There is a garden center near me, selling the lily bulbs that they had for sale since the spring, cheap.
They are the ones packaged in saw dust in a vented plastic bag. The shoots that are coming from the bulbs are wilty and the bulb itself is wilted.
Is there a way to rehydrate them or is this a sign that these bulbs are not viable????
I would like to buy some, but the wilt, makes me question if I should spend the money????
I appreciate any comments or information. Thanks.
Judy
Need lily bulb buying advice
Judy,
You absolutely should not buy them.
Lily bulbs are unusual in that they never go dormant. And they have no protected coating or shell. They are fragile compared to most bulbs.
Those lilies have been gasping for planting for months. There is no way to hydrate them. You would be throwing away your money. The fact that the bulb itself is wilted means that they are beyond hope.
If the bulb was healthy and the shoots were wilted it would mean that you would not get any blooms until next year - at best.
Please, dear Judy, I have been planting lilies for 11 years. Save your money for good ones.
Donna
Thanks, Donna, I was lured by the sale, but I took my time to examine them and was put off by their appearance.
I hate it when the garden center does not have a clue about what they are selling. They also have gladiola that are petrified and on sale.
Thanks for saving my time and money.
Judy
Petrified! I love that! Yes, those should have been planted months ago, too.
And now, you can spend your time and money on something else that you would like. It doesn't get better than that.
And thank you for writing back!
Donna
I have had enormous luck with the lilies I have ordered from B & D Lilies. They know lilies and send healthy good-sized bulbs. Plus they are available on the phone (albeit they are 3 hours behind me time wise.)
I order at least half my lilies from B&D. They are wonderful. I talked to Bob Gibson and they grow their bulbs, once they get them, for a couple of years before they send them to you. But there is a really inexpensive source you should check as well. Hallsons Gardens. They get their bulbs from Holland, and they have a more limited selection, but if they have what you are looking for, they are a tremendous value. ( lot of their bulbs are $2.00 to $2.50 each if you order three). You are not compromising on quality.
http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/155/
http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/66/
First year bulbs from B&D (three bulbs, and two of them are open in this photo. Each one has three flowers!) Prince Promise, a longiflorum Oriental.
First year bulbs from Hallson Gardens. (three bulbs, and as you can see three flowers to a stem), Dimension, Asiatic.
Thanks for the tip. I'll check them out although I don't buy too many lily bulbs now because of the deer. I would love to find "Kiss Me Kate." B&D doesn't sell them anymore because of poor performance in their garden, but KMK was beautiful in my garden here in Micigan. "Fantastic" is the closest I could find.