Transplanting Bulbs Grown in Pots

6 years ago

So just for fun last fall, I decided to buy some nice marked down bulbs in November and put them in a large planter I usually use on my front porch. I thought it would save me a little money on an Easter display. (Who knew I wouldn't have had an Easter display if I hadn't decided to do it?) It worked REALLY great, although unfortunately the crocus top layer bloomed at the same time as the pushy tete-a-tetes and was basically lost from view.

For now, it's still blooming pretty heavily, and will stay put. But as the bulbs finish blooming, can I dump the whole pot out on a tarp and separate the bulbs and plant them in various garden spots? I know they need to die back naturally, but I want to take the crocus out of the mix even if I repeat the idea for next year, and will probably use the pot for some summer porch flowers. I have planted bulbs before, but this is the first time I overwintered them in a pot, so I'm not sure if it's worth trying to save them.

I must confess, I loved the look of the bulbs packed in to the point of overspilling, even if that's not the healthiest way to plant them!

(FYI, the forsythia was an impulse nursery purchase the day before the world got weird. It's not in the pot, it was in another pot tucked behind to create the illusion. I planted that out in the garden this week.)

Featured Answer

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

You can replant them immediately in the green. There is no need to wait for the foliage to die down. I have done this for many years. I do it with narcissi, crocuses and hyacinths. In fact every hyacinth in my garden began life in a container or water glass. The same applies to most of my tête-à-têtes. Tulips don't perennialise well here, even in the ground, so although I sometimes plant them out I don't expect much from them.

Paperwhites are not winter hardy for me and almost certainly won't be for you. I don't grow them in outdoor pots and the indoor ones go on the compost heap. You can't extrapolate from pws to hardy bulbs.

By the way, there is no problem with packing them in to a container. It isn't unhealthy. You can space them out when you plant them in the garden.

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Comments (7)

dbarron
6 years ago
If they bloomed (which it appears they did), allow the foliage to ripen off naturally in a sunny exposure and sort the bulbs, no reason why you can't just rebury them as soon as sorted.

I'm not sure why you would think you couldn't salvage them.
Jenn thanked dbarron
Jenn
Original Author
6 years ago
I was concerned partly since I was hoping to reclaim my pot, so I was thinking I might replant them "in the green" once they are done blooming, and let them die back once transplanted. But the roots are going to be pretty tangled so it might not be worth trying to separate them. The other concern comes from planting paperwhites, which lose vigor in pots and are discarded. (Granted, those are forced, and these were just stored in the garage in the coldest parts of winter, but that's the only bulb in container reference point I have.)

However, it sounds like you think they should be fine so I will give it a go. Honestly, I suppose I have nothing to lose, come to think of it. Thanks for your response!
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dbarron
6 years ago
It was my assumption that you had the container outside and the bulbs wintered outside, if so, obviously paperwhites are hardy for you. I see you said (later) that you had them in the garage, so floral is on the money there, unless you say otherwise. I believe PW are hardy z8 and up, with a few possibly z7.

It's true, if you can minimize root destruction and replant immediately, you can dump the container sideways and winnow bulbs now, like onto a tarp,
Jenn thanked dbarron
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
6 years ago
My understanding was that Jenn was tentatively extrapolating from her experience with Paper Whites, not that she had paper whites in her outdoor containers. There are none in her pictures. But PW are a different kettle of fish. I can't grow Paper Whites outdoors here. It's not so much winter cold that's the problem. Its winter wet and the lack of summer heat to perennialise the bulbs.
Jenn thanked floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
roxanna7
6 years ago
Daffodils are generally tough and not fussy, so tarp-dumping and replanting should work out fine for you.

Some years ago, my son brought me two trunk-loads of daffodil bulbs that the university where he worked had tossed onto their compost heap after bloom. They were treated like annual bedding plants -- how crazy is that?! I was the beneficiary of hundreds of perfectly good bulbs, and as I did not have time to re-plant immediately, I left them in wheelbarrows to ripen until I could get them into the ground. (I added some soil to keep the roots from drying out for the duration.)

And now, today, I have long swathes of gorgeous daffs ambling along the road, which are so cheery. Best part is they were all free! Tho the digging of trenches to plant them was a huge amount of work, lol. I ought to dig and divide them this year, but am getting too ancient for that effort. Guess I shall ask my garden helper if she is willing (bet she will be -- she is a dynamo worker and 20 years younger than I!).
Jenn thanked roxanna7
Jenn
Original Author
6 years ago
Floral is correct - I was saying that my only previous bulb-in-container experience was paperwhites, not that I had put paperwhites in this container.

I am glad everyone seems to agree that I should be able to dump the bulbs and replant them. I have a hard time finding spots that were empty in spring by the time fall rolls around, so this will be the perfect opportunity to close a few gaps!

Roxanna, I once got quite a few bulbs from someone who worked at a cemetary. The seasonal displays would fade and be cleaned up by cemetary staff, but he would always bring home the bulbs, since he knew he could just replant them and they'd grow again. Several decades later, his yard was overflowing with spring bulbs, and he offered them for free to interested diggers. Quite a lot of plants that could survive are used as disposable temporary displays, I've noticed! I bet your daffodils are gorgeous.