Learn / Ask The Landscape Professional
I planted my bulbs in early November and now with the warm weather some of them are sprouting up! What should I do? Will they grow in the spring? Gary
Answer
Don't be concerned, the bulbs will grow
in the spring. As you have noticed, your
bulbs are reacting to the warm weather this
fall. The correct time to plant bulbs is when
the night time temperatures are consistently
in the 40s. Up until mid-November this
year, the temperatures have been too warm
and pre-mature sprouting will probably occur.
Pre-mature sprouting can also occur if you plant
bulbs too shallow. Most bulbs like to be planted
at a depth of 3 times their longest dimension.
So, if you have a bulb that is 1" long, it should be
planted at a depth of three inches. You often see
pre-mature sprouting of bulbs during unseasonable
warm periods during the winter and even
then, the plants will be fine. The weather should
be getting cold enough now to deter your plants
from growing any further. The worst that will
happen is the tips of the stems or leaves might
be misshapen in the spring, but they will
grow. There will not be any long term problems;
your bulbs will be just fine in future years.
I should also mention, if your bulbs are grape
hyacinth, it's normal for them to put up their
leaves in the fall and bloom in the spring. Thank
you for your question.
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About Linda Lillie
Linda K. Lillie is the President of Sprigs & Twigs, Inc, the premier
landscape design and maintenance, tree care, lawn care, stonework, and carpentry
service provider in southeastern Connecticut since 1997. She is a graduate of
Connecticut College in Botany, a Connecticut Master Gardener and a national
award winning landscape designer for her landscape design and landscape installation work.
