Too late to plant bulbs in NYC?
This will be my first season planting bulbs. I have a feeling I'm too late now to plant the tulip bulbs I bought. Say it ain't so. :-(
KingsKetz
Nov 05, 2009 12:01PM
3 Replies so Far
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You can plant until the ground freezes. Last year, in Chicago, we had a foot of snow and then a major thaw in the middle of November. The snow created insulation and kept the ground from freezing. I got the last of my bulbs in and then the squirrels found them. This year, chicken wire!
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Good luck and THANKS!
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Normally bulbs and perennials are mulched after the ground freezes in climates like New York and northern Illinois to prevent heaving and premature growth during winter freeze-thaw cycles. However, mulching late planted bulbs at or shortly after planting time will retard initial ground freezing and allow the bulbs to put out more roots before the ground freezes down to the bulbs. Poor root development before the ground freezes is the only problem with late planting.
The same rules apply to garlic and shallots. The soil is so wet in my garden that I do not know when I will be able to plant garlic.
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