Hello! Thank you kindly for reading this and please know I will be grateful for any guidance. I'm new to Zone 4 gardening and my space is limited to a paved patio and a bunch of 5 gallon buckets. Veggies were abundant this year, but I do miss a proper bulb garden. To scratch that itch, I repurposed 5 buckets in late October, stack-planted bulbs and put the buckets in my dark, unheated garage, in the hope of bright, spring color in April or May. Now, just a few weeks later, I'm seeing shoots and guessing I badly misjudged the timing for forcing spring blooms. Yikes. Here are my questions: What is the correct timing? Or, is this a completely ridiculous endeavor? Attached, please find pix of the shoots and of the label from the bulb collection. Many, many thanks, Linda Bean Plattsburgh, NY 12903
It sounds like there was still moisture in the soil. This will cause them to sprout. Unfortunately, you may want to start over from here. Alternatively, you could wait until very early spring to purchase new ones, so that it will be time to plant when you receive them.
Otherwise, this article will help you with proper bulb storage:
For a number of years I have laid landscape plastic (LSP) over daff beds after the spent growth browns off. Otherwise these places are overrun by grasses and weeds. The general effect is satisfactory. And every spring I still have the finest daffodils in the neighborhood! I use a lot of this plastic for weed barrier in my fairly large garden. However in November or December, if the sun gives some warmth, some of the covered bulbs seem to think it’s already time to sprout foliage. I see humps under the plastic and find emerging growth under it. I have been removing the LSP when this occurs. The sprouts will freeze when it gets cold enough. So am I doing the right thing by removing the plastic from the emerging foliage in winter, or not? ~~ Thank you
It would seem that the plastic is tricking your plants into thinking that it is the growing season, early. Eventually, you will shorten the lifespan of the bulbs, and they will die out on you.
If you are covering for weed control, you will need to remove all bulbs that you will want to keep before doing so. Otherwise, you may want to find a new method of weed control.
I recently bought flower bulbs online a week back. What is the easy way to plant flower bulbs? How far apart should I plant the flower bulbs and seeds, and how deep should I plant them?
Unfortunately, these factors differ depending on the exact bulbs and seeds that you purchased. In the meantime, this article will help you with general flower gardening:
Double tuberose the pearl , tuberous begonia ,
You can plant them in containers outside and bring the containers in for winter and store in a cool place like the garage. Only water lightly about once a month.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/begonia/wintering-begonias-overwintering-a-begonia-in-cold-climates.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/tuberose/indoor-tuberose-care.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/tuberose/tuberose-plant-info.htm
I have cut off the leaves and let the bulbs dry out. They are indoors but when do I start re-watering. Our indoor temps are 77 daytime but gets up to 82 at night when we turn off the Air conditioning.
Not sure what bulbs you have but these articles may help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/amaryllis-hippeastrum/amaryllis-bloom-again.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/tulips/tulips-bloom-every-year.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/hyacinth/care-for-hyacinth-houseplants.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/bgen/forced-bulbs-in-pots-yearly.htm
osted? stored? discarded? for sale at reduced prices?
I suppose that would depend on the specific nursery! We do not sell anything, so I would not be able to tell you what others in your area are doing with their leftovers. You could always ask them, though!
We are moving and want to take some bulbs with us. How long do I need to wait before digging them up? Do I need to put them in pots? I know if you dig them up before the stalk dies they will get soft and unusable.
You can dig them up and put them in pots, being careful not to disturb the roots and stems, if possible. Then the stem and leaves can die back in the containers.