Tiptoe Through the Tulips

» Georgene A. Bramlage - Appropriate Temperatures for Overwintering Containers of Bulbs?

Kathy...Hi!

I enjoyed your article Even thought we are at peak foliage season here in MA, it is still wonderful to visualize spring.

Question #1: Many bulb companies advertise collections which can be layered in containers so there is (they claim) a continuous sequence of bloom in the planted containers. Have you had experience with these? Opinion?

Question #2: I have friend with a large "heated" garage - it doesn't go below freezing. Could I overwinter containers of bulbs in this situation and have good bloom? Or should I keep the containers outside? Perhaps covered with burlap and straw? I only ever kept containers (to force) in our unheated basement with sometimes good results / sometimes terrible results.

Thanks...

Georgene

-- posted by Georgene A. Bramlage

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» Georgene A. Bramlage - Featured Article on Garden Community Page

Kathy's article Tiptoe Through the Tulips is the featured article on the Garden Community Page from October 7 though October 21, 2004.

Georgene

-- posted by Georgene A. Bramlage

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» plantsandpots - Re: Appropriate Temperatures for Overwintering Containers of Bul

In response to Appropriate Temperatures for Overwintering Containers of Bulbs? posted by Cercis:

Hi Georgene,

I have had experience with layering bulbs and it has worked just like it's supposed to. The foliage of the first blooming generally is still green when the next blooms come up, so the container looks quite full.

About the heated garage -- my experience has always been with unheated spaces. Guess it might depend on HOW heated the garage was -- if it's room temperature, that would probably be too warm over the extended period of the winter. The bulbs need at least 6-8 weeks of chill to bloom. On the other hand, in warmer climates, you just put the bulbs in the refrigerator for 6-8 weeks and then plant them outside and they'll bloom come spring --- I did this several years in California and had beautiful tulips. If I had the choice, though, I'd always opt for keeping them in a cooler location over the winter versus a warmer one.

Hope that helps!

-- posted by plantsandpots

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» Georgene A. Bramlage - Re: Re: Appropriate Temperatures for Overwintering Containers of

In response to Re: Appropriate Temperatures for Overwintering Containers of Bul posted by plantsandpots:

Kathy,

Thanks...for the comments re your experience. If I make this happen, I'll take a picture and make sure you see it

Georgene

-- posted by Georgene A. Bramlage

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» krodda75 - When to put tulips out

I planted tulips in containers in the late fall and put them in the garage. Now they are already starting to have sprouts. Is it okay to put them outside now? It will still freeze in my climate but we have had unseasonably warm temperatures the past 3 weeks. I just didn't know when it was safe to put them outside.

-- posted by krodda75

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