I try to dig up all 200 tulips. If I leave them, they do not rot - they put up leaves but don't bloom. My soil is very dry over the summer, I don't know if you'd have any luck with them rotting in your zone.

If you plant them shallow (3-4 inches) you should be able to yank them out easily when blooming is finished. I don't think they will bloom much later than the November planting since they're both kind if late.

What kind of results will I get with shallow planting ? This would save me some time and aggravation.

Mine were planted at about 4 1/2 - 5 inches. Heavy clay soil made it difficult to dig down to the recommended depth of 6 inches.

As a general rule, the heavier the soil, the shallower the planting (bulbs).

I'm not sure if groups of, say, 'Queen of the Night' that were planted a month apart would bloom a month apart. I planted tulips a month after my usual Dec.1st one year. Drats, they had very wimpy blooms. I don't remember them blooming later than they would have, had I been on schedule.

Yes, you will get foliage next year and even a few blooms. If the bed has regular watering they head to their demise sooner. Or I can send you a pocket gopher.

Oh I see what you mean about the late planting....
Planting later won't result in them blooming that much behind the ones planted earlier.
Established bulbs will bloom a week or more earlier than ones newly planted in the fall, but the timing between fall plantings won't have as much effect.
I've planted as shallow as just 1-2 inches of soil over the top of the bulb. A mulch of leaves or bark will protect them even more and give them time to root when planting this late.

Thanks for the replies !

What do you members suggest is a quick and effective way to loosen the heavy clay soil I have for future plantings ?

Play sand ? Potting mix ? Peat moss ?

To clarify, I only need to loosen selected areas of beds, each no more than a few square feet in size.

In my heavy clay, sand and peat are disaster. Sand made bricks and peat, which someone had dug in before me, created hardened clods from the stone age.

If you can remove some of that heavy soil to make room for a 2 inche layer of potting mix to be dug in, great. Kellogs potting mix (for raised beds and pots) sold here is primarily 'forest products' which is good. Slower to break down so keeps the soil looser for awhile. It has other ingredients for nuitrition which your soil may or may not need. There is another 'forest products' which is cheaper than potting mix as it doesn't have the other ingredients. Can['t think of its label. Maybe garden soil? Check the contents labels.

I don't use Miracle Gro potting mix for the garden as it is already too broken down (decomposed) for lasting effect.

If you can find nitrogen reinforced sawdust, Yipee! That has been the best for me at keeping heavy soil loose, due to its slow decomposition. And a bit of acidifying (sp.?) for this alkaline soil.

Also bags of manure are quite good. I stash a couple away for use 6 months later. If a bag feels warm it is too 'hot' for use.

Good luck.