Spring bulbs with premature growth-are plants in jeopardy?

We prepared lots of beds in September and October in containers and filled them with spring bulbs: tulips, irises, hyacinths, crocuses. We even dug up a lot of lilies and replanted them to see how they would do. In some of the beds I layered the bulbs so that the early bulbs were on top and the mid and late spring bulbs were much deeper.

Here in zone 6, we have had unseasonably warm weather. As a result, the irises (bulbs, not rhizomes) are 6-8 inches high. I noticed yesterday that we have lots of green tips poking up in another huge container. I believe they are the crocuses.

Now I'm starting to freak out. Does anyone in zone 6 or colder have experience with early growth on spring bulbs? Will they exhaust themselves and die out instead of growing in the spring? They are also starting to sprout in the garden as well, so it has nothing to do with the containers, which are 35 gallon bins. We have always had good luck with container gardening.

In an area where we often get our first frost early October and occasionally even in late September, we have so far had one frost (November 6th), so I think everything is confused. We've been preparing beds for next year for about 2-3 months now, and we now have a beautiful purple anemone that has rebloomed.

Does anyone know if I can protect these plants or if I need to? I always look forward to the early bloomers as the first harbinger of spring. Only this year it may be winter....

Cathy, I know Muscarii sends up foliage in the fall, so that is normal. Spring Bulbs are best planted when temperatures are routinely cooler at night then you have had this fall, just as you thought. I wait until late Oct at the earliest to plant, so that the nights are in the 40's or colder. I still have 800 to plant this week or next. I have lots of emerging muscari foliage now. It always makes me nervous even when I know it is normal.

Don't despair if you are seeing premature foliage on other type of bulbs, as the foliage is not harmed by frost or thawing. The buds most likely are fine and you won't see any damage to come spring. Sometimes you might even see some more premature foliage emerging during any Indian Summer weather or during a January Thaw. I think you should be fine. BUT I only plant in beds, so I am less sure about containers. Plus I am an avid bulb planter with no real horticultural knowledge or expertise. Trial and error, books, plus DG.

But it is very important to plant each bulb type at the recommended depth. I layer my bulbs too, but plant all Narcissus at 8", except tiny ones, big tulips 6" to 8", species tulips at 4". big alliums 6" to 8", hyacinths 6", crocus, scilla, snowdrops at 4", while the rest of the little ones at 3 or 4 times their height. I garden in sandy soil, so if you have clay, you may not need to plant quite as deeply.

If you have a lot of growth on bigger bulbs now that may be coming up from bulbs that have been planted too shallow, you could lift them while the ground isn't frozen and replant them at the correct depth, but don't worry about the foliage, it will just die off when it gets cold. That would be a pain. Good luck. Patti

This message was edited Dec 3, 2009 9:05 AM

I'm in a warmer zone than you, but for the last few years my spring bulbs have also come up way too early. It didn't affect them at all and they bloomed at their correct time anyway.

Mine often come up early here, and I've never had a problem, except with lilies. The lilies that come up often don't bloom the next spring/ summer, but come back like gangbusters the year after.

I know I am in a warmer zone than you are but Dutch Irises are known to come up in the fall and it is very "normal" for them, so I would not worry. Mine always send up foliage in the fall but don't bloom here till around April 1st.

This message was edited Dec 6, 2009 10:12 AM