For those who missed the opportunity to plant fall bulbs for spring blooms, there may still be time to remedy the situation and have flowers in your garden this year. While many spring-blooming bulbs do best when planted in autumn before temperatures drop low enough to freeze the soil, they can still be planted in late winter. If you have bulbs already, this is likely the best option, as your bulbs could sprout, rot, or become mushy before the next fall season comes, making them unusable. If you wait until the weather starts to warm up to add the flowers to your garden, they won’t bloom until the following year, as bulbs require some exposure to cold weather to flower.
Though they might not bloom right at the start of spring, the best chance for your flowers to grow during the upcoming warm season is by planting them as soon as you can, even if it’s January or February. You could also try to grow the bulbs in your fridge to enjoy their blooms in your home.
Planting fall bulbs in winter
@buzzedblooms
So you forgot to plant your bulbs? Get em in the ground now!!! #tulips #gardentok #gardentips #fyp #flowers
♬ Flowers – Miley Cyrus
Fall bulbs can be planted at any point during the winter, as long as the ground is not so frozen that you aren’t able to dig a place for them in your garden. The sooner you get the bulbs into the soil, the better chance they have of blooming this year. If you plant them very late in winter, they might flower during the summer rather than spring. Although planting them in the winter is the best option for your bulbs, there is a possibility that they won’t bloom at all, or will flower the following year. To start planting bulbs in your garden, dig a hole that’s double the size of the bulb in diameter. Set the bulbs in their holes so that the rounded end is at the bottom since the flowers will grow from the tip. Laying 2 to 4 inches of mulch over the soil may help to insulate it.
If the ground is too frozen and you don’t want to wait, try planting your bulb in a pot, making sure that the pointed end isn’t covered by soil. Lightly water the bulb and then leave it in the fridge for about 14 weeks. Remove from the refrigerator and within two weeks you should have some gorgeous flowers to display in your home.
