Potted bulbs
Potted bulbs (tulips, daffodils and hyacinths) add a refreshing touch of Spring indoors during the winter months. Once they are done blooming, you can do one of two things either discard them into your compost pile or save the bulbs for the next season. I choose the later. In order to utilize the bulbs for the next year, you should remove the flower head, keep the soil evenly moist and let the foliage die back. Never remove the leaves until they have completely turned brown and pull away. This will store up energy for the next season’s bloom. The bulbs should be firm, free from soft spots and not have an unpleasant ordor, if they do they should be thrown out. Saved bulbs can either be planted in the spring as soon as the weather permits or kept in the pot and planted in the fall. Plant your bulbs in a well-drained area as too much water can rot your bulbs. It takes forced potted tulips 2-3 years to rebloom outdoors.
-If you store any bulbs in the refrigerator keep them away from fruit and vegetables. The ethylene gas they emit will disfigure or abort the developing flower.
Did you know tulip petals are edible. The flavor depends on the variety. The petals taste like sweet lettuce or baby peas, some have a cucumber texture and flavor. Before you eat make sure they are pesticide-free or organically grown and do not eat the bulb.
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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
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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 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?
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.
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
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.
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…
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?
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?
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
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
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?
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?
I have heard that feeding potted bulbs a low alcohol solution will retard their height thus preventing them from falling over. Is this correct?
I bought tulip bulbs way back in sept’07, but delayed planting till almost end-March’08. Not surprisingly, just a few enterprising ones grew 3″leaves & then yellowed & died.! I’ve left the bulbs still in their 12″plastic pot & would like to know whether there’s any chance they will bloom in the coming spring? If yes, what should I do to prepare them for winter? The pot is in the corner of my north-east facing balcony, which gets 2″ of sun for about 1/2 hr every morning & a bit again at sunset. I do really hate throwing out any plants & would love to be able to save these too!
Thanks.
I just bought some tulip bulbs, & would like to know the best way to pot them. I plan to leave the pot outside on my 22nd floor balcony, facing north-east in southern ontario. What should I do to prevent the pot from freezing when temperatures fall to below -20C in winter? Should I prepare the soil with a fertiliser/feed? Is Miracle Grow soilless mix a good potting soil to use?
Thanks!
Forcing bulbs
I just planted tulip bulbs in a plastic pot with Miracle Gro soil & watered it thoroughly. As per your advise above, I have insulated the pot with newspaper & bubble-wrapped the pot. Do I need to cover the whole pot, top & all? Or can I leave the top open? Temps currently are at -10C, with snow flurries off & on. The pot will be on my north-facing balcony with hostas & hydrangea similarly protected- pls do let me know what else I should do to over-winter the pots. Thanks!
The pot will have to stay out on the balcony b’cos it’s a large 15″ one- I will cover it with a plastic bag to further protect it & check on it every so often. I hope to see tulips once it gets warmer! Do I need to fertilise it at any time? I’ve also planted a garden Lily bulb with the tulips- it should be ok, too right?
Hi,
Now that we’re heading into March & hopefully warmer weather soon, I was wondering when I should water the potted tulips that have sat out all winter on the balcony. There is till cold weather (upto -14C, with windchill of -20) predicted ahead, so maybe I should wait a little longer, till temperatures stay above 0C consistently?
March 4 2009 Grand Rapids, Michigan I’ve read through many of your answers and believe I need a personalized answer for my situation. I bought my girlfriend potted tulips for valentines day thinking: “o man that will be cool she will get some beautiful flowers now and again next year if I plant them.” Now I realize its more work than that. We have winters with temperatures usually between 10 and 30 degrees F sometimes below 0 F. And due to Lake Michigan the weather is a little crazy all year long you never know what you will get. Can tulip bulbs be left in the ground if the temperature will be below 0 F?
Hello, I bought some tulip at the grocery store 2 days ago. They weren’t opened up yet. I put them outside it was 72 degrees today and pretty sunny. The flowers have been outside both days. I brought them inside both nights. It’s about 67-70 in my house. Today I noticed that the stems are starting to bend over now. Are they dying now how can I proglong there life. How do I know when they are dead and what is foliage? I’m a new homewowner and have never been into flowers. If I put them in the ground now will the tulips stay pretty? I also have hyacinth’s. They are bending over as well and are not even fully bloomed. What am I doing wrong? THank yoU!!!!
Stephanie
Hello! I just received a beautiful potted hyacinth as a gift. It has already flowered. From what I understand, hyacinth bulbs are usually panted in the fall. Should I bother transplanting the flowers to the garden, or should I leave them in the container? How should I best care for it? I live in New Jersey, zone 6. Thank you for your help!!
My sister received a large pot of assorted flowering bulbs earlier this year. Once the flowers died, and foliage turned brown, she moved the whole pot outside, where it has sat for the last 6months. The only watering as such was from rain! Now, I noticed the bulbs seemed to have all sprouted, with healthy green tips about an inch above the soil. With really cold weather coming on, what should I do to promote flowering? I doubt they will survive outside left unprotected, and I think it’s too late to sink the pot into the cold ground now. Should we bring them indoors and allow to bloom, without repotting? I would appreciate your advice on saving these amazingly hardy potted bulbs. Thanks!
Thanks for replying so quickly:) The pot has assorted bulbs- tulips, hyacinths, narcissuss, crocus. The shoots are about an inch, so if I wrapped the whole pot in newspapers, then bubblewrap and leave it outdoors, would they survive in our extreme Ontario winter, which can drop down to -30C? Or I could just bring them indoors and take the chance of blooms. Please advise. Thanks!
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas & New Year! I brought the potted bulbs indoor & kept them near a well lit window. Am pleased to see the hyacinths have begun to bloom altho’ the rest seem to be only growing leaves. I am going to leave them alone to let the leaves feed the bulbs for another season. The glorious purple of the hyacinths are beautiful & surprising seeing the pot was left unattended for the entire summer!
How much water should I give a hyacinth bulb each day. I am using them in my science fair project on how much water effects the growth of plants.
Hyacinth in hot weather
Hi I live in Thailand, which is tropical climate, and I got hyacinth in December which coolest month here. How do I keep the bulb to plant next year.
Thanks
I have two, 3ft long shredded coconut hull lined planters mounted on a wall in Dallas TX at our new condo which recieves no direct sunlight all day as of March 4. I think it could recieve some light as the sun gets higher in the sky for summer, but maybe not. Anyways, I was wondering what I could plant in these containers besides mondo grass that would enjoy the shady location and still look great? Thanks
In February 2010 I received potted tulips in mid-February and they lasted about three weeks. The flowers fell off and the leaves are now drying out. They have been in my kitchen window (no sunlight, facing north) for two weeks. I let the soil dry out (which may mean they aren’t coming back!). Just need to know if they will re-flower at all. Should they stay in the pot, and if so, how long. Live in the Texas Hill Country, and would like to know if all tulips have same requirements or others–when to replant, let grow again, or what? No previous experience. Will appreciate your help!!
reblooming hyacinth
i got 4 hyacynths, each one has 3 bulbs. white, 2 blue and burgendy colors. now they are starting to die back. the white, burgendy, and 1 blue have sprouted baby plants on the main stalk and are now blooming. the white one is also putting up a large amount of new shoots around the pot. should i get rid of the dead flowerheads, also should i repot them, they are in 6in. pots now, some of the bulbs are sticking out of the soil. transplanting in the yard is not an option, so i need to know what size of container i can put them in.thankyou for any help you can give me.
thanks for all your help i apreciate any i can get.
my iris’s are not puting pu are not showing any sings of stems or bulbs yet? my neighbors have been blooming for sometime now. also the leaves are folded funny, like you would fold a piece of paper accordian style. has anyone ever seen this or know why they are doing this. they r in full sun. good soil. look healthy. any thoughts. thanks, kandy
Seed balls on hyacinth
My hyacinths plants are done flowering. The leaves are bright green with small ball growths on them. Do I remove the growths, or just leave them on the leaves until the leaves turn yellow?
Saving potted Daffodils
I have many potted daffodils from my son’s place of business. I have let them die off in their pots. It is the first day of summer and the leaves are all brown. Should I plant them now or leave them in their pots? Should I put them in the shed or leave them on the deck? Water them or dig them up? Thanks for your help!