Bulbs-May

(Question)

I wish to change the position of some tulips in my garden and also plant into the garden some hyacinth bulbs which were in a pot this spring. Is it best to dig up the bulbs and store in the in a paper bag in a cool place over the summer and then plant in fall, or just dig up the bulbs and plant them in the new place now?
I live in Toronto, near High Park.
Thanks

(Answer)

Thank  you for contacting us about these delightful bulbs, the magnificent tulip and the scented hyacinth.

For the homeowner(not the commercial grower), you can keep the garden tulips in the ground and move them in the fall . There is no need to dig them up the tulip bulbs and store them in a bag once they have finished blooming.  With hybridization, tulips only bloom for 2-3 years and then all you see is the green leaves coming up, but no flower.

.https://www.torontomastergardeners.ca/askagardener/removing-tulip-b…planting-in-fall

“Hyacinth Bulbs that have been forced indoors require a lot of energy on the part of the bulb and as a result you may not see blooms for the first 2-3 years once planted back into the garden. However, there are a few things that one can do to increase the odds of the plants re-blooming after 1 year.

Deadhead any  spent blooms and try to keep the bulb pots in a cool sunny place and keep the soil moist

When the leaves dry up and die off, dig up the bulbs and store them in a paper bag in a cool, dark place until fall. If you do not have a cool dry place it would be better to plant the bulbs outdoors in the spring as soon as the ground is workable.

Care for the bulbs outdoors as you would any spring blooming bulb.”