Planting Pre-Sprouted Bulbs and Flowers

Although usually intended for decorative use indoors, these potted bulbs can be planted to create instant spring in your garden. This page is about planting pre-sprouted bulbs and flowers.

Did you know that those colorful, foil-wrapped potted tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths sold at supermarkets and home centers can be planted outdoors just like bedding plants? It’s true. Although usually intended for decorative use indoors, these potted bulbs can easily be planted in garden beds or containers to create instant spring in your garden.

From Supermarket Aisle to Instant Garden Color

It happens to all of us. Life gets busy, and sometimes, despite our best intentions, the bulbs we buy in the fall don’t make it into the ground before winter arrives. Unfortunately, by the time March or April rolls around, any spring flowering bulbs that didn’t get planted are no longer viable and can just as well be tossed in the trash.

This is the time when supermarkets, nurseries, and garden retailers can really save the day. In early March, many begin selling spring flowers, including pots (sometimes even flats) of hardy spring bulbs. Although these are typically sold as indoor decor, once temperatures stay above freezing, these hardy spring bulbs are also candidates for planting outdoors. This includes tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, crocuses, dwarf iris, narcissi, anemone, and crocuses. All you need to do is acclimatize them for a few days, then slip them out of their plastic pots and plant them outdoors in garden beds, window boxes, or containers. Voila! You have instant spring color in your garden.

What about the Weather?

Spring and unpredictable weather go hand in hand, but hardy spring bulbs don’t really mind. After all, Mother Nature has programed them to handle erratic springtime temperatures – even the occasional unexpected snowfall. To get them used to life outdoors, you’ll need to adapt them to colder temperatures before planting. This can be done by letting them spend few nights in a cold, but protected porch, garage, or other cold area to help toughen them up before moving them outdoors. Once they settle in outside, most young bu

Plants with fully opened flowers and leaf tips are more susceptible to cold damage. Their petals and leaves may suffer from “freezer burn”.

Making “Instant Spring” Last

Whether you’re using them indoors or in garden beds, you’ll want to get as much “instant spring” out of your bulbs as possible. A pot of young tulips or hyacinths displayed indoors at normal room temperatures, for example, will continue to grow and bloom over a period of two weeks or more. However, if your intention is to transfer them to garden beds or window boxes, you might want to look for bulbs with the buds still tight and green instead of plants that are flowering. Not only will they last longer in the cool outdoor temperatures, but you’ll get the benefit of watching them grow them come into bloom.

Tips for Planting Instant Spring

• If the weather is still iffy in your area, look for potted bulbs with tight green buds, not those already in full bloom. They will be less susceptible to damage from a sudden cold snap.
• Once home, water the pots well and place them in a cold, protected area (above freezing) for a few nights so they can acclimate to colder temperatures before you plant them outside.
• When planting, don’t try to separate the bulbs. Remove the plastic pots and transfer the bulbs – soil and all – into the garden.
• If using bulbs as container plants outdoors, a larger sized container will better insulate the bulbs from unexpected late spring freezes.
• Don’t overlook fragrance. Many spring bloomers like hyacinths, dwarf irises, and certain types of tulips and daffodils are fragrant as well as colorful.