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Devon, United Kingdom Gb

I forgot to plant my new tulip bulbs. Do they still have a chance or could I leave them until next year?




Answers

 

I would plant them now, deep (at least 15 cm deep) in sandy soil, with ample sun, and hope for blooms in spring of 2021. If you are really lucky, you might get some bloom in 2020. Leaving them in the bag will either kill them, or delay bloom until 2024 while they grow out of severe damage.

1 Jan, 2020

 

Agree! Go ahead and plant the bulbs - nothing to loose at this point. You may get blooms on short stunted stems. Sometimes the stem is missing altogether and it looks very weird.

1 Jan, 2020

 

Thanks Tug and Bathgate. I'll plant them today but not at the front of the house as I planned. Don't want my neighbours to witness my idiocy!
Happy New Year to everyone at GOY.

1 Jan, 2020

 

I did that last year and mine didn't go in until middle of January, they were the best showing I'd had in many years....

1 Jan, 2020

 

Linsclass, that gives me a lot more confidence!!

1 Jan, 2020

 

I have often left my tulips until late December before planting them. As long as they haven't gone mouldy or shrivelled up I think they will be all right.

1 Jan, 2020

 

From what I've read and heard, the only problem with planting them late in areas that have long, cool springs (unlike my hometown!) is if the soil is frozen. Of course, that is more of a problem for the gardener than the bulb! :)

1 Jan, 2020

 

just seen this and I agree. planted now and what is inside the bulb will grow and if the flower has formed then a good display. the flower formation is temperature dependent through the winter.

1 Jan, 2020

 

No frost now in Devon and none forecast for the near future. I think the bulbs are in good shape so I'll be planting them tomorrow. Thankyou all.

1 Jan, 2020

 

Good decision! :)

6 Jan, 2020

 

Plant away and see what happens. I have just bought 10 packs of bulbs at a £1 a pack, reduced, were £4.99-6.99, so a bargain. Crocus, tulips, hyacinths and some small Tete-a-Tete daffs. I always buy reduced bulbs and usually find they are fine. Tulips are weird, as 'they' (again) recommend chucking them out after one year - Oh for the money to do that sort of thing!!

6 Jan, 2020

 

Honeysuckle, I am guilty of this with tulips. But I do have a lot of species ones as well for naturalising. And I recently learned that if you go for the 'Darwin' group of tulips, they will come back year after year no problem.

6 Jan, 2020

How do I say thanks?

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