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procon

(15,805 posts)
5. Many bulbs need a long period of sustained cold to bloom.
Tue Apr 9, 2019, 05:51 PM
Apr 2019

They can tolerate a little freeze, but they need to be chilled for 8-10 weeks, some bulbs need even longer so look up your bulbs online to check. This chilling is necessary to trigger the biochemical process that brings the bulbs to flower in spring.

If your climate isn't right then you can create the perfect environment of around 40 degrees F. in your refrigerator. When the leaves start to yellow, stop watering then you can dig up the bulbs and store them in a dark dry place until its time to start chilling them before planting. Be sure to use a fertilized specifically for bulbs to get the best bloom.

My mom had a beautiful tulip garden and she had many other varieties of bulbs that we faithfully dug out every fall as the California weather never got cold enough fo them to bloom without help. She had an old fridge in the garage just for her bulbs and cuttings.

Good luck next Spring.

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