Several people have asked whether you can replant spring bulbs that have been dug up after they flowered, and whether you should replant them immediately or wait until fall.
I consulted Sally Ferguson and David Caras, the spokespeople for the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center, which promotes the use of Dutch bulbs in U.S. gardens. Together, they are a fundamental database of bulb knowledge.
Bottom line: At this time of year, spring bulbs are not dormant; they are actively growing. For the best chance that they will survive being dug up, replant them immediately -- with their foliage. But don't get your heart set on it working.
:Bulbs need their leaves to be collecting sunlight for at least six weeks after blooming so they have the energy to create a new flower for next year. If you interfere with that six weeks of growing, you are greatly reducing the chance that a) the plant will survive and b) the plant will have a flower next year.
There’s no guarantee replanted bulbs will survive. It’s up to you whether you think it’s worth it.
Daffodils are tougher than tulips; Caras says he would definitely try replanting them, since the chances are relatively good they will survive the process. But the key, he says, is getting them back in the ground as soon as possible.
Tulips? Much iffier. Unless they are a really prized variety, it’s probably not worth it, Ferguson says.
Tulips have a hard time reblooming in the Chicago climate anyhow. They are native to places in the Mediterranean and Middle East where summers are hot and dry. They have evolved to bloom, then grow actively for about six weeks to create new flowers and then go dormant until the next spring. We plant them here in the fall when they are in a dormant state.
Unfortunately, most Chicago-area tulips are planted in garden beds that are watered during the summer, so the tulip bulbs never dry out the way they are built to. Instead, they tend to succumb to disease.
Species tulips and some of the really tough Darwin hybrids have the best chance of surviving, Caras says, but still, replanting tulips after digging them up is risky.
In the Netherlands, growers let bulbs grow actively after they bloom. Two or three months later, after the foliage has died and the plants have gone dormant, they dig the bulbs up, dry them, package them for sale and ship them to us.
But that two or three months of growing in the ground is key. Without that, there will be no flower next year.
If you have dug-up bulbs, and they still have a good set of roots that have not dried out and a good set of leaves, and you want to take the trouble, you could try replanting them and see if it works. If you get the bulbs free, you may have nothing to lose. Just don’t be too disappointed if it fails.
Remember, common spring bulbs are pretty cheap. Sure, you can get carried away with fancy varieties, but even from good bulb mail-order houses or garden centers you can order a dozen new tulip bulbs for $10 or $12. Big-box home centers often sell 25 or 40 lower-grade bulbs for that price.
So is it really worth your time and fuss to replant those dug-up bulbs? It might make more sense to start over with new bulbs in the fall.
Photo: Tulipa 'Atilla.' Tribune photo by James F. Quinn; location: Chicago Botanic Garden.
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