Bulbs: bulb planting time is here, 0 by SueSomit

SueSomit wrote:
I just thought I'd add the planting conditions in the San Francisco Bay area. I beg the shippers to send before the 2nd week in October (when they normally ship to my area), because I have to put them in a refrigerator for 8-10 weeks before planting. My favorite time to plant tulips is Thanksgiving weekend because once we hit December the rains start and it's no fun planting in the rain.

If the bulbs aren't pre-cooled, they start coming up within a couple of weeks. Even with pre-cooling, they're pushing their little heads up by the end of December and blooming in February-March. They are definitely annuals in my area as well. I've tried letting the leaves go brown, digging them out, pre-cooling, and re-planting, but it doesn't work well.

Here are a couple of blush tulips from this spring. (John Scheepers--picture taken 3/9/03.)

Sue