DENVER — In case you bought bulbs and forgot to get them in the ground, all is not lost.
You cannot save them until spring and plant them then. They are living plants and have already been out of the ground since last May. They will dry up and likely die. In addition, you can't circumvent the winter chill they need. Spring-flowering bulbs have a unique life cycle. They put out roots in fall to plump up the bulbs. The winter chill of 12 to 16 weeks is necessary before they emerge in spring. That's why you don't see tulips in Florida.
The answer to saving your forgotten bulbs is to pot them. Use plastic pots that are gallon size or larger. Fill the pots halfway with soil and mix in some bone meal. Plant the bulbs pointed ends up and cover with soil. Water well.
The trick is to find a spot for the bulbs to receive a winter chill that's cold--but not too cold. You can't just leave the pots of bulbs on your patio. Cold air will attack them from every side, which is much different from what bulbs in the ground experience. Find a spot in a shed, garage, crawlspace or cold basement. It can get cold, but ideally not much lower than about 25 degrees. It should also be dark.
Check the bulbs every month to see if they need water. After 12 to 16 weeks, the roots should start poking out from the holes in the bottoms of the pots. New shoots will emerge on top. At that point you can bring them out onto a sunny patio and the spring show will commence.
More Proctor's Garden:
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