Flower Gardens
Bulbs Up Too Early
- carbat515
- Cottage_Garden
- Cottage_Garden
- tennmoose
- Cottage_Garden
» carbat515 - Mild Winter Effect on Spring Bulbs
I live in Pennsylvania just outside of Philadelphia and we are having an unusually mild winter. It hasn't snowed yet and today almost hit 70 degrees. All of my bulbs are coming up (hyacinth, daffodils, etc) and it is much too early. How can I stop this or protect them so that they will bloom this spring???
-- posted by carbat515
» Cottage_Garden - Bulbs Coming Up Too Early
In response to Mild Winter Effect on Spring Bulbs posted by carbat515:Most likely they will be fine. This unseasonal warmth is amazing and bulbs are coming up like crazy because of it. To be honest, there is nothing you can do except hope for the best.
The weather should hopefully turn colder soon and slow them down. The foliage can handle cold quite well so that is not a worry.
The worry would only be if the flower buds appear or begin to open and then get hit with severe,extreme cold -- the really cold frigid temperatures of a normal northern mid winter can damage the flowers. (Some of the earliest bloomers such as snowdrops and snowcrocus don't mind it even when it snows on them.)
If they do begin to bud and it turns into the teens or colder, you might be able to protect the buds with a bit of loose mulch fluffed around them. Otherwise, hope for snow to insulate them, it is a great insulator. But as I said, there really isn't anything you can do. They will probably be just fine.
-- posted by Cottage_Garden
» Cottage_Garden - Bulbs Coming Up Too Early
In response to Bulbs Coming Up Too Early posted by Cottage_Garden:
For more discussion on this problem of bulbs sprouting or coming up too early, see my article on premature bulb growth.
-- posted by Cottage_Garden
» tennmoose - Early daffodil foliage mowed over!
Daffodil bulbs having been coming up now for a couple of weeks now (west Tennessee). My husband mowed over the tops of the newly emerging foliage. (Our one acre property is covered with 'naturalized' daffodils.) Is this going to hurt this seasons blooming?
-- posted by tennmoose
» Cottage_Garden - Early daffodil foliage mowed over!
In response to Early daffodil foliage mowed over! posted by tennmoose:
I don't think it would affect this spring's blooms -- as long as the mower did not clip off the flower buds along with the tips of the foliage. If it is just a tiny bit of foliage then I would not worry.
The problem with naturalizing bulbs in a lawn or grassy area is that you MUST delay mowing until the foliage has had time to grow tall and then mature. It is not good for them to cut the foliage off -- they need the foliage to refuel the bulbs for bloom the following year.
In my experience, daffodils are just not compatible with a groomed lawn. They are better suited to an area like an orchard where mowing is left until well after the foliage has died down -- say mid summer. So, might be something to consider.
Good luck with your daffodils this spring!
-- posted by Cottage_Garden
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