Too late for late variety tulips?

Just purchased 100+ single, late perennial tulip bulbs at my local nursery...(why, you ask? Because they were $2.00!). I'm in zone 7--we're still pretty cold, but will be warming up well, presumedly, by mid to late March. Anyone ever planted bulbs THIS late? Any hints? They are beginning to sprout in the bag, but only slightly...Don't care so much what they do this year, but hoping to have them come back for next year. Any thoughts on the best way to treat these bulbs? They were in a temperature controlled envioronment--best to pot them indoors for this season, or go ahead and put them in the ground?

Anybody?

You rang?

Put them in the ground NOW.

They will be short, so do not plant them too deep. Do not have your hopes up too high for next year. These bulbs still have to make roots, have to develop a stem, leaves and flowers and all that with not enough cold and nutrients. You ought to be happy if they even produce a flower now. Then they have to work on next year's bulb having not had any nutrients and then with the temperatures you have in Raleigh, and bulbs at half their strength, I think......not much.

Definately do not pot them up for indoors....that should have been done way earlier.

Good luck, but next time leave that bargain where it was......in the store and use the $ 2.00 to buy some pansies.

Oh, yea of little faith....thanks for the advice Bleek. I'm gonna try them...for $2.00 I think its worth a shot, but I suspect your advice may ring true. I'll let you know! what they do. It will be my little experiment for the enlightenment of others....or some such nonsense! And even if only 25% survive to come back, that's still 25 bulbs for $2.00, not a bad deal....

I agree with bleek. Since you aren't expecting anything from them this year, you won't be disappointed next year. My experience with late plantings is getting mixed results the first year. More come up the next.

I would agree with weeds, however yotedog is in a completely different climate than you. Temperatures during Summer are a lot hotter than in UT.

Bleek, is the situation as, well, bleak for late purchases of daffodils? They seem a little tougher than tulips when it comes to rallying and coming back for a good show the following year...

Daffodils is completely different....they have a lot more umpf in them than Tulips. There is more "stuff" in a Daffodil bulb compared to a Tulip bulb which intends to dry out much quicker. Also the roots of a Daffodils are thicker and they intend to flower earlier in the season and they can stand the warmer temperatures much better. Then again in MD the temperatures are somewhat cooler then in Raleigh, NC?

Daffodils can be planted in tree grown areas since they flower before the leaves are on the trees while Tulips need to have some direct sunshine to do well.

All in all, if there were still some Daffodils available, I would plant them with great expectations for years to come.

Of course.....in either way with Tulips or Daffodils this late, still fertilize them with a top dressing after planting and right after flowering. You do not want to starve them.

I wouldn't say that NC is hotter! Just way more humid.

Even better. Mix the fertilizer/compost whatever you have in the hole where you are planting the daffs and tulips or any other bulb.

They're in the ground--I'll report the the results some day! Thanks everybody!