How long do you have to replant tulip and daffodil bulbs after you dig them up? How do you store them?

Question

I dug them up today because they were in random places. And no blooms anymore. I was going to replant them but did not get my flower garden completely tilled. Will they be ok for a day or two?

Answer 1

They'll be OK for a day or two, as long as they are not left out in the hot, direct sun. Any longer than that, however, and they should be stored away in a cool, dry area in newspaper or paper bag (not plastic).

By the way, you can move most bulbs anytime after they flower, but wait until all of the above ground greenery has died back and dried out. The bulb recovers a lot of it's energy from the green above the ground for the next bloom. You can weaken a bulb by pulling it up too soon after blooming.

Answer 2

To tell the truth, I don't know how well they will survive being dug up like that. Maybe you should plant them in pots for this year's growing season, then after the leaves die down, you can store them. That will give you lots of time to build up a nice bed.

Let them dry first (maybe in the shade), then put them in a brown paper bag or cardboard box (to let a little air through so they don't mold) and put them someplace cool and dark. You can store them until fall, when you should plant them (or save them for winter forcing.)

If it doesn't work, tulips aren't terribly expensive. You can always get some more in the fall.

Answer 3

Store them in a brown paper bag in a dark corner of a closet until you are ready to repant them.

Answer 4

You should put them in the shade and try to plant them as soon as possible. A day or two should be fine.