Well, earlier I was worried that they were coming up too early, and now I’m worried that they aren’t coming up at all! Everybody else’s daffodils are going at it - where are mine? I planted crocuses, species tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, and crinums. My hyacinths are blooming in a lovely fashion just starting now. Daffodils that I didn’t plant (they must be at least five years old, because the previous homeowners didn’t do a thing outside) are blooming. A few green things have come up in the beds I planted, but no flowers and not nearly enough greenery either. I planted dozens of these things!
What happened to them? And is there anything I can do now?
When did you plant them, last fall? And how deep? Did you perhaps plant them upside down? I don’t think that would kill them but it would definitely slow them down.
Last fall stayed warm forever. I was afraid to plant them too early, because I didn’t want them coming up - it was probably early December before the ground cooled off. Maybe that’s why they’re not bothering to come up? Do they need water?
If they don’t bloom this year, will they bloom next year?
I know the daffodils at least are definately right-side up. The crocuses and tulips were a little harder to keep on the level when I poked their holes for them, but there ought to still be a bunch of stuff coming up out there.
I’ve never had bulbs not come up, so I’m totally guessing here – but it’s possible you planted them too late. You don’t need the ground to be cool when you put them in, there just needs to be some cold weather at some point. Think about it – bulbs that rebloom do so year after year after spending all summer in nice warm earth. They should be getting established in the fall, starting a little bit of root action, so if you did plant them so late, they may just be delayed. For instance, when you plant perennials (which you usually do in the spring), they’ll bloom “late” their first year.
I’d imagine your bulbs will come up a little late this season, and then in a more timely fashion in the future. I wouldn’t freak just yet. And hell, even if they don’t come up, whatever, that’s gardening for you – some stuff works, some stuff doesn’t.
I think I’d notice if they had gotten eaten - they’re in raised lasagna beds and it would be pretty clear if they had been disturbed. Definately no gophers. I wouldn’t know a gopher if it peed on my shoe. The squirrels, though, I’d have noticed. Also they don’t eat all of them, right? They don’t eat daffodils, I think.
twickster has a point about the depth of planting. Most bulbs need to be planted deeper than you’d think - here’s a bulb planting guide. Planted too shallow and they may not produce flowers, just leaves, and there’s the added danger of being more exposed to winter frosts and pests. Interestingly, daffodil bulbs planted too shallow will pull themselves down a little bit every growing season until they’re at the right depth. Most other bulbs don’t though.
Bulbs should be planted a couple months before the ground starts freezing, In late summer or early fall the bulbs will start rooting and drinking in water. They’ll be late now because you planted in December. Daffadils should be left for years in the same spot and it may take up to three years after you plant them to bloom. They have to store up enough energy to flower. You won’t get flowers if you plant a bulb too deep, but daffadils are very forgiving on that point. I redid the perrenial bed and the daffadils I planted 10 years ago had formed into clusters of up to about 60 bulbs. They had started to grow their roots for fall and they came out in one mass. I replanted over 300 in that bed. I should have replanted after the clusters were about 20 bulbs in size, but I waqs to sick. You sould replant bulbs after you see a decline in the flowers and plant size. You won’t see flowers for months I woiuld guess.
See, that was my problem last fall - everything says “before the ground freezes”. If the ground ever froze down here we’d all pee ourselves in terror and think it was End Times. In fact, it seems like almost all gardening guides are written for the North. They’re full of advice that’s either just useless or downright harmful for Southern gardeners.
I am a little concerned about depth - I was pretty careful about depth when I planted them, but it was a new bed, and it’s eroded and settled some and I don’t know how deep they are now at all. And while one of my crinums came up a few weeks ago, one hasn’t yet and I don’t think it realizes it’s an $8 bulb!
Its my experience that bulbs usually do come up and bloom later the first year after they’re planted.
They can also rot in the ground if you’ve had a lot of rain.
Decent amount of rain, but those beds have excellent drainage. Maybe a little too much drainage, even. I guess I should just resign myself to enjoying my hyacinths and whatever else that thing is that seems to be coming up.
If they never bloom this year, I try digging them up and storing them in the refrigerator for a couple of months. That’s what I have to do to get my tulips to bloom, here in sunny So Cal.
