I have time to refrigerate them and then plant them in the early Spring in containers. I live in the Seattle area. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you, Eva Holman evaholman@fronter.com
The proper chilling time depends on the type of bulb you have. For example, tulips need about 14-16 weeks of chilling, while hyacinths need about 11-14 weeks. You can look up the chilling time for whichever species you have.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/bgen/chilling-flowering-bulbs.htm
I was given tulips and hyacinth bulbs (tulips in one container, hyacinth in another) forced in water. My question is....can I save the bulbs to plant in soil at another time? If so, how do I do so? The tulips flowers are spent but still alive in their container (stems still green), the hyacinth is still blooming but close to being spent; it's still in its container as well.
Yes, you can save the bulbs, although hyacinths typically come back better than tulips do after being forced. After the foliage turns yellow, remove the bulbs from the containers, pat them dry, and air dry them for a week. Then, dust with a fungicide if available, and store them in a paper bag surrounded by peat moss or sawdust, or hung up in pantyhose.
In spring, plant them in your garden. They probably won't flower this year since they've used up so much energy already, but the hyacinths at least will probably flower the year after.
I received these tubers from Breck's today, I am confused as to which way is up. On one side is the tuber and the other end has sprouts coming out of it but I don't know if they are roots or leaves. Can you help?
I'm not clear on the specific type of tuber, but if it's a corm the rounded side should face up. Small bulbs, even if planted upside down will find their way to the surface. When in doubt, plant sideways.
This article has information on ferns.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/foliage/ferns/taking-care-of-outdoor-ferns.htm
You can also contact the customer service from the company you purchased from to verify the variety and their specifics.
I was not able to plant my daffodils and tulips in the fall. I planted a few bulbs about a month ago. Some of them are coming up now. Should I plant the rest of them now or is there a way to preserve the remaining bulbs until fall of 2017?
Plant the daffodils - they will be much better off in the ground - but make sure nice and deep - as people tend to plant them to close to the surface- at least 3 times the depth of the bulb. For the tulips - that is a trickey question- as a lot of animals and insect get to them in the ground,but best bet for both nice and deep in the soil. best place :)
I live in florida and there is a lot of sand in my patio. I planted some bulbs with new soil. Few days later I found all these little white round snails around the plants. I digged the plant out and found the roots are gone and many of the snails and white little pieces that look like small rocks around the roots. What are they? how do I get rid of them?
There are several snails in Florida that attack gardens. It could be one of these:
http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/gastro/terrestrial_snails.htm
http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/white_garden_snail.htm
Removing them by hand is often the most effective method, but there are some other options:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/organic-snail-control.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/slug-snail-eggs.htm
I forgo to plant bulbs this spring can still plant or do I have to wait for next spring ThAnk you Betty
It's getting late in the growing season in your zone for bulbs to come up this year. You can plant as many fall bulbs as you like, though! This article will tell you everything you need to know about planting bulbs:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/bgen/how-long-for-bulbs-to-grow.htm