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Bulbs for next spring.
CumbriMan
Posts: 67
Soundly neighbour has just gave me a lot of daffodils and tulips from their garden; they buy new each year.
I want to store these and plant in autumn for next spring. I plan to keep them in my garage and have read various tips about dusting them with sulphur, placing them on newspaper, In old tights and not allowing them to touch each other. I wasn't sure when to take the green off either.
If anyone regularly stores and replants bulbs I would really appreciate any guidance.
Thanks ????????
0
Posts
Daffodils - best bet is to put them back in the ground where you want them to grow, and at the same depth they were previously. You shouldn't cut off the leaves as they give the energy for next year. Give them some slow release fertiliser and keep them watered and let them die down naturally.
Tulips - can be kept out the ground. Split off any bulblets as they sap the energy from the main bulb, and you can grow them, but might take up to three years to flower. Again, keep on the leaves, and store in newspaper. Keep warm and dry. I think tulips can be a bit hit and miss for a second season of flowering - many people treat them as annuals.
You need to heel them in in a spare piece of ground or, better still in troughs or in pots so the foliage can finish feeding the bulbs for next year. Water them in and feed them and water as necessary until the leaves have all faded.
Once that happens you can tip them out and store the bulbs, minus dead leaves, till next autumn. Daffs like to be planted from late August and tulips are best planted in November.
If you try and store them in their current state you'll get nothing.
This is why I love this forum! A wealth of knowledge for us newbies. I'll have to replant them tomorrow, hopefully won't be too late.
Thanks both.