Tulip bulbs are typically planted in the fall, but what happens when you forget to plant them and it’s already December or January? No worries. Here are my tips on how to plant bulbs in winter or late in the season.
What Do You Do With Forgotten Tulips?
Last January, I came across a bag of tulip bulbs that had gotten misplaced in my gardening shed. Evidently, the dozen tulips hid when I planted over 150 other bulbs in October. I was looking forward to seeing this variety’s colors lining my garden path. At least, that was the plan.
After doing a little research, I came across a study about planting tulip bulbs on top of the ground and late in the season, done by Cornell University.
- Researchers found that you can grow gorgeous tulips in only mulch, 2 inches being the optimum depth. They experimented with mulch layers up to six inches deep and determined the two-inch covering (renewed every autumn) produced the largest amount of flowers and the most vigorous plants.
- If you are looking at unplanted bulbs in December or January or even February– get them in the ground. Don’t wait for spring or next fall. Bulbs aren’t like seeds. They won’t survive out of the ground indefinitely.
How to Plant Those Tulips in Winter
According to the Cornell study (done over a six-year period), you should plant tulips late in the season this way:
- Clear away snow and loosen soil, if possible. If not, choose an area with soil full of organic matter.
- Scratch in bulb fertilizer. If the ground is totally frozen, scatter fertilizer sparingly and over a larger range than normal.
- Place bulbs on top of soil. Do not press them in, as this will damage the bulb base, where roots form.
- Cover with 2-4 inches of aged mulch or finished compost. Go for the thicker layer if planting during the height of winter, like I did.
- Renew mulch covering often to be sure there is at least a two-inch layer.
Before you plant those forgotten bulbs, make sure they’re still good. Gently squeeze them and if they are firm (not dry or spongy), they are probably fine. After all, nothing ventured, nothing gained!
Planting in Pots
If the ground is too frozen for digging, another option is to plant the bulbs in pots. If you try this, keep the pots in a cool unheated area with temperatures between 38°F and 50° F – an attached garage or a home refrigerator often does the job. Water them and keep the soil moist but never soggy. After 8 or more weeks, bring a few pots indooros. Or, once spring begins to warm things up, move the pots outdoors to bloom.
What If Bulbs Come Up Early in Winter?
It’s not uncommon to have a mild winter and find your tulips or daffodils or other spring bulbs are sprouting. Don’t worry about this. Let nature take it’s course. Spring bulbs shrub off cold weather and even snow. These bulbs are built to survive the cold and even snow. Small bulbs such as snowdrops and crocus actually bloom through the snow. It’s possible that a hard frost will affect the buds or leaf tips, but the bulbs should still flower.
Bottom-line: Take your chances. No matter what, the bulbs are better off giving it a fighting chance in the ground or a chilled pot than wasting away in the garage or cupboard. Flower bulbs are survivors by nature’s design. Every year stories abound of bulbs that bloom after being planted under the most improbable circumstances.
Want more advice on planting and growing tulips?
See our Tulips Growing Guide, as well as Fall Bulbs: Planting for Spring Flowers.
Reader Comments
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tulip/Fritillaria meleagris
After planting them in pots(February). Once they begin growth can you plant them in the ground.
Can you plant potted tulips in the ground?
If you have tulips growing in a container, do not dig out the bulbs.You can plant the entire pot in the ground. And once the foliage dies back, you can transplant the bulbs into your garden. They may bloom the following year; keep in mind that a lot of hybrid tulips don’t come back a second year and are treated as annuals.
Clivia variants
Thank you, Robin Sweeney, for the great informative article on Clivias. It’s the most complete growing article I’ve seen thus far. Like others, I jumped in purse first, and bought a yellow flowering Clivia from White Flower Farm a few years ago. What I haven’t done, was move it into a cool dry space to encourage it to bloom, and so my blooms, as amazing as they’ve been, have shown up in June and July. I’m about to March that gorgeous greenery out to the garage for a long rest.
I’m curious about where one can find the variations you mention. I finally got a long awaited greenhouse built and look forward to Scratching a few specialty plants off my long list list.
Thank for all you do, and Happy New Year! You’re the Best!
Tulips
Tulips are surprisingly hardy. We've had warm spells in January and February when the plants start peeking up from the ground. But then we get hard, freezing weather and I often wonder if the tulips and daffodils will survive. Yes, they do!! My only difficulty is keeping the squirrels and mice from eating the bulbs. Have had to plant them in "bulb saucers" and/or line the planting areas with gravel to keep the critters out!!
Planting bulbs in January
I always have some bulbs that I plant in the winter. Sometimes I get too tired of digging and planting in the fall, because I've been busy all summer and am busy canning, drying, and freezing in the fall. We usually have a week of warmer weather in January, even though I'm in northern Nevada where it snows etc. Anyway, I plant the ones I've had in the garage. They come up on time in the spring. One thing I always use with my bulbs is Epsom salts. I put a tablespoon or so in each hole and put the bulb in and cover with dirt. Then I sprinkle some on the top of the soil, so it'll fertilize extra when it snows or rains. The bulbs love the magnesium and the squirrels and other rodents don't eat my bulbs. If you can remember where your bulbs are year to year, you can sprinkle some Epsom salts on anytime in the fall or winter. I have so many, and such a large yard that I forget where some are. Always a great surprise when they come up.
What about hungry and enterprising squirrels?
At first I loved this idea, but if you have squirrels in your yard be advised that they LOVE tulip bulbs and planting them above the ground where they are scrounging for food in winter turns your bulbs into a welcomed winter banquet. Even planting at the appropriate depth in fall (late fall for me) does not completely prevent the squirrels from finding them. Layering with Daffodils (squirrels do not like them) helps create a barrier to the tulip bulbs in my garden but that would not be possible using the method described in this article.
planting tulips in pots
can I plant my tulips in pots? it's winter right now, would I keep the pots in the garage or place them outside?
Planting Daffodil Bulbs in Winter
I ready your article about planting tulip bulbs in the winter, but I have daffodils that I could not plant in the Fall. The company from which I bought them told me to put them in a bucket with soil or peat moss in layers. They are in my garage. Can I still plant these bulbs using the method you suggest for tulips? Thank you, Randy
daffodils
I got sick and was unable to finish planting my daffodil bulbs can I still plant them like the tulip described above.
Squirrels eat ALL the fruit off my trees before to enjoy 1 piece
I visit here often and always have my handy paper version of the Farmers Almanac as well : ) but my question for anyone whom has an answer that will solve this issue once and for all I will be grateful infinitely. I have peach, pear, fig, blueberries, bananas, grapes and various forms of citrus trees, all are organic and aside from my citrus that barely provide any fruit the rest are extremely bountiful however aside from the fig tree which I have built a cage around we are not able to enjoy one peach, pear or grape thanks to the squirrels that we have even seen eat an orange. The peach tree is very large and though we use to build a cage around it too of different types of chicken wire etc. we are no longer able to do this as it is 35-40 ft. tall and each year it bears an extremely healthy supply of fruit but the squirrels eat all of it even before it is ripe and we are hopeful that you will have a suggestion that will finally end this. We are in North Florida and it is just today finally getting warm outside and we live in a bird sanctuary which is lovely as we have bird houses around our house in various locations allowing us to enjoy them starting a family every year and we have no problems with the birds just the squirrels whom this year already within a week have eaten almost 200+ unripe peaches. We are hoping we may contact you and hope to salvage the remaining few hundred we have left : )
Thank you so much
squirrels get all the peaches
We, or at least I, an Almanac editor, feel your pain and know your hunger. I too have a peach tree —now— for the squirrels. I got mouthwatering fruit the first year, then they discovered it. A few years ago a master gardener suggested hanging sparkly Christmas ornaments on the limbs. The “shine” would deter the critters. Well, only during the day. In the morning I would find barely nibbled hard peaches on the ground. And only for a while. A few of the ornaments are still on the tree. I asked everyone I met or thought might have a good answer. Even the cooperative extension service (at least the one I contacted) could provide no advice. A grower at a farmer’s market was mum. Of course, he had a field of trees; perhaps he built loss into his season. If you ever learn of a fool- (squirrel-)proof way of keeping them away, please share.
The only advice you might find helpful is to pick the peaches well before they are ripe, and ripen them indoors/in a protected area. They are not quite as good as tree-ripened, but you feel at least like you kept the squirrels from the entire harvest.
Will this work so perennial bulbs will keep coming back?
... year after year?
Re: perennializing
It depends a lot on where you live. Tulips perennialize only when they get very warm to hot DRY summers; too cool, or too much rain, and they just sit there and rot. I've had success in zone 6a with a raised rocky bed-type area to the south of a high fence, under a large tree, and in the lee of a shed, so it doesn't get as much rain as elsewhere, and what it does get drains very quickly. If you have somewhere to plant them that drains sharply, and that you can forgo watering over the summer, I'd give it a shot!
Planting potted tulips
I have just inherited a pot of spent tulips. I would like to plant them in my garden. How is the best way to handle this situation?
They need to make top growth
They need to make top growth to feed the bulbs for next year’s flowers. If the ground is warm enough for planting in your area then by all means plant them outside but otherwise keep them growing in the pot as long as you can. Help them along by scratching in some bulb fertilizer or giving them some water soluble plant food. If the tops die back you can pull the bulbs from the pot and let them dry out. Store in a cool, dry, dark place. Plant them in the garden in the fall and hope for the best. Often forced bulbs need a year to recover and rebloom.
Plant tulips under mulch
Did you have any trouble with squirrels eating the bulbs? I have problems when the bulbs are buried under soil. This technique sounds like a squirrel smorgasboard! lol
Tulip bulbs
I had purchased tulips and hyacinth in small pots last summer with the intention of planting the bulbs in fall, thru miscommunication they were simply placed in shed, still in pots with some soil. Now a warm day in middle of March in NE Oklahoma, I open the shed to find these tulip bulbs were sprouting an inch and more in their completely dry soil pots, I have watered them all and sat them in Sun for past 4 days bringing them in at night, as we are having a freezes at night and cooler windy weather during day. Having never had tulips or hyacinth, I need help, have I done the right thing, when should I put them in ground? The hyacinth is about 1 1/2" and has already started to show its color blue flower without opening all the way and is still so short, what should I do, when to plant in ground or stay indoor ( I think is indoor kind) to cold winter. Will these hyacinth bloom all the way?
You can keep the bulbs in the
You can keep the bulbs in the pots and bring them outdoors when the weather has warmed up a bit. Or you can plant them in the ground with some compost added. You can also add a little 10-10-10 soluble fertilizer to the soil. See more information at http://www.almanac.com/plant/hyacinths.