Potted Narcissus in Nov. What then?

stewartcEywl_rZu · February 2023

I potted up various bulbs in November, principally Narcissus and tulips. What do I then do with the pots? Leave them outside? Place in an unheated garage? Place in a dark place? Water them - how often? Not possible to bury them.

Plantminded · February 2023

Leave them outside, you’ll soon see shoots emerging if your pots haven’t been exposed to very wet and freezing conditions over winter which can cause some bulbs to rot. Water the pots when the top couple of inches of compost feel dry. Enjoy watching them progress!

bertrand-mabel · February 2023

as @Plantminded says but do be careful if you have squirrels as they have dug out our containers and we have have had to replant and cover.

Fairygirl · February 2023

Do you mean after they've flowered? I'm assuming they're outside if you planted them in November.
Or are they inside?
If it's the latter, they need to be outside. If they haven't had any water, that might be difficult now if the compost has dried out.

If it's the former, then leave them to die back naturally [a feed or two can be useful too] and then just leave them to get on with it. Tulips don't always come back, so it'll depend on what type they are, and where you are. They won't appreciate being waterlogged, so if you're in a very wet area, keep them against a house wall or similar. If they're species ones, they'll come back. At some point they'll get congested and will need dividing, and repotting. Daffs/narcissus can get quite large and bulky so you'll have to tip them out and separate them

bédé · February 2023

As fairy says, you are not exactly unambiguous.

Your narcissi have either flowered, or will soon. Your tulips will follow. Now is the time to put them wherever you first planned.

janetfoss · February 2023

I agree with @Fairygirl. I have kept all my potted bulbs outside (some for several years now). I feed them when they're done and put them in a sheltered mini greenhouse until Januaryish. Then I put them back outside, dotted about where I want them to be.
Looking at them now, all are coming up. Most of them have lost their labels so it's a nice surprise to find out what they are.

Fairygirl · February 2023

Tulips are more tricky than most daffs, simply because their requirements are quite different to daffs. Daffs are pretty straightforward and will cope with a lot of damp, and more shade, whereas tulips don't like that. They need moisture, especially when they're getting near to flowering stage, but they certainly don't appreciate excess wet, and they need sharp drainage.
The species ones start flowering around now [in milder areas] and from March in colder parts. Many of mine are just starting to come away, but they're a few weeks away from flowering. They're reliable in terms of being perennial, but most of the 'usual' tulips are less so.
There's a few types which are more reliable - I think you can get lists of them on various bulb suppliers' sites.

If @stewartcEywl_rZu can offer some more info, that will help further with advice, especially if he knows the types he has

stewartcEywl_rZu · February 2023

I llive in Vancouver, Canada where the climate is essentially the same as London, England. In previous years I have planted about a dozen pots of bulbs, all narcissus and tulips, but they have not been a screaming success. I was advised to take the pots into a dark, unheated garage and bring them out when shoots started appearing. I did this and the results were better but not perfect. I am trying to find a way of planting and aftercare where all the bulbs come up in all the pots.

Fairygirl · February 2023

That's helpful @stewartcEywl_rZu, although I'd disagree about Vancouver being like London. It's more like Scotland. I have relations there

However, I can't see any benefit to having the bulbs in a garage. You can certainly 'force' lots of bulbs into flower, but you wouldn't do it by using a garage - you'd use a greenhouse, conservatory or heated porch, or something similar.
Tulips benefit from planting in a cold spell, as it helps protect from tulip virus, but you shouldn't need to worry about that where you are, and they can be planted in autumn where you are with no problem. It's the drainage that matters, so how are you planting them and what growing medium are you using? A nice sunny site for them too.
Make sure the holes in the pots aren't blocked by the soil mix, so some crocks in the base will help with that, and use plenty of grit in that mix too. Protect from heavy rain, or the most extreme weather, by tucking them against a wall or similar, or keep them under some basic cover until around this time of year. Daffs are easier, but the same applies to the drainage holes. Both species are very hardy, so don't worry about frost or snow. Freezing after rain can cause a problem with pots, so try and avoid having them very exposed if you can.
Keeping the pots up off the ground with pot feet, or similar, helps too - especially if they're on a solid surface. Not a problem if they're on gravel.
My aunt, who lived just outside Vancouver, always had various bulbs in pots and in the ground, especially daffs, and I don't remember her ever having problems. She certainly had daffs out, flowering, when I was there one spring.

stewartcEywl_rZu · February 2023

Please consider changing your views about the Vancouver climate. I grew up in London for 24 years and have lived in Vancouver for 64. I also spent some time living in Edinburgh and I can assure you that London and Vancouver are much more similar climatwise than Edinburgh and Vancouver.

Fairygirl · February 2023

Fair enough.
In that case - the bulbs should be pretty easy. Maybe better to ask around your neighbourhood as to what's the best way forward.
They're easy bulbs pretty much everywhere in the UK, unless they've been badly stored or similar. Apart from the far north west for tulips, and that's only because the climate is so wet and cold. They're iffy here where I am without the right care and site. Edinburgh isn't like the west side of Scotland either.
Daffs are easy everywhere.

Potted Narcissus in Nov. What then?

Posts