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Potted bulbs

15 Comments on Potted bulbs»

1. I am looking for information on how to care for my new hyacinth plant I newly bought at a local grocery store, I live in Ohio and it is very cold now, It smelled and looked beautiful, but after a few days is dying HELP

   How long your bulb will last depends on how far along your hyacinth was when you bought it. If it was in full bloom chances are that it is finished blooming and is on its way out. When purchasing bulb plants , pick ones that have slight color but not open, this will give you more time to enjoy the whole blooming process. Also, keep it in a cool environment, the warmer the room the quicker it will bloom and die. If the flower is bending over (drooping) then it could be a temperature/light or watering problem. Sometimes when the bulbs are forced indoors they develop a shallow root system and when brought into a warm room they grow so fast that the flower head gets too heavy to hold up the flower head. Let it die back and follow the instructions above. Plant it outdoors when the weather permits. Hyacinths like moist springs and dry summers

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   Comment by Edie — 2/26/2005 @ 12:34 am

2. I am wondering how to care for a potted iris. Do I leave it in pot till fall, or plant it now (March), if not, do i water it in pot? Thank you ! paula

   I am assuming that you have a potted dwarf iris.Treat it the same way you would potted tulips. Once its done blooming continue to water but let the foliage die back. When the leaves start to yellow reduce watering. You can leave it in the pot till fall or if you don’t want to store it, plant it in your flower bed and mark it so you know where it is. Look for it to come back next year.

   Comment by paula cooper — 3/29/2005 @ 3:31 pm

3. i RECEIVED POTTED TULIPS FOR EASTER AND WOULD LIKE TO PLANT THEM OUTSIDE IN THE FALL. dO i LEAVE THEM IN THE POT? WHEN DO I TAKE THEM OUT?

   You can let the foliage die back in the pot and save it for fall planting or you can plant them in the ground as soon as you can dig. I find it’s easier to store them in the ground than trying to save them in the pot and hopefully remember to plant them in the fall.

   Comment by Maureen Murray — 4/3/2005 @ 4:17 pm

4. I received potted tulips as a birthday gift, but I don’t know how to care for them in terms of how much and with what frequency to water them, if they should be kept in the sun or shade, etc. I am away at college for another month and would like to keep these beautiful flowers healthy until I can get them home and into a more permanent situation.

   The life span of potted tulips is at best 2 weeks given the right conditons. Water them when the pot feels light and the surface of the soil is dry. It is best to keep them in a cool place away from direct sunlight. Warm temperatures will encourage the flower to “blow” open and shorten the life span. Once the flowers are done blooming, cut off the flower heads and continue to water allowing the foliage to keep growing in the pot. By the time you get home the leaves may be dying back (yellowing). Save your pot of bulbs and plant in the fall or spring outdoors.

   Comment by Kristina — 4/20/2005 @ 9:04 pm

5. Hi! I am in zone 3 and I planted a pot of tricolor crocus and crocus species, and a pot of anemone blanda last fall. Once the snow started to melt I tipped the pots so the water would drain off. About a week ago it started to warm up, so I removed the mulch. So far nothing is happening, mom-in-law seems to think they should be popping up as well. She suggested that I dig some of the bulbs to see if they were rotten, but I’m not sure what they should be like at this time of year. The ones I dug up were kind of soft, but not mushy. The insides were kind of offwhite and soft. Can you give any expertise? Thanks

   If you didn’t bury the pot deep enough chances are that they froze or were in too wet soil. Wait and see what happens if they are rotten you will eventually find out. The bulbs should be firm and have some roots and a green shoot by now. Anemone blanda is a cold-hardy tuber but may not have survived the winter as it tolerates maximum cold temperatures of minus 10.

   Comment by Teresa — 4/21/2005 @ 6:12 pm

6. How do I deadhead snapdragons

   Pinch off the faded flowers and remove the seeds pods (little green balls). When the stem is finished blooming, cut the spike back to the first set of leaves to encourage new side shoots. Snapdragons like cooler temperatures and slow down in the summer, they should perk up again in the fall.

   Comment by liz — 7/29/2005 @ 8:34 am

7. I would like to use shredded newspaper as a mulch. Can I use the colored paper also or will it hurt my plants?

   Research has found that, newspaper print both black and colored are safe to use in the garden because of the soy based inks that are used. The colored shiny paper from inserts or magazines may contain unsafe chemicals in the ink as well as the paper that is bleached with dioxin. Newspaper mulch can help control weeds, conserve moisture and minimize soil erosion. Because it is inert, it will not improve the soil and as with most mulches, it will deplete the soil of nitrogen when it finally decomposes. There are many alternative choices eg: straw, untreated grass clippings, leaves, wood chips…

   Comment by Linda Miller — 8/3/2005 @ 4:01 am

8. I was forced to dig up some bulbs yesterday. I would like to replant this fall. I rinsed them and am drying them, with some perlite. What else should I do so that they will grow when I replant them in September?

   The most important factor for reblooming is whether the bulbs had a chance to die back its leaves. They need to put back the nutrition required for next years bloom. In Sept. when you plant work up the soil, add organic material and a “bulb booster” for good root development. Sprinkle the fertilizer on top of the soil not in the hole and water it in.

   Comment by Roberta — 8/17/2005 @ 7:23 am

9. Hi I received a potted Tulip 5 days back. I watered it a little bit to keep the soil moist. But since yesterday i have noticed that the foliage is going yellow. Even the new sprouts are not green and healthy. What did i do wrong? how can i save it?

   Since you had it for 5 days, I am going to assume that the plant has bloomed and is dying back(yellowing leaves)which is natural. It’s done. Generally, they should last for 1 to 2 weeks depending temperature, light level and at what stage of growth you received it. If you received a green plant that is showing symptoms of discoloration, premature wilting and flowers that abort or dry up, those are indicators of different problems. These symptoms can be caused by either ethylene gas exposure in shipping/ storage , excessive cold storage of the plant or a fungal disease can attack the plant when it is stressed.

   Comment by Sheetal — 1/10/2006 @ 12:12 pm

10. I received a potted tulip for Valentine’s Day. Can I transplant the flower into an outside pot now? Or, should I leave it in the pot it’s in and plant the bulbs next year? If so, do I need to put the pot outside or leave it inside? Does it need full sun, or shade??? I live in south Georgia if that’s any help. Right now the flowers are beautiful and I would love to keep them as long as possible. Thanks
    Lisa

    The life span of potted tulips is at best 2 weeks given the right conditons. It is best to keep them in a cool place away from direct sunlight. I would leave them in the pot as transplanting right now will only shorten the lifespan of the flowers. You can put them outdoors if temperatures are above 40 degrees. Tulips are considered an annual bulb in the South because the summers are too wet for them to stay in the ground and the winters are not cold enough. One things you can try is after blooming, let the foliage grow until it dies back. Store the bulbs in a cool dry place during the summer. In Sept. place the bulbs in the refrigerator and chill them for 6-8 wks. This will simulate the cooling period that tulips need in order to bloom. Plant in the ground in Nov. adding bulb booster to the soil and hopefully they will have enough energy to rebloom. Potted tulips use up a lot of energy to bloom and may not rebloom.

    Comment by Lisa — 2/14/2008 @ 7:50 pm

11. I have read these articles, so as to not as the same questions, but I am a little confused on how to know when they are ready for the refrigerator and if you mean to put the entire pot in the refrigerator or to dig the bulbs out of the pot and then place them in the fridge? Also, I do not see the characteristic papery skin on the outside of the bulbs - they are all white and “fresh” not dry and ready for transplanting or giving to friends to plant.

    Hi Jenny
    I’m not sure which bulbs you are referring to-tulips?

    Comment by Jenni — 3/2/2008 @ 8:53 am

12. I live in Missouri - zone 5. I have a pot of purchased tulips that are now spent. I want to plant them permanently outdoors, but for future reference - so I can force bulbs - I’d like to know whether they should be put in the fridge as the bulbs themselves or plant them in the pot I wish to grow them in and place the entire pot in the fridge? Also, I want to give a few of the bulbs to a friend. Should I wait until the growth dies back and dig the bulbs and let them dry out? (so they look like what you would buy at the garden center - dry papery bulbs with no growth) Thanks

    Ok, there are two things we need to discuss. 1. The pot of spent tulips. Let the foliage die back completely either in the pot or you can plant them permanently outdoors as long as temps are above freezing. Just pull out the whole root ball and bulbs and plant it deep enough so the bulbs are 5-6 inches below the soil line. Choose a spot that does not get excessively wet in the summer. It is important to let the foliage die back so the bulb can replenish itself for next year’s bloom. . If you keep the bulbs in the pot then you can store them through the summer and plant them in the fall. Forced tulips use up so much energy out of the bulb that sometimes they may not rebloom right away and they should not be forced again.
    2. When forcing tulips start with new bulbs(no parrot, cottage or species). Plant them in moist soil mix, cover the pot with foil or plastic and store the planted pot in the frig . Keep the soil slightly moist-not wet. Tulips require a cold period(35-45F) of 12 weeks at which time they will develop a root system and yellowish sprouts. They then can be brought out to warmer temperatures(60F) and indirect light to green up. From this point it should take 2-4 wks to bloom which will last 10-14 days.

    Comment by Jenni — 3/3/2008 @ 11:09 am

13. My hyacinth is so pretty in its pot that I’d rather keep it there in the kitchen window area than plant outdoors. Can I do this without it dying? How would I care for it?

    Hi Karen
    Keep your hyacinth away from the warm window. It will bloom longer. I’m afraid a blooming hyacinth will only keep for 7-10 days and then the flower stalk dies. All you will have left is the leaves, it will not rebloom this year. Enjoy your plant and after it is done blooming either plant it outside or save it (let the floliage grow until it dies back) then plant it outdoors for next year’s bloom. It’s easier just to plant it when its done blooming.

    Comment by Karen Thomann — 3/18/2008 @ 6:27 am

14. I guess I was asking whether I could just let the leaves die back and have the hyacinth rebloom next year. The foliage is still there but I can let it grow til it does die back. If I cut the dead foliage when it’s time, can I leave the bulb in the pot and will it rebloom next year?

    Hi Karen
    The general rule is bulbs that have been forced in a pot should not be forced again-which is what you want to do but you can try it. After blooming, place the pot in a sunny area, feed once a week with a diluted fertilizer and let the foliage continue to grow until it totally turns brown. This might replenish the bulb enough so that it will re-bloom the next season. Furthermore, you will have to repot it in fresh soil and give it a cool period (35-45F) for 8-12 weeks. After all that, you may or may not get it to bloom-that’s why it’s simpler to plant it outdoors, if you can. Forced hyacinths, when planted outdoors to rebloom usually develop smaller flower heads.

    Comment by Karen Thomann — 3/20/2008 @ 7:08 am

15. I have heard that feeding potted bulbs a low alcohol solution will retard their height thus preventing them from falling over. Is this correct?

    Yes, experiments have been done on forced paperwhite narcissus and proven to work. See the paperwhite article.

    Comment by Eleanor R. — 4/19/2008 @ 4:36 pm

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