What to do with flower bulbs in this time of the year? (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by hinterlufer@lemmy.world to c/gardening@lemmy.world

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So I got my hands on some flower bulbs which are typically meant to be planted in spring and I was wondering what I could do with them now. To be concrete, I have

Dahlia
Mirabilis jalapa
Ixia

I'm in USDA zone 7b/8a and I could either place them on a south facing balcony or inside. I've also read that you can force flowers in a vase with some bulbs such as Hyacinths but I haven't read anything about that with the ones I have. Or should I just keep them in storage until next spring and plant them then?

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[-] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

I'd just hold on to them.

[-] PlaidBaron@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

Yup. Put them in a box and store them in a relatively cool, dry place. They should be good to go for next year.

[-] CaptObvious@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

You can store them in paper lunch bags in a cool dry place (e.g. a root cellar or garage). Then plant them in the spring.

I wouldn’t force them unless you’re sure they weren’t forced last year. It’s not usually something that can be done two years running.

[-] hinterlufer@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Yeah, I guess that's what I'll be doing. Guess I'm just a bit inpatient.

I got them on sale in a store so I'm pretty sure they haven't been forced last year. But I was just wondering if those are even suitable for that.

[-] CaptObvious@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

I get impatience. :)

They may be suitable for forcing. I know that tulips and daffodils can be forced, and my faint memory is that almost any true bulb can be. There are good resources online for how to do it.