Planting bulbs in December?

I have a bunch of bulbs (Tulips, muscari) that I unfortunately haven't been able to plant. I have been thinking about planting them in a couple of weeks (I'm out of town until the 2nd of December) and I was wondering, what are the legitimate chances of these bulbs flowering in the spring or at least surviving to flower at some point?

The ground isn't frozen and we've only had one hard frost/freeze so far if that helps any. Any help would be appreciated.

I'd say very good. I've done it several times. A number of years ago I bought a bag of tulips in late Dec and stored them near the floor in the back room where it stays around 40 degrees or so. I planted them in the spring they flowered and I still get a good showing of flowers from them. I planted so muscari this sring and they flowered. I curious how they will do this coming spring.

I would rather plant them when you get back in December than loose them all, the beauty of bulbs are that the actual bulb is like a small store cupboard where all the stored food, etc is stored from the previous year, then when you plant the bulb, all they need to do is make roots so they can take up water, grow the foliage and flowers, then after that, you leave them alone to die down with the foliage in tact as this helps replace the food for the following year, I like to add a touch of blood bone fish to the soil or multi purpose feed so when the roots have formed, they have some extra to build the bulb up and give plenty energy for making flowers.

After Mid December Planting your chances of a good show of flowers would be poor but the next year they will have caught up provided the bulbs are free from disease when you are ready to plant.
Some Tulips don't flower till late spring so you still have time, the Muscari is earlier but still do OK. you can even grow these in pots so later in the year you have time to think exactly where you want them to grow for the next spring. Remember to plant the bulbs about 3 times as deep as the size of the bulb so a 2 inch bulb measured from growing tip to root end will be planted 6 inches deep. mark where you plant them so you don't stand on them as you tidy the plot while the bulbs are dormant.
Good luck, WeeNel.

Thanks for the replies. I'll definitely take your advice and it is much appreciated! I also will also post results this coming spring.

I hope someone is still watching this thread.

I bought some tulip and daffodil bulbs, and dug up some tulip bulbs from my garden, but didn't get them planted/replanted. I've been putting it off 'til I could get some hardware cloth to squirrel-proof the planted bulbs. It's been mostly a warm fall, and now they are sprouting. The ground is still workable, but I worry about the sprouts.

Ithiel said; "you can even grow these in pots so later in the year you have time to think exactly where you want them to grow for the next spring." Is that something I could do? But, if they grow and bloom in pots in winter, how can they flower again if you get them in the ground in spring?

Thanks, Harriet

Harriet

You can do that and if you waited to plant your bulbs in the spring, they should flower the following spring. The ground is still workable, so you could plant them into the ground now -

Thanks, Carolyn, it would be nice to have them in the house, so maybe I'll do that with a few, but put most out asap!

I guess if there was any winter to do it, this would be the one. Thankfully mine are all long planted by now, but the ground isn't even really frozen here yet in most places, and especially not where it's been mulched. One of the warmer and snowless winters I can remember so far.