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After summer season’s scorching warmth, autumn’s cooler temps have arrived, signaling the time to plant spring-blooming bulbs. Fall-planted bulbs could not supply immediate gratification however will present post-winter blooms definitely worth the wait. 

Relying on the place you backyard, chances are you’ll have to pre-chill your bulbs earlier than planting them within the fall. As a result of most spring-blooming bulbs, together with tulips, crocus, muscari, hyacinths, and alliums, originate from climates with chilly winters, they require a number of months of chilly temperatures to bloom correctly. Gardeners in zones 8-11 with delicate winters want to offer bulbs a “substitute winter” to imitate the bulb’s native setting by pre-chilling them so that they’ll bloom appropriately. With out chilling, the bulb could develop, however it could not flower. 

In Northern areas with cooler fall temperatures, gardeners can plant bulbs instantly within the floor with out pre-chilling them. The bottom will change into chilly over the winter to supply the bulbs loads of the nippiness time they’ll have to prepared themselves for a burst of spring blooms. 

In zones 8-10, bulbs corresponding to Dutch iris, freesia, and a few daffodils, native to comparable hotter climates, don’t want pre-chilling. Most different bulbs, nevertheless, want publicity to 6 to eight weeks of persistently chilly temperatures (beneath 45°F) to flower properly.

Chilling fall bulbs within the fridge is a simple choice. Place them in a ventilated bag to maintain them from drying out. Keep away from storing them close to ripening fruit, which off-gasses ethylene that may harm the bulbs.

Plan to start chilling your bulbs mid to late October, ideally at 35 to 45°F for 10 to fifteen weeks. Bulbs chilled within the fall must be able to plant in January or February. After the pre-chilling stage, plant them instantly. Most bulbs will start blooming 4 to 6 weeks after planting.