I have exactly the same question. With these very cold temps in zone 7b (like teens) the ground has been too hard to plant my last daffodils. It will thaw some this week. Is it too late? Should I plant them shallower?

Should I keep them until next fall, or should I plant them as soon as the ground thaws?

I would plant them in the early spring, as soon after the 'spring thaw' as possible. I wouldn't try and do it before then as they would likely not put down roots and get established before the ground refreezes. You may or may not get blooms next spring, and if you do they will be quite late. They should then bloom pretty normally in the spring of 2010.

It will thaw some this week. Is it too late? Should I plant them shallower?
Again, I would plant them sometime after the very coldest temps have passed and the ground has hopefully thawed for the last time.

Daffodils are pretty rugged, but they will not hold over until planting time next fall.

I too will be planting some bulbs in very late winter/early spring and hoping for the best....sigh

Sue

I would simply pot them up and wait until the ground is thawed and not likely to refreeze, then transplant into the garden. Al

Calistoga, it is possible, through no fault of my own, that I have accidentally underestimated the number of bulbs I didn't get planted. There are over 100. I'm not sure I could pot all of them up, but I could do some. Thanks for the help to you and Sue both. I've been agonizing.

I've successfully "rescued" forgotten-to-plant spring bulbs by putting them in a Ziplock with a little bit of moist long-fiber spaghnum moss, letting them sit on the counter for about a week until roots start to pop, them keeping the whole bag in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator until it was safe to plant outside in-ground in early April.

It's important to use the spaghnum because it is very acidic and prevents fungal growth. Potting soil or other things with a higher pH might allow them to rot.

I have planted cheap clearance bulbs this late successfully in the past, but those were winters I think where it didn't get so cold so early.
I wouldn't try it in this zone, this year, since temps have been below normal since November and the ground is already well-frozen. But maybe donna447 could, once her temps are more toward the normal range for her. Does the ground usually freeze deeply and for long there?

I had some that I got at the end of fall on sale. I found an area yesterday on the east side of the garage that was not frozen. It was like spring dirt. So I planted all the bulbs in hopes that they have time to set themselves and bloom for me this spring.

I was given some bulbs a friend lifted in November. I was thinking of planting them in cups, keeping them indoors and seeing if they'd bloom this spring. Do you think that will work? (The Sunday school kids might want to sell them when in flower for Haitian relief.)

If the ground can be opened, then plant them, they wont last til next fall if you try to store them.
Where the ground isn't able to be opened the depth required, then buy a bag of potting soil and use that to put your bulbs into. The bulb will do nicely even if the soil is mounded higher. The use of potting soil then is called for. Water them well and mulch the surface area with leaves if you have them, or with evergreen boughs if you can lay your hands on that. Protect the new planted bulbs as best you can against the winter freeze.

how about if I plant them in pots in the house, wait a week or 2, then take them out to the garage until the first thaw?

tess - if your garage doesn't freeze deeply (less than, say, -10C) put them out in there directly.

Check the bottom of the bulbs, too. If you see a little ring of white bumps around the old scar at the bottom - the new roots are starting. All they need now is moderate 'warmth' (-5 to +4C) and some water - and good drainage. Plus eight weeks in the dark.

For the hundred plus bulbs - how about ten to a two-gallon pail and even ordinary garden compost as a planting medium - nothing flash, with some sharp 5mm grit added and slow release fertiliser, and four thumb-fat holes in the bottom? Plus indelible plant labels ;-).

The biggest draw-back with that method is the overcrowding acts like forcing and the bulbs take a couple of years to recover - yet they will.

I know goren's system works very well in my zone - though I don't need to fuss with frost protection. Possibly a big cardboard or polystyrene box over the planting (though not aesthetically pleasing) would also add some protection for small patches.

And denninmi - thanks. I might still need to use that for some very long-unplanted bulbs I was given. From last century. Some still plump - but. (N canaliculatus. I hope they have Lewisia tendencies...)