How to Store, Divide and Force Spring Bulbs
Q. Michael in Northern Virginia (near Washington DC) writes: “Can I divide my spring bulbs? Is after the blooms have faded the best time? Thanks, and stay safe from the evil squirrels.”
A. ‘Evil’ is too nice a word for those long-tailed servants of Satan! They’re already planting their leftover black walnuts in my container-grown lettuce!
Anyway, I’ve never even thought about dividing my Spring bulbs; I just let them grow, and I really like the way they look in clumps. But if divide you wish, do not do it right after the flowers fade! Instead, clip off any seed heads that form after those flowers fade and then be patient. Before you dig them up, you must wait until the green leaves have turned yellow or brown, the signal that they have received enough solar energy to grow next year’s flower inside each bulb. Dig them up while the leaves are still green and you won’t get flowers next Spring.
Once all the green is gone, you can carefully dig them up. Gently remove the browned-out leaves if they fall off naturally; if they don’t, just leave them be—don’t cut them off. You can replant the bulbs immediately if their new area is not going to be artificially watered over the summer. But if you’ll be watering that area heavily, I suggest storing the bulbs inside for replanting in the Fall.
Storage: Do not wash them. Do NOT cut any remaining leaves off; even brown, those leaves will naturally keep moisture in the bulb. Then wrap them in newspaper or surround them with slightly moist milled peat moss and store them in a cool, dry mouse-proof container until Halloween. After Trick or Treat is over, take the bulbs out of storage and discard any that feel soft or show signs of rot.
Then plant the good ones in their new locations between Halloween and Thanksgiving. Don’t feed them when you replant them in the Fall. Remember; the next flower is already formed inside, because you let the green leaves do that work earlier in the year. If you want to feed Spring bulbs, the time to do so is right after the flowers fade in the Spring, to make sure the next flowers-to-be get all the nutrition they need.
If you find any little ‘bulblets’ growing alongside a main bulb, gently remove them and plant them somewhere they can be left alone; with any luck, they’ll flower in a couple of years—IF you allow their green leaves to turn brown naturally; that’s THE cardinal rule of successful bulb growing.
Q. Arabella ‘in the Kyushu [‘Q-shoo’] Prefecture of Japan’ writes: “Last summer, I bought tulip bulbs, refrigerated them for a few months, planted them in the fall, and now they are blooming. I have read your wonderful stories of how you have tulips that are teenagers. I will follow those instructions. But if I dig up the bulbs and put them in the refrigerator again, will they re-bloom? Or must I first allow their leaves to turn brown naturally for them to produce next year’s flowers?”
A: Kyushu is the Southernmost of the four main islands that make up Japan; the name means “nine provinces” and is home to 14 million people on fourteen thousand square miles. The entire island is identified as being subtropical; very different than the ‘dry heat in the summer’ and ‘freezing cold in the winter’ climate in which tulips and other Spring bulbs originated and thrive. In addition, the island gets 63 inches of rain a year, which is substantial; Spring bulbs like a dry summer.
It may not get cold enough in the winter to successfully chill bulbs in the ground in her region; and all that rain could rot the bulbs if they were left in the ground year-round. So yes; wait until the leaves lose their green color and carefully dig them up. Allow them to dry off naturally under the breeze of a fan for a week or so to get rid of any excess moisture. And then, just as gardeners do in warm climates like the American South, chilling is a good idea.
Store the freshly harvested bulbs in a cool dry area for a short period of time and then place them in the fridge sixteen weeks before you intend to plant them back outdoors. ESSENTIAL: That fridge must not contain any fruit or the bulbs may sprout prematurely.
Oh, and for the record, the red tulips off to the side of my raised beds are middle-aged, not teenagers. They were already blooming when we moved in 40 years ago.
Q. Kate in New Haven writes: “I was hoping I could plant bulbs in my raised bed in a community garden, but the catalog I was going to order from advises against raised beds for bulbs. The stated reasons are poor drainage and temperature fluctuations.”
A. Stuff and nonsense! Raised beds always drain better than flat ground; and the cold winters in New Haven are perfect for keeping Spring bulbs happy and productive. Just be sure that their area is mulched with an inch or two of well-shredded leaves over the winter to prevent any heaving caused by those fluctuations. Plant a run this Fall and next Spring will reveal the reward!
A. ‘Evil’ is too nice a word for those long-tailed servants of Satan! They’re already planting their leftover black walnuts in my container-grown lettuce!
Anyway, I’ve never even thought about dividing my Spring bulbs; I just let them grow, and I really like the way they look in clumps. But if divide you wish, do not do it right after the flowers fade! Instead, clip off any seed heads that form after those flowers fade and then be patient. Before you dig them up, you must wait until the green leaves have turned yellow or brown, the signal that they have received enough solar energy to grow next year’s flower inside each bulb. Dig them up while the leaves are still green and you won’t get flowers next Spring.
Once all the green is gone, you can carefully dig them up. Gently remove the browned-out leaves if they fall off naturally; if they don’t, just leave them be—don’t cut them off. You can replant the bulbs immediately if their new area is not going to be artificially watered over the summer. But if you’ll be watering that area heavily, I suggest storing the bulbs inside for replanting in the Fall.
Storage: Do not wash them. Do NOT cut any remaining leaves off; even brown, those leaves will naturally keep moisture in the bulb. Then wrap them in newspaper or surround them with slightly moist milled peat moss and store them in a cool, dry mouse-proof container until Halloween. After Trick or Treat is over, take the bulbs out of storage and discard any that feel soft or show signs of rot.
Then plant the good ones in their new locations between Halloween and Thanksgiving. Don’t feed them when you replant them in the Fall. Remember; the next flower is already formed inside, because you let the green leaves do that work earlier in the year. If you want to feed Spring bulbs, the time to do so is right after the flowers fade in the Spring, to make sure the next flowers-to-be get all the nutrition they need.
If you find any little ‘bulblets’ growing alongside a main bulb, gently remove them and plant them somewhere they can be left alone; with any luck, they’ll flower in a couple of years—IF you allow their green leaves to turn brown naturally; that’s THE cardinal rule of successful bulb growing.
Q. Arabella ‘in the Kyushu [‘Q-shoo’] Prefecture of Japan’ writes: “Last summer, I bought tulip bulbs, refrigerated them for a few months, planted them in the fall, and now they are blooming. I have read your wonderful stories of how you have tulips that are teenagers. I will follow those instructions. But if I dig up the bulbs and put them in the refrigerator again, will they re-bloom? Or must I first allow their leaves to turn brown naturally for them to produce next year’s flowers?”
A: Kyushu is the Southernmost of the four main islands that make up Japan; the name means “nine provinces” and is home to 14 million people on fourteen thousand square miles. The entire island is identified as being subtropical; very different than the ‘dry heat in the summer’ and ‘freezing cold in the winter’ climate in which tulips and other Spring bulbs originated and thrive. In addition, the island gets 63 inches of rain a year, which is substantial; Spring bulbs like a dry summer.
It may not get cold enough in the winter to successfully chill bulbs in the ground in her region; and all that rain could rot the bulbs if they were left in the ground year-round. So yes; wait until the leaves lose their green color and carefully dig them up. Allow them to dry off naturally under the breeze of a fan for a week or so to get rid of any excess moisture. And then, just as gardeners do in warm climates like the American South, chilling is a good idea.
Store the freshly harvested bulbs in a cool dry area for a short period of time and then place them in the fridge sixteen weeks before you intend to plant them back outdoors. ESSENTIAL: That fridge must not contain any fruit or the bulbs may sprout prematurely.
Oh, and for the record, the red tulips off to the side of my raised beds are middle-aged, not teenagers. They were already blooming when we moved in 40 years ago.
Q. Kate in New Haven writes: “I was hoping I could plant bulbs in my raised bed in a community garden, but the catalog I was going to order from advises against raised beds for bulbs. The stated reasons are poor drainage and temperature fluctuations.”
A. Stuff and nonsense! Raised beds always drain better than flat ground; and the cold winters in New Haven are perfect for keeping Spring bulbs happy and productive. Just be sure that their area is mulched with an inch or two of well-shredded leaves over the winter to prevent any heaving caused by those fluctuations. Plant a run this Fall and next Spring will reveal the reward!
