Holy moly, lots left to get in the ground here...my neighbors must think I've lost my mind!
So far the weather has been holding out, but like you, I'm "planting on borrowed time", hehehe!

I was working on a bag of 200+ grape hyacinth yesterday, when UPS pulled up with my BloomingBulb.com order--YAY! It really is like being a kid in a candy store again ~giggle~

The snow is coming down fast and furious right now, but it's okay--the forecast is for low 50's the rest of the week. Of COURSE I can get everything else planted by the weekend (when I go back to work)! Another 500 bulbs, by Friday?

No problem! *sound of neighbor passing out from hysterical laughter*

Good luck to all us procrastinators/bulb-a-holics!

Not just still planting, still buying! Went to Lowe's at lunch today and rescued a few dozen more from the now half price rack. I am thinking of stitching a sampler that says "The one that dies with the most daffodils wins."

Yes, Sue - I'm in NW Florida, and planted bulbs today. We can plant year-around in our area.

Determined gardeners can't be stopped by a little thing like rain, sleet or snow -- never mind if you catch pneumonia! It'll pass, and when you wake up in the hospital, you might just get some tulips or daffodils for your trouble ;)

Fortunately, here in sunny Georgia the ground hasn't quite yet frozen, even though we've had a few frosts! Today I took the afternoon off to plant one of two 4'x4' raised beds with tulips, daffodils & grape hyacinths. Then I stuck some pansies on top for some winter color.

Tomorrow I hope to get to the other raised bed after work... Ah yes, digging by porch light... if that doesn't make the neighbors think you're weird, what will? Anyway, if I don't get to them tomorrow, I'll definitely be planting this weekend, since I discovered to my misfortune that bulbs + closed Ziploc baggies + warmish garage = mold.

On that note, have any of you had success saving moldy tulip bulbs? I think that I may have gotten to them before it was too late (they still floated to the top of a container of water, which I read somewhere means they're still alive), but I'm wondering if I should hold out hope or resign myself to a grim future, at least for next season's blooms.

Anyway, to kill the mold I dunked them in a 1:9 bleach water solution for a minute to two minutes (depending how bad the mold was), rubbed gently at the mold to remove it, and then doused them with a powder fungicide before planting them right away. The fungicide was actually for fruits & veggies, since I couldn't find anything bulb specific (probably because you're not supposed to leave them in closed baggies & let them mold away for two to three weeks in your garage before planting them).

Unfortunately the sad thing about these bulbs is that I got them unexpectedly from a friend's mom at Thanksgiving - the lucky lady went to Amsterdam & shared her tulips with us. I was so excited when I got them and so disappointed when I realized my mistake that I almost cried. At least I learned a valuable lesson -- which I will probably forget next year, when I procrastinate about planting my bulbs yet again!

So tell me, other than fertilizing them with a bulb booster (already done), is there anything else that I can/should do to save my precious bulbs? Is there anything else that I did wrong, other than the obvious? Will the bulb fairy come & replace my damaged bulbs if I close my eyes & wish really hard?

FYI - since tulips generally don't make it down here I'm planning on lifting & refrigerating them once the foliage dies back. Along those lines, I'd love to hear any tips you have about doing the lifting/refrigerating! My motto is to plan ahead... and then forget to do anything about it!

I'm posting some photos of the bulbs on my blog (see link).

Here is a link that might be useful: Green Thumb Fever!

Madgardener, most of those bulbs should be just fine. The mold is superficial and the majority of each bulb is white, firm and healthy. If you find any that are spongy, those might not make it, but I think most of them will be fine. Plant them and don't worry about them.

Lesson learned, though, right? Another week and they might have been toast.

I am DONE

I think I planted about 750 bulbs.

Kathy

I just finished last weekend. 130 tulips and about 25 muscari (I bought about 1700 total and just got lazy at the end). I had some mold problems and even tossed some that were soft. I felt lucky that it had warmed a little so the ground was dig-able. I honestly thought I was going to have to be dumping hot water on the ground. I hope that ladychroe's comments about the mold is true. This is what I was hoping when I was out there. Anyway I felt like it was last chance here. Snow and bone chilling cold was in the forecast for the next day.

Thanks Ladychroe - I look forward to seeing them pop up in a few months! I buried them a little deeper than normal (7 to 8 inches), since we tend to get several warm spells and then get hit with the inevitable frost, which kills off the new growth. Here's a question though - do you know if the bulbs will regenerate the healthy white flesh where they were hit with the mold, or will they have permanent scars? I don't suppose it really matters, but I'm curious if they'll ever look as luscious as they did before I neglected them. Oh, and yes -- I am very glad that I caught it before all of them had rotted away to nothing!

Done planting, yes.
Still have bulbs left unplanted, yes. (Though only 100 daffodils left.)
Tired of pushing snow aside and chiseling into frozen ground with brute strength, yes.
Have I learned my lesson, well, heck no!

mad gardener - the tulip bulbs will grow new healthy tissue. The bulb that is there now will be used up to grow next spring's flowers and foliage and a new bulb will form during the growing season. Daffs and hyacinths might hang onto scars for a year or two as the bulb layers grow out, Crocus grow new corms on top of the old ones each year.

Sue, I liked how you covered all your bases by calling this the 08/09 planting thread. Do you plan on going over into '09? LOL
I resisted most of the late season sales and finished a couple weeks ago. Once I had everything in the ground I knew it was time to stop! I have no idea how many bulbs I planted this fall since many of them were out of bags I dug up from the old house and moved to here.... at least several hundred. I guess in the spring I will find out for sure.

I just wanted to mention that I cheated on some of my plantings, I lined out alot of them in new beds, and only a few went into "display" areas like the front yard beds. It is so much easier to plant alot if all you do is open a trench, line out bulbs and cover!

It's when you poke and pry bulbs into a packed flower bed that you really show your planting endurance! And if you don't dig up old bulbs when you are planting the new, well then you've really accomplished something.

Sue, I liked how you covered all your bases by calling this the 08/09 planting thread. Do you plan on going over into '09? LOL
I sure hope not. I have them whittled down to just 11 clumps. I 'found' some on the kitchen counter and some outside I had forgotten about. Temps have warmed up a good bit here after that long unseasonable cold snap with frozen soil. Sunday it is expected to be 52 out, and 45 degrees both Sat and Mon. Perfect bulb planting temps.
I also figured that there would be members in the warmer zones who will still be planting into 2009.

Then there will also be those who 'find', in 2009, bulbs they had forgotten they had to plant.

And if you don't dig up old bulbs when you are planting the new, well then you've really accomplished something.
Son, that's why you need labels on them. That way there is never any concern about digging into one's Lycoris Squamigera.

"That way there is never any concern about digging into one's Lycoris Squamigera."

Sue that was a long time ago. I think I've grown as a person since then. I'm older, wiser and more responsible.... well definately older at least. Surely I'm not alone in having done something foolish in their younger days!?

You may get the last laugh on labeling..... I was looking at my notes and counted 97 clumps of daffs planted this fall. hmmmmm. Maybe I do need a label or two... (but in my defense I did the same at the old house and didn't mix anything up!) Plus I think labels would be very attractive to a 3 year old. I can just imagine him coming up to me with a big handful of the nice "sticks" he found!

I just got all my daffs in the ground this past week. I also planted Crocuses and a few irises. I didn't mark the areas. Just like I said I was going to mark the clumps of daffs that pop up in the lawn every spring so I can move them once the foliage dies down. Maybe next spring, 09.

HA! I got'cha beat! I got all mine in the ground Tuesday (or was it Wednesday, it didn't rain that day). I had bought about a dozen varieties of bulbs from Brent & Becky's sale. Not a lot by some standards, but more than I really like to plant. Seems like during the summer I find several spots that need to be filled, but of course it is hard to find an empty spot when I am planting. Problem with tags for me is that they disappear. I dug into a couple clumps of bulbs when I was planting.

For those of you with frozen soil, get one of these.

Bulb Auger

I paid $27 for mine at Lowes two years ago. They stopped selling them because few people got them. They're also great for digging larger holes by swinging the think in a big circle once you've got it to the depth you want. I rarely take my shovel out unless it's a 1 gallon pot or larger.

Get a good rechargeable drill too. Makes bulb planting so much easier.

Mother Nature has decided to take pity on me and has offered me yet another chance to get the very last ones planted and to not have to dig through frozen soil to do it. I still have 11 clumps to be planted yet, and they are bugging the crap out of me.

High today-38º
Low tonight-38º
and high tomorrow 56º

Sat would also be a chance, but I won't be home. It looks like then temps are dropping off a lot colder with the daytime highs not getting above freezing for the next week. The winter freeze might really be here.
Years ago I remember seeing ice fisher men/women fishing just after the Christmas holiday.

Sue

Stick a fork in me. I'm done!

{{gwi:32259}}

Me, too. Done.

Today I noticed that the tulips in pots that I held in the refrigerator for eight weeks has a sprout showing in one. They've been out of the chill for a week.

The calla lilies that I potted recently are coming up.

The hyacinths chilled for 9 weeks, all but a few went into the ground; some I potted in stones to force for earlier bloom.

{{gwi:32260}}

Nell

I'm all done. Planted close to 2000 this year, although about 500 of those will be annuals (tulip/hyacinth/crocus) in my zone.

Can't wait for spring!!

Sue,

Just curious, now that you are done, are you suffering withdrawal? For the first day or so after I finished, I felt very satisfied. A few days later...I swear I started having bulb planting cravings.

Kathy

Well congratulations to everyone who is finished planting. To those who still have bulbs to plant, I wish you well.

Just curious, now that you are done, are you suffering withdrawal?
NO! MY sister from out of state is coming to visit for the first time in several years. I am in a frenzy with all I need and want to get done. I have really let things go here inside, always finding more fun stuff to do outside or elsewhere. Today I took down everything down in the kitchen and washed it, scrubbed the walls, and just finished painting the ceiling. I'm now off to hopefully clean a few cabinets and lastly shampoo the carpet so I can call one room done....well after I do the window, blinds, screens, curtains, and lights...sigh
It would be so great if I got a whole lot done this winter that there wouldn't be much to do next gardening season. I haven't even begun to think about winter sowing yet. That is on hold until after Sis comes and goes. I haven't done much spring or fall housecleaning for years and years. Living alone, there is no one here to fuss at me to ever get anything done. I did a lot better before I retired.

Sue...who needs to be fussed at some

My Mother always said a little dirt never hurt anyone: it builds a good strong immune system. :) I guess that's why gardeners are so healthy.

I too, can now say I am done with bulbs. I planted the last of the tulips and daffodils today, the day before Christmas Eve. What's funny is my non-gardening neighbor was out doing the same thing! I am so proud!

Now if I could just get done with my mulch...about 8 or 9 more truckloads of pinestraw should do it.....Oh, ho---ney!

EEEWWWWWW the dreaded sister visit. I LOVE my sister, but at her house not mine. She doesn't live very far, but she rarely comes to see me. Most critical person I ever met. Fortunately her husband comes to see me very regularly. He builds me things like / , , decks, and all around handy man kinda stuff.

Well I have been suffering withdrawal. I went to visit my favorite gardening store with the intention of getting just a few paperwhites. However I ended up bringing home another half a dozen varieties of daffodils(just a few of each tho).

Mulching? Haven't even started that yet. I have a couple of good piles of it already. Once the holidays are over, I will start spreading it.

Kathy - who needs to be fussed at a LOT

Wow. Any chance I could borrow your brother in law? :)

Congrats on finishing, Chemo. Those were a LOT of bulbs.

Paddlehike, I looked through your beautiful photobucket album. Gorgeous. All that sunlight to work with.

How do you get things to grow and prosper like that without fencing around things like roses and tulips being up in Piedmont area? No deer to eat your beauties?

That greenhouse/potting shed is a dream. You must feed your brother in law well...LOL.

Foxes,

What pretty containers for your forced bulbs. I can almost smell the hyacinths now, and look forward to future pics...hint hint.

My Mother always said a little dirt never hurt anyone: it builds a good strong immune system. :)
Donna, I agree, but the dirt here is the house isn't like good ole outside dirt. If it was, I could just run the sweeper and be done with it...sigh.

EEEWWWWWW the dreaded sister visit. I LOVE my sister, but at her house not mine.
For years and years, I was the one to go visit her at 'her' house, which is why she hasn't been here in so long.
Goodness you have a wonderful and talented BIL.

Congrats on finishing, Chemo.
Thanks Newbie, but now I can no longer say I am done, since I bought more bulbs recently. (Note thread I was hopeless at the $1 sale yesterday

Sue, I liked how you covered all your bases by calling this the 08/09 planting thread. Do you plan on going over into '09?
Well it was not my intentions to still be planting in 2009, but thought others might still be. Now it seems I will be planting myself in Jan 2009...sigh.

Sue...off to clean something

Now it seems I will be planting myself in Jan 2009...sigh.

Not true, Sue!

I am unable to control my obsession, and I picked up some hyacinth yesterday at Walmart...considering the date, I didn't think they looked bad at all. Plus, I have about 200 assorted bulbs yet to plant (lilies, muscari, daffs, etc.) Temps here in Kansas have gone up and down a lot this month, so I just choose an "up" day and get as much done as possible...hehehe!

Today is forecast in the high 50's, so it looks like I'll be playin' in the dirt (until I go to work at 4 p.m., that is!) Can't wait to see how my yard turns out in the spring!

Susan in Kansas

Ok, so I'm the new guy here looking for calla bulb splitting advice and start redaing through the other threads when I found this one and laughed and chuckled through it until I saw someone plated 1700 bulbs HOLY MOLY!!! Then I thought i wish i had that much room to plant, and thenstopped laughing when I asked my wife if she thought that would be me eventualy since my eyes are always bigger than my garden and without skipping a beat she says "without a doubt" and follows up with if we had the room you would in the same boat. ..... Aint love grand...lol... I wonder if the neighbors in my town home community are tiredof me planting there plots yet.... hehehe :-)

You know once you start hardcore planting, 50, 75, 100 bulbs go in pretty quick! (for the tiny bulbs) And after two or three days of that, you have a couple hundred in the ground. They add up pretty quick.

And don't get the wrong impression that we all have huge yards - Bulbs are like potato chips, you start with one or two and before you know it you've eatten a whole bag (hmmmmmm, maybe that's just me). But anyway, once you have all these bulbs you get real creative in squeezing just a few more in. In May you might have filled a bed with iris and roses, but by the time November rolls around that same bed might be calling for you to stick in 50 or 60 tulips and two clumps of daffodils..... it's an addiction.

How did I know Sue would go into 2009? Good for you Sue! I wish I could find a couple $1 bags of bulbs.....

It's a beautiful spring-like day in the northwestern part of Georgia and I am looking forward to churning my compost pile with my newly purchased manure fork (every girl needs one, after all) and planting the last of my end-of-season bulb purchases! Ah, the lure of discount bulbs! All I can say is thank god for the occasional warm spell!

So, is anyone else out there still planting?

So, is anyone else out there still planting?
Not planting, but have the bulbs I bought on sale late Dec to plant and had hoped that I might be able to today. Alas, even with mild temps yesterday and last night, and now 55 degrees, the ground has only thawed the first inch or so. They will just have to wait until a much better thaw, and then hope for the best.

When I started this thread I really never dreamed I would be one of those still planting in 2009, but thought others in warmer climates might be.

Once I get these planted I'll just be happy if they survive and bloom in 2010 or later.

Sue...the procrastinator

I was at k-mart the other day and saw their 12.99 bags of bulbs were 3.24. I bought 4 and have planted one bag's worth in a pot (which will be kept in a cold-but not freezing area). I'll try to do the same with the rest, or hope for a Feb thaw.

I wouldn't have done it, but I have wanted to add more glory of the snow (chondoxia) and each bag has 60, plus 15 red tulips.

So I'll likely be still planting when the first bulbs start emerging from the ground.

~Chills