ok does anyone know about gardening?

Question

I planted bulbs last fall in my backyard and the side of the house most are lillies and tulip,the ones in the back are starting to come up but the lillies on the side of the house is not..I recently removed the mulch on the side I didn't realize how much was there and it was alot! is it safe to saysince it hasn't started to come up by now that is not..could to much mulch killed my bulbs..the good news is the place I got them when send more for free(brecks) also the soil is clay not like the back..should I just start over help! thanks

thanks guys so oh also I live in zone 5 chicago

I forgot I also have IRIS REBLOOMING does any one know when they come up :) they are in the back too

Answer 1

Ah ha.......

You again? lol.... Ok as for them not coming up, relax. Gardening takes ALOT of patience, trust me, and everyone else who says that. lol....

As for the bulbs you have planted, some bulbs will sprout earlier than others. Its all relative to what your temperatures have been. Given that you havent had too many days of temps above freezing, or alot of nice sunny days in the last month, I'd say just to wait. As for the clay soil, there are many many ways on how you can fix that. And since its raining like crazy right now, its the best time to get this fixed.

When you get a break in the weather, run to Home Depot or Lowes and get a few bags of steer or chicken manure. Yeah, its stinky, so drive home with the windows down. Hey, do you have a decent shovel? If not, pick one of those up too. How about a bin or wheelbarrow? If a wheelbarrow is out of the question, then definetly a bin. And here is all you are going to do. You're going to ammend the soil. Start by digging up some dirt, preferably getting about 1 foot down, toss that dirt into the bin or wheelbarrow, mix in some manure, then like a salad, mix it all together and put it back. Its alot of work, but before you know it, you have it all done. Finish by putting mulch on top, or planting trees, shrubs or plants.

Again as for the bulbs, they need time. Mine came up early this year, I live in So. California, and we've had a horrible season when it comes to rain and temps, so far. So alot of warm days, mixed with us watering, made for alot of my spring blooming plants start blooming and sprouting in mid February. Grrrrrrrrrr....

Answer 2

Well, it depends on where you live. I'd say that if you live in the southern U.S., that if the lillies and tulips haven't already begun to emerge, then they still may emerge within a month (depending on the variety). Also, if the side of your house is a shaded or colder area, or if it faces north, then that's the reason why you haven't seen the flowers emerge yet. Other factors can be that the side of your house perhaps doesn't get enough water, and that can delay the growth also, or if it gets too much water that can rot the bulbs. Too much mulch would be 5" of mulch or greater, they could be struggling to get through all of the thickness of the mulch if it's that high, just brush some of the mulch aside if you think that's the case.

If you live in a colder region (Northern U.S., or in the Rockies), then it may just be because it's too cold to expect all of your flowers just yet.

Answer 3

I live in Montana a zone 4 I have two sides on my yard where there is a bout a 4 foot section of garden where the leaves get thicker and the ground stays frozen a lot longer I have just lifted about 6 inches of the dead leaves off of these spots and there is about 2 more inches of leaves left(I dont want to take them all off yet we could still get snow and those leaves will protect my plant's)On one side I have lillies that are just comming up now on the other side last year my lillies came up 2 weeks later you have to realize that all lillies do not come up at the same time and do not all bloom at the same - I have lillies that dont bloom utill the 4th of July , I think you should wait and keep on checking before you rule them out completely.

Answer 4

I live in zone 5. Lillies don't come up as early as tulips. What you're seeing that has come up is probably just the tulips. Also, the bulbs on the South side of your house will possibly come up earliest. I have daffodils on the south side of my house that have bloomed already but none on the other sides have yet - although they've mostly poked up out of the ground. Just be patient. They'll come up at the proper time for them. I've had good luck with Breck bulbs. Good choice!

Answer 5

Lillies generally come up a little later than tulips; tulips and daffodils are the early-risers of the bulb world, along with crocuses. Lillies come along later, and gladiolus even later than that.

If you have over-mulched your bulbs, it may simply be that they didn't get cold enough during winter to make the bulbs go dormant, but given your location, I think that's unlikely. Give them another few weeks, and hopefully you'll see blossoms.

Answer 6

Whoa there Nelly. It's only the first day of Spring (or 2nd). All plants come up at different times depending on how deep you planted them, how much sun/shade they get etc. I wouldn't do anything until another month has gone by. Give the little guys a chance to come out and find the sun :)