Yikes...Chilling Bulbs Zone 7A NC???

Okay, I am double posting this from the Carolina Gardening forum as I need to get them chilled now if this is so...

I just bought about 150-200 Tulip bulbs of all types (darwin hyrbids, parrots, double). Pretty much I bought a ton of tulips of all kinds as I love my tulips.

Do they have to be chilled? If so, how long do they have to be chilled?

Double Daffodils (Tahiti, Replete, etc.), Jetfire Daffodils...do they have to be chilled?

What other spring bulbs have to be chilled? I bought several different types of bulbs...

Danielle

While I was trying to find the answer to my question about tulips needing to be chilled in my zone I stumbled across this book. This was my second day searching trying to find my answer. This book has excerpts of some pages to view online. This book is great!

It is The Carolinas Gardeners Guide by Toby Bost and Jim Wilson.

The link is:
http://books.google.com/books?id=FgvA-9wGQa0C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q=&f=false

BTW I figured out the answer to my quesion on tulips. It said to plant them between the first frost and Thanksgiving.


Danielle

Just curious, did it indicate your area will get enough winter chill for the bulbs naturally? I was thinking your zone would.

I think zone 7 anywhere south of the M-D line would be very borderline, even where you are - I would suggest chilling tulip bulbs, otherwise they might bloom a little short/stunted. The daffodils would not need any chilling at all and even here I do not chill hyacinths or daffodils.

I contacted my local co-op extension, and recieved a reply. Where I live tulip bulbs do not need to be chilled. The NC State Univ. also says that tulips dont need to be pre-chilled. They even have a list of tulip species that do well in NC and will perennialize (sp).

However, I have been storing my tulip bulbs in the fridge for about 1 week to a week and a half. I will be keeping them in my crisper drawers until planting time in November. I dont believe it is cold enough where I live to plant them yet.


My daffodils, crocus, dutch iris, and hyacinths are in a dark, cool interior closet waiting for planting.


Danielle