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When to plant bulbs
KeenOnGreen
Posts: 1,831
in Plants
Just received lots of bulbs, but can't start planting till I have them all in a weeks time. Most will keep, but I'm not sure about Anemone Nemorosa, Erythronium Dens Canis and Anemone lipsiensis. I'm sure I read that these might need to be either soaked straight away overnight, or put into soil immediately, as they risk drying out and dying. Will they keep in paper bags for 10 days or so?
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Small bulbs dry out very quickly so are best planted immediately. Anemones do better after an overnight soak in cold water to plump them up. I do it with fritillaria meleagris too.
If you can't plant them straight away try keeping them somewhere cool, shady and draught free to reduce dehydration or else plant them in small pots that you can then plant out when your other bulbs arrive.
My daughter didn't get round to planting her daffs and tulips till January , they all came up and flowered the same time as mine, actually a bit before because she's in Cornwall, don't worry about keeping them, you will be able to buy them in the shops up to December they are all the same bulbs they have in the shops now.
I decided to err on the side of caution and put the anemone nemorosa and erythronium in pots, especially as none of the ones I bought last year did anything. Bought this lot from a different nursery online, and they look healthy, with small shoots on the anemones.
The crocus, iris, etc can wait a week or two till my others arrive.