Planting tulips (flower, containers, squirrel, spring)

[Opyelie]

I have some tulip bulbs and I know they won't flower until next Spring. The question is, do I plant them now, even though they're going to be in containers and how do I care for them in the containers before they sprout?

[azoria]

In Spokane? I wouldn't plant them just yet. Wait at least until after the fall equinox. Better in October.

They require no care. Everything they need to bloom next spring is waiting inside the bulb.

[Rtom45]

If they are going to be in containers, you would probably be better off to keep them in cool, dry storage over the winter then plant them in the containers in early spring.

[Alley01]

I agree with the other posters. Don't plant them yet. They do better when they are stored chilled. They are very tricky sometimes but the good news is that most of the time, when you plant them, they are good to go in the future as long as some pesky animal doesn't get to them.

[lifelongMOgal]

Originally Posted by Alley01

I agree with the other posters. Don't plant them yet. They do better when they are stored chilled. They are very tricky sometimes but the good news is that most of the time, when you plant them, they are good to go in the future as long as some pesky animal doesn't get to them.

Covering the planting area or container top with a bit of chickenwire staked into place helps keep the squirrels from digging them up. Simply remove the wire in the Spring when the green shoots begin to show.

[Bulldogdad]

Tip toe thru the tulips............... now wheres my ukulele?

[Alley01]

Originally Posted by lifelongMOgal

Covering the planting area or container top with a bit of chickenwire staked into place helps keep the squirrels from digging them up. Simply remove the wire in the Spring when the green shoots begin to show.

Thanks for the suggestion. I will definitely try it this year. A mystery animal (I didn't set up my webcam to record in time) decided they were a wonderful snack! Of course they didn't touch the ones that came from our local garden center. They had to eat the ones that a friend sent from Amsterdam!

[PJSaturn]

Opyelie, I'd suggest mixing some bone meal into the soil when you plant your bulbs later in the fall. Bone meal is a great boost for tulip and narcissus bulbs, and it's cheap. I live in Zone 5 (southern tip of Lake Michigan,) and plant my bulbs anytime from mid-October to mid-November.

I've had fairly good success keeping squirrels away from my bulbs by placing moth balls on the ground around them.

[didee]

Related Q: can they be stored in the refrigerator while waiting for the right time to plant?

[skinem]

When I was a kid living in Spokane, my mom always planted them on whichever weekend was closest to Oct. 15. How she arrived at that date, I don't know. Sometimes it snowed within a couple of weeks.

The advice about the chickenwire is great---at our place it was a porcupine that loved them and they can be digging machines. Extend that chickenwire a couple of feet around them.

Mom always mixed in bonemeal as well.

You should have some great success in Spokane...tulips seem to do great there.