Bulbs In Central FL? How? Will It Work?

A friend has given me a hundred or more bulbs that area still in the manufacturer's packages. They are all either "Gladiolus" (rosa/pink, and lavender) and "Dahlia" (Pompon, glow) varieties.

The problem is, I know nothing about bulbs or planting bulbs, and wondered if anyone in my area (Zone 9b) has a minute to tell me if it's even worth trying to plant these here. Bulbs only come up at a certain time of year, right?

Also, if it IS worth planting them, how the heck do I plant them? The labels on these bulbs are mostly in several foreign languages and have strange little icons on the bags that are just confusing, at least to a non-bulb person like me (I have lots of regular perennials, but no bulb experience, as I said).

Thanks for any help!

Mizar,

Glads and Dahlia grow best in containers, in this part of FL. I have tried both without much success. I don't know anyone who has had luck with them in this neck of the woods.

Glads are hybrids of species that grow in SAfrica, it is much cooler there than here.

Dahlia are hybrids from the mountains of Mexico. Again a cooler place.

If you want want beautiful flowers from bulbs those are not the ones to grow. Criniums are good ones>

Glads do fine here--but best planted late fall/winter

I am in Zone 8b. (20 degrees avg. minimum temp) Gladiolus will perennialize here.

Dahlias do fine but they have to be divided every year or so. But they root easily from cuttings, so they are not nearly as much trouble as they are in the North.

To plant a bulb dig a hole. throw in a handful of bone meal. Usually, the shallower planting the better. make sure the plants have excellent drainage. if you think it is too hot, put them in part shade - as under high trees. If there is any question about the drainage, put them in a raised bed.

You can store the bulbs in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator until it gets a little cooler to plant them. You can tell if they are any good if the bulbs are still firm.

"Only mad dogs and Englishment go out in the noon day sun" and it is not good to plant most things in the noon day sun either.

Thanks all! Appreciate the feedback. Free bulbs. Whatcha gonna do.

Mizar - I grow glads here in Titusville and they are beautiful. Plant them slightly tight together because they tend to get top heavy and topple over when they bloom! I leave the flower stalk on til it's done blooming then cut it off. The foliage will die back naturally... just leave the bulb in the ground and they'll sprout again next year! You'll love the glads!

I've only tried dahlia's once and didn't have much luck.

Now I see why I've had such losusy luck with gladiolous......jeeze.

"eyes"

Glads do great here and we're hotter than heck. Darn things will climb right out of the ground and have to be replanted, but I overlook that since it takes years to happen lol

they do really great here too--bloom their heads off in May--really low maintenance
=)

Here are a couple of pics of mine grown right here in Central FL... last years pics...

A white one just beginning to open...

I planted a few Glad's in my yard back in the 70's and they did well here in Daytona. Eventually the area got re-landscaped so they went bye bye. I'm not sure how deep Glad bulbs need to be planted but I have a tendency to plant bulbs and after a few years they end up too deep with a lot of mulch on top of them and don't sprout again.

I thought I remember someone on the Florida Gardening Forum talking about growing Dahlia's. She lived over in the Clearwater area and said they did wonderfully for her.

I agree ... FREE bulbs - I would just have to plant them to see what I got! Keep us posted!

I've read that glads should be planted four inches deep. They bloom for me, but I never thought much of them until I got the most gorgeous pink and white glad this year. Dahlias don't seem to like Florida. They grow slowly and don't bloom.

Here's an article that was in the Orlando Sentinel ... saying Dahlia's do well here but just don't last more than one season: http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features_gardening_blog/2008/06/dahlias-do-well.html

Ft Myers (SW Florida) is the gladiola capital of the world, so they do VERY well in warm weather!