Expert: Kenneth Joergensen - 5/20/2006

Question
Last Fall I planted pots of crocus, tulips, and daffadils. They were beautiful this spring. I now want to reuse my pots for herbs, tomatoes and summer flowers. Will the bulbs keep until replanting in the fall? What should I do to store the  bulbs until the fall? I live in Baltimore, Maryland. Thank you!

Answer
If you can dig some holes in the ground and store them temporarily here (dump the contents of the pots in the ground) then this is much preferred. If the foliage has died back then you don't have to worry about sun/shade conditions either.

You could lift the bulbs and store them dry and cool (cellar).

The most important thing to remember is that bulbs need an active growing period after flowering (preferably with some fertilizer) to recharge for next year's bloom. If the bulbs do not have this growing period (w/leaves on the plants) then they wont come back. Daffodils and crocus repeat more reliably than tulips. If you find that the tulips have "split" (into smaller daughter bulbs) then discard same. Only large tulip bulbs will bloom next year.