Gardening Q&A: will my forgotten tulip bulbs still flower?
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Question: Last week I discovered a bag of tulip bulbs in my garage. I kept them in a cool, dark place, and then forgot about them.
What will happen if I plant them now, anything? Do you think they will still work their magic? Or should I just throw them away?
Answer: This is a common issue with gardeners - bulbs bought with great enthusiasm, then put somewhere and forgotten. It’s still worth planting your tulips, especially if the conditions in the garage were cold.
Tulips need a certain amount of cold to prepare them for producing their displays, so if they don’t get their winter chill, you may find that the flower stem does not form properly.
As long as the bulbs are still solid and mould-free, they should come up. Time spent planting your bag of bulbs may yet reward you with early summer blooms.
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