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I've got a bunch of bulbs from tulips and other early-bloomers, that I 'forgot' to plant last November.

By now it's almost March, and I wonder, should I plant them now, or should I keep them until next fall. In other words, will they still be okay next fall, and don't I risk that they start growing in their packaging? And if I plant them now, will they still bloom?

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It's possible they may do nothing at all ever, but you should plant them immediately anyway - they may put out some leaves which will at least enable them to garner food supplies for possible flowering next year and gives them a bit of a chance of surviving. There is nothing to be gained by waiting until this fall, they'll likely shrivel and dry out by then. If any of them are soft or soggy, or crispy, shrivelled and dry, bin those ones - or plant them to make a small addition to the humus content in your soil. Any which are mouldy should be binned.

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    Thanks. I planted them, and I got a nice collection of flowers. They were a bit later than usual, and of some of them, the stalks didn't get as tall as they should be, but at least they flowered, and they probably will again next year. Thanks!
    – GolezTrol
    May 24, 2015 at 12:17
  • Should one then buy out of season bulbs on clearance if they can be saved in this way? Mar 10, 2018 at 23:10
  • @GrahamChiu no, not deliberately, its a gamble, always better to buy healthy bulbs at the right time and plant at the right time
    – Bamboo
    Mar 11, 2018 at 0:54
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I planted healthy crocus bulbs in November one year that was way too late (Zone 4 on a north sloope) and they never grew. I should have waited until spring.

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