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linnea56chgo5b

Oh, well : guess I won't plant this weekend after all

I have been watching the weather carefully, to pick a good day for planting my remaining 150 or so (could be 250) bulbs. I targeted this weekend. Of course, I came down with a horrendous cold and accompanying migraine. Can barely move my head without pain, and certainly cannot bend over. Blowing my nose every 30 seconds might be difficult in gardening gloves. Today's wind speed of 24 mph is a disincentive too.

I can't even say I bought these bulbs too late (my usual excuse), as I've had them a month or more. Sigh...

Comments (7)

  • denninmi
    12 years ago

    Ah, it happens. Next week is going to be about the same weather wise in the Great Lakes as this week, they're saying mid 50s for next weekend here in Detroit area. You should be ok.

    I've planted bulbs in early December after scraping snow off the ground to expose the unfrozen soil underneath. I've planted bulbs in January during a thaw. And, I've planted them in March as soon as the soil thawed again. While not ideal to get them in so late, it does work.

    If worse comes to worse, one last strategy to save them is to mix them with just a little moist potting mix in a large ziplock bag, let them sit out a week to develop small roots, and then store them in the ziplock in the back/bottom of the fridge until time to plant them as soon as the soil thaws.

  • Chemocurl zn5b/6a Indiana
    12 years ago

    I have sure been thinking of you linnea and wondering how you were coming with your planting, since you often are running as late or later than I am.

    Sorry to hear you feel so bad and have so many bulbs to go yet...I'm thinking you have so many that you have to 'squeak' new bulbs in here and there, which can end up being a lot of work.

    I'm very pleased to announce that my rather big (daffodil) bulb planting is going a lot better than it has the last 2 years...this is really just the 3rd season for planting 'quite' a few new bulbs. I learned a lot the last 2 planting seasons, and the most important was to 'try' and get started early enough to get them all in so I can leisurely work at planting them rather than frantically planting and stressing over getting them all in.

    It looks like you should have several pretty decent planting days this week. Hope you are feeling much better by now. It's 67 degrees here now...can you believe it? Way above normal for this time of year. Showers are expected most of the day and temps aren't to drop until 4 PM. I hope to head outside to play as soon as it gets light out.

    Sue...who has probably had too much coffee already...

  • linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    The cold is finally somewhat better, but the migraine is still blinding. I will not get a break with that until the weather clears. It's the 4th day. Bending over is still not an option. But at least I feel well enough to do SOMETHING. It was pretty much a "lost weekend". Today, I hope to find permanent homes for all the patio pots I brought in! Half are still on towels in the family room. Husband has not said anything yet, though that's the room he hangs out in, so obviously they are an eyesore.

    Yes, I have to be careful where I plant. A tentative trowel in, then see what's down there. I hate it when I skewer a bulb. Most of my reticulated iris died out, so I was so happy to find some at Menards, that I bought 4 packages. I'm lucky I really have been planting all along, until the last 2 weeks.

    Sounds like you are doing well, Sue. Working in stages is the best approach for me too. It does take a lot of extra time to cover the planting area with wire mesh and stake it down, but it means cheating the squirrels out of an costly snack at my expense, so I do it. I don't want to push it too late. The year I did it after Christmas, chipping off the top frozen crust to plant, almost nothing came up.

  • linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Beautiful planting weather today, 60 F and sunny. But did I plant? No. I drove to the library to drop off some books, first time I had left the house in 4 days: and was so exhausted by that I had to lay down for an hour or two. I'd been up most of the night coughing my guts out. Have not slept except in a choppy fashion for several nights.

    I am so sick of this. I know it's not the flu (no body ache) but this is the most persistent and enervating d**n cold I've had in years. Somebody please tell me we will have a warm patch later.

  • katob Z6ish, NE Pa
    12 years ago

    I think you might have your warm patch of weather over the holiday... Hope you're feeling better by now and can take advantage of it

  • dinahross
    12 years ago

    I bought a bag of daffodil bulbs and didn't get them planted before the ground froze. Can I keep them until next fall and plant them then? If so, should I store them in a cold place?

  • linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    dinahross, it is best to start a new thread with your question. Otherwise people might not see it tacked onto the end. But, they will not live til next fall. There might be something you could do, but storing them til next fall will not work.

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