Expert: Laura Walker - 2/12/2006

Question
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Followup To
Question -
my children had a fund raiser at school and I bought all these bulbs. I put them in the freezer where they have been for the last 6months. when should i plant them and should i start with them in a pot first, if so when do i move them from the pot to the ground? I live in atlanta,ga and have no idea what zone that is. I love plants and that was the most expensive thing i could by to help my children so could you please help me not waste them.
Answer -
WEll first off,they should never be frozen,only chilled in the fridge. In your warm climate they should be chilled for about 6 to 8 weeks and then planted in early spring for blooms in May and June.
If bulbs are frozen and then thawed they will rot.
For more info on forcing bulbs,go to www.google.com.
Good Luck!

ok so are you saying there is no saving these bulbs, or what can i do to save them if i can

Answer
Sorry so late on answer,but this was not in my email.I just ran across it while answering another questioner.
Well if they have been frozen solid for a long time,I would say you will not have much luck with them. Go ahead and set them out inside on a table or something and let them thaw completely. If they feel mushy,they are rotted.

Spring blooming bulbs need a chill period before they can produce blooms.But that chill does not mean freezing them,just chilling at a temp between 32 to 40 degrees.Then they are either put in the ground in a more shallow hole than usual or they are planted in pots barely covered with fresh potting soil and set out after the last frost.
Then you should see some green sprouts,which means they are healthy and on their way to producing blooms.
It takes some hard learned lessons with bulbs.I did the same thing back in the day.I planted mine in pots and set them out all winter. Needless to say in the spring I saw nothing whatsoever. So finally after waiting several weeks I dug them up out of the pots and they were squishy and rotted. So that was my lesson in bulb prep.
So at least you know now and won't make the same mistake again.
If you go to www.google.com you can find what bulbs are best for your area and how to prepare them for spring bloom.Just type in a direct search for either "bulb growing in the south" or "bulb forcing".
Good luck in you future gardening projects! You will learn,it just takes a bit of patience.