I have a large amount of spring flowering bulbs that didn't get planted this
past fall and would like to know if (and how) they can be stored over the
summer for planting next fall. They are in an unheated garage, appear
dormant and include: Iris; Daffodil; Tulip; Hyacinths; Crocus. Is early
spring planting a viable option? Here in upstate New York the soil is snow
covered and frozen this frigid winter. Any advice is welcome. Thank you.

go to a good home repair store (Lowes, Home Despot, Meijers) and buy a
couple of 40 pound bags of good top soil. It might run you about $5. While
you're there, ask them if they have any large plastic nursery pots that
trees came in. Or hit a nursery and see if they have a large black nursery
pot that large shrubs or small trees came in for sale. You might get out for
about $10 or they possibly might give you one. While you're at Lowes or
whatever, hunt around for a box of bulb food. They might have some left
from the fall in the back. (my Lowes does, they have learned to keep it out
now on the shelves as summer bulbs sometimes need a little bulb food). If
you can't find a large black nursery pot anywhere, you'll have to improvise.
It's going to depend on you. Do you mind buying a cheap plastic large trash
can? If not, go to a dollar store and buy the largest plastic trash can
(outdoor for the large bags of trash, about 30 gallons or so). Once home,
go into that garage, drill some holes in the sides of the trash can for
drainage, four or five will do of an inch or so diameter. It's not a precise
size. Whatever large hole you're drill bit is will be fine as long as it's
large enough allow the moisture to seep out and not stand. sit that puppy
on the garage floor, and decide how high you want it to be and with a sharp
knife or box opener or even stiff serrated knife, cut the upper portion of
the trash can off. You now have a sturdy plastic planter for a few dollars.

Any rocks around? No? well never mind. Pour one bag of soil in the can,
mix in two cups of the bulb food into the soil, and plant the tulips,
daffodil's and hyacinths. pour the other bag on top of these bulbs (you
should have at least six inches of soil over the tulips, daffs and
hyacinths. ) Spacing the bulbs isn't necessary. You're going to plant them
"cheek to jowl" or side to side. Touching. It won't matter this year. Then
take the crocus and push them into the soil only two inches deep or first
knuckle depth and plant them all over the top above the other bulbs. spring
a little bulb food on top of the soil, smooth the soil down and gently water
the whole thing about two gallons of water. Drag it to a sunny spot or
where when you open the garage door, it will get the light. In a few weeks
you will see grassy shoots of the crocus, and later on the other bulbs will
poke their noses up as well. When you have a chance, drag it outside to a
safe spot where you can see it and not run over it. If it snows on it, it
won't hurt the bulbs. But you will have a "pot" of spring bulbs that will
give you a decent show. Once the ground thaws and you can dig in, you can
take the bulbs out of the soil and plug them into the garden, or you can
keep your "pot" and plug in annuals or little perennials to fill in the
spaces when the bulbs leaves die back.

If you would rather have the bulbs in the ground, wait until the larger
bulbs leaves have died back, and then tip the whole thing out onto a tarp or
old plastic table cloth or something equally handy (I go to Wally world and
get those $2.97 tablecloths and use them as potting sheets for the kitchen
floor in winter or outside to tip over pots to sort thru for my own bulbs
and plants) The neat thing about that is when you've picked thru the soil,
if you don't want the soil in pots, you can pick it all up and put it in the
nearest flower or garden bed! g You will find the crocus and other bulbs
easy enough. Put those in an old onion mesh bag and hang in a dry spot to
dry out and callous. Once they've dried, plant them in the fall planting
time with the other bulbs you buy this year! The ones that were pot grown
will come up a bit later than the recently purchased bulbs but they should
return for you.

Word of warning though. If the tulip bulbs you sort thru the soil are
considerably smaller, or they have a tiny daughter bulb on the side, you
might not get a flower as nice as the first year. Depends on the variety.
The hyacinth's are itchy for some, so gloves might be an idea when handling
them. I break out a bit and itch like crazy until I wash off when I handle
hyacinths (the larger ones, not the small woods hyacinths). I hope this
helps your delimma. The largest problem is you can't hold them over all
summer without planting them in soil. They will dry out. I'd rather plant
them up in soil and enjoy their blossoms, and then salvage what makes it
thru the spring time to replant in the garden when the soil is workable.
Let me know how it goes.
madgardener who has done this many many times

"Greg" wrote in message
...
I have a large amount of spring flowering bulbs that didn't get planted
this
past fall and would like to know if (and how) they can be stored over the
summer for planting next fall. They are in an unheated garage, appear
dormant and include: Iris; Daffodil; Tulip; Hyacinths; Crocus. Is early
spring planting a viable option? Here in upstate New York the soil is snow
covered and frozen this frigid winter. Any advice is welcome. Thank you.

Personally, I'd plant them this spring. You'll get a later bloom than the
ones you planted in the fall and it will extend the spring colours a while
longer.

"Greg" wrote in message
...
I have a large amount of spring flowering bulbs that didn't get planted
this
past fall and would like to know if (and how) they can be stored over the
summer for planting next fall. They are in an unheated garage, appear
dormant and include: Iris; Daffodil; Tulip; Hyacinths; Crocus. Is early
spring planting a viable option? Here in upstate New York the soil is snow
covered and frozen this frigid winter. Any advice is welcome. Thank you.