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Storing bulbs

TomskTomsk Posts: 204

I bought a load of spring bulbs last autumn and forgot all about them. last week I found the bag and not only had they all sprouted shoots despite having no soil or water, but some had even managed to sprout flowers!

I've put them all in soil just to stop them dying, but my intention is to give most of the bulbs to someone else. What's the best way of doing this and when? I'd like to dig them up, wash off the soil so that they look like they did when I bought them, and give them to someone in a bag to take home.

I assume now that they're in the soil and are very rapidly sprouting roots, I should leave them well alone until the bulbs have 'recovered'? So is it OK to cut the stems down to the bulbs, cut off the roots and wash them? Perhaps in the autumn.

Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,617

    Wait until the leaves have grown, maybe flowered, and then died down. Then dig them up, give them away and ask them to plant them before winter.

  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995

    What sort of bulbs?  I would imagine the stress may cause them to come up 'blind' next year.  May be worth tossing them onto the compost heap.  

    Utah, USA.
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