Bulbs in Pots: A “One Hit Wonder” or A Lasting Treasure?
I’ve received lots of inquiries lately regarding bulbs planted in pots. We’ve all seen it: the gorgeous pots of hyacinth, tulips, and daffodils in full bloom sold at the local supermarket or floral shoppe. If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably purchased one (or at least thought about it) and triumphantly brought your little piece of spring home with you. We are all anxious for spring and who wouldn’t want a little reminder that it will one day indeed come?
So you’ve brought home the pot of adorable miniature daffodils or extremely fragrant hyacinth or maybe you’ve signed up to receive a potted Easter Lily at church and they produced gorgeous blooms for a week or two. But now what do do with these beautiful indoor bulbs after flowering? Was the money you spent on this pot of once-blooming flowers wasted? Is there nothing left to do but dispose of the pot along with the bulbs just as though it were a fresh floral arrangement? Absolutely NOT! Why not replant the bulbs in your garden or another pot to enjoy for years to come? The process is actually quite simple:
- Once the plant has stopped blooming, discontinue watering and allow the foliage to die back.
- Once the foliage is dried and brown, remove it from the pot by gently tugging on the leaves until they break from the bulb and come out of the ground. (If the leaves do not pull away from the bulbs easily you haven’t waited quite long enough for the foliage to die. It is very important to not remove the foliage prematurely as it helps to put energy back in the bulbs for the next year’s blooms.)
- Remove the bulbs from the dirt and dust them off. Check for any rotten or soft spots on bulbs. If these spots are visible on any bulbs, discard them. Allow them to dry out on a piece of paper in a cool, dry and dark place (such as a cellar or basement) or plant them directly in the ground if the weather is suitable for planting.
- If you live in Hardiness Zones 3 – 8 (an area that stays consistently near or below freezing for a period of at least 10-12 weeks during the winter), the bulbs can be replanted in your outdoor garden in fall, anytime between late September and early November, preferrably prior to the first frost.
- If you live south of Hardiness Zone 8 (your winters do not fall into the above mentioned category), you will need to “pre-chill” these bulbs in October or November by placing them into your refrigerator in a brown paper bag for a period of 10-12 weeks. Be sure not to store any fruits or vegetables near your bag of bulbs as they give off a chemical called “ethylene” while ripening that can cause bulbs to rot. Once the bulbs have chilled for the correct period and may even have started to sprout, they are ready to be replanted either in the outdoors or in a pot!
- IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER: This process of artificially chilling bulbs and then forcing them to bloom early takes quite a bit of energy from the bulb. Therefore, you may not see blooms for the next few springs. Be patient: once the bulb stores up enough energy, they’ll be beautiful once again!
So the next time you pass the floral counter at the grocery store or hear of an offer to order some potted bulbs for Easter, don’t hesitate to pick one up for yourself! Remember, spring planting bulbs work great for this, too! Good luck to you!
Until next time,
Want to learn more about planting bulbs in pots? Email Bridget at bridget@bulbblog.com! Your question may even be featured in a future blog post!
11 comments
Sevie says:
Apr 20, 2009
Thank you so much for this article! I have purchased Easter Lillys from the grocery store in the past and then stopped because I didn’t know how to care for them once the plant stopped blooming. This year I could not resist picking one out at the local grocery store. Now I know what to do to keep it coming back year after year.
Sharra says:
May 24, 2009
Thankyou! I now know what to do with the green “Lilly stick” I have been dilligently careing for.
Samsung Soul says:
Dec 25, 2010
Looks awesome! I do welcome the tabs placed on the top!
Stephen says:
Aug 26, 2012
I live in Sweden……can I leave the bulbs in the pot….if so where should it be stored?
Bridget says:
Aug 30, 2012
Hi Stephen,
Thanks for your comment and for reading the Bulb Blog! Whether or not you can leave the bulbs in the pot depends on a) what type of bulbs they are and b) what type of weather you receive during your winter. If they are spring blooming bulbs (such as tulips, daffodils, hyacinth, etc.) then they most likely will need to be “chilled”. This can be done while leaving the bulbs in the pot simply by placing the pot in the refrigerator for a period of 10-16 weeks and then bringing it back out into the warmth in the springtime.
Hope this helps! Keep reading and good luck in your endeavor!
Bridget
Trish says:
Sep 2, 2012
That is good information, thank you. I have ordered bulbs for the first time to plant at my sister’s for her daughter’s graduation next May. She wants some planted in the ground and some planted in pots. Do the pots stay outside all winter? Garage? They live in Nebraska so it will be a cold winter. Also, do the bulbs in pots tend to bloom earlier than those in the ground? (Daffodils and Tulips)
Thank you for your help!
Bridget says:
Sep 6, 2012
Hi Trish!
Thanks so much for reading the Bulb Blog and for submitting your question! Fall bulbs can most definitely be planted in containers/pots, but there are a few things to keep in mind when doing so. First of all, fall planted bulbs require a “chilling” period. Therefore, the bulbs planted in the pots will still need to be exposed to temperatures consistently below 55 degrees for a period of at least 10 weeks. The part of this that becomes difficult is that when planting in pots, the ground freezes much more hard and solid than the soil in the ground since all sides are exposed. If the bulbs are left in the pot unprotected outdoors, they will freeze too severely and will turn to mush in the spring. Therefore, you will need to find some way to protect the pot but still give it the chilling it needs. The best way to do this is to either a) place the pot in a garage, shed, or cellar which gets cold (below 55 degrees for at least 10 weeks) but does not freeze quite as severely as the outdoors, or b) keep the pot outside in the elements, but wrap it in a quilt, bubble wrap, or other insulator to keep it from freezing too solid. Then once the weather begins to warm up in the spring, move the pot back outdoors or remove the protective covering. To answer you last question, yes, bulbs in pots do tend to bloom a bit earlier than those in the ground due to the fact that the soil will warm up much faster in a pot than the soil in the ground. Hope this helps! Good luck to you in your endeavor and let us know how it goes!
Bridget
Jackie says:
Mar 18, 2013
Thanks for the info! One question… do the bulbs need to be stored in any particular manner between the time they dry out and the time they can be replanted? Thanks!
Bridget says:
Mar 19, 2013
Hi Jackie -
Great question and thanks for reading! The most important thing to be sure of when storing the bulbs is that they are kept as cool and dry as possible. Any moisture resulting from humid conditions or lack of adequate air circulation will cause the bulbs to rot. Therefore, a place such as a basement or cellar is optimal. Also, try spreading the bulbs out on a mesh surface, such as a screen or some type of netting to allow for air flow on all sides of the bulbs. This will help to keep them in prime condition until planting time comes!
Bridget
Carol says:
Apr 20, 2013
I’m in Norway. Definite cold winters here. It is now end of April and the final snows are melting. Do I have to wait until fall to plant them? Can I plant them in the next few weeks and they can jut root and be happy all summer much like spring planting bulbs? Thanks!
Bridget says:
Apr 24, 2013
I would say go ahead and put them in the ground as soon as the snow is gone. It may take them a year or two to get “back on track” and complete a regular cycle, but this is a better option than the alternative of trying to store them until the fall. Good luck to you!
Bridget