Expert: Kenneth Joergensen - 3/26/2004

Question
Hi,
We live in zone 4 (?), in Minnesota.
I have a question I hope you can help with.  We were bad and did not plant a bag of tulip bulbs that we had last fall.  They have been sitting in the garage all winter.  Is there anyway we can salvage them or not?  If we plant them will they just come up next year or since they were out in the cold all winter are they no good?  They aren't soft at all.  Thank you for any help and advise you can give us.
Karen Geronime

Answer
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I suggest you plant them now and see what happens.
Tulips need a cool period of 15-18 weeks to grow and flower. Southern gardeners, with too warm winter temperatures, will keep bulbs in the fridge for 3 months and then plant them outdoors in December (the coldest part of their winter).

Provided the garage has been consistently below 45 deg F the bulbs should flower.

In any event, the bulbs will be no good next year so why not give it a try. You could put them in a large planter and move the planter outdoors until the bulbs grow and flower.. or you can dig them down, if you can physically work the ground.

They may flower later than in ground tulips.