Bulbs that Did Not Sprout

I planted several caladium and begonia bulbs about 10 weeks ago. None of them sprouted even though the were watered regularly and fertilized with a granular fertilizer.

Should I did them up and soak them in a solution of water and SuperThrive to try to wake them up?

Thanks

Since no one replied I will give you my opinion. I think the caladiums you planted were duds--that is, they were dried up and dead.
Often, when I get summer bulbs, I soak them in just a little plain water over night to give them a start. If they have been in the ground for a couple of weeks, and you have watered them, or they have received rain; I would say they were DOA: dead on arrival.
Sorry for the bad news. And, I maybe wrong. They may still come up--just slow to wake up and get growing.

I found this after posting the above comments. Thought you might find this interesting:

Some bulbs need a soil temp of at least 55 degrees to start the growing process. This is not the case for Daffies and freesia's. Caladiums, when planted in soil that is too cold, go through a process of developing an hard shield through which it becomes very difficult for the roots to go through.

Read more: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1358500/#ixzz339ax8lE8

Good to know Birder, thanks for the research.

:)

Birder, thanks for the info!

I pulled the bulbs and they were alive and firm but only a few hair like roots. I soaked them in a Ziploc bag for 1 week.

When I took them out, two had good roots and I planted them. The rest were mushy. I probably should have only let them soak for two days.The evening temps here have ranged from the low-60's to the mid-80's since January. There may have been a few days in the high 50's but not very many and certainly not since I planted these in February.

Shorty , I think putting them in the ziplock bag Is what killed them. The condensation in the bag may hv been more moisture than they can stand. Ground temperature 50 and above s/h been perfectly fine, it is in my z9a TX. The bigger problem would be heavy and persistent spring rains.

There were some close out bags of caladiums at my WM, so look in ur area. Maybe u can try again but this time just open bag and stick in ground or pot

I received replacement bulbs late yesterday. I also thought they were DOA.

This time I soaked the new bulbs last night in an open bucket of water with a little SuperThrive. I planted them today and will see what happened.

The new bulbs had good roots and eyes. They were what I expected the first time around.

I wish persistent spring rain were a problem. In the part of So Cal where I live we've only had 4 inches of rain all year. We normally will not receive additional rain this year until September at the earliest and more likely late November or early December.

Glad you were able to get new bulbs. I did not make myself clear about soaking the bulbs. I soak them in a pan with just a tiny bit of water in the bottom of the pan--like an 9 x 13 with maybe a 1/2 inch or less of water and just over night.

Glad you clarified b/c this is the one bulb that can rot faster than anything else. I'm always surprised when I get the shriveled ones @ WM and they sprout almost as beautifully as the beginning of season bulbs