Refrigeration daffodil bulbs before planting - Ask Extension
I have 25 daffodil bulbs that i received sometime last year, possibly the fall, I just don't remember. I never planted them. They've been sitting in t...
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Refrigeration daffodil bulbs before planting #894224
Asked March 12, 2025, 2:00 PM EDT
I have 25 daffodil bulbs that i received sometime last year, possibly the fall, I just don't remember. I never planted them. They've been sitting in the bag they came in ever since. Some do appear to have a tiny green shoot. So, they still appear viable. Can I just plant them now? Should I refrigerate them for a period of time? If so, how long? I live in Howard County. I'd hate to waste these bulbs.
Thabk you,
-Sue
Howard County Maryland
Expert Response
Given that it's about mid-March, it's probably better to plant them now instead of trying to give them a chilling period, but we're not certain which approach would be the most successful.
Spring-flowering bulbs need a vernalization (cold exposure) period of 12-16 weeks, at temperatures above freezing and below 45°F, to flower properly. If they do not experience enough cold and cannot grow roots into the soil to absorb moisture, their flowers will be absent, sparse, or very short-stemmed. Forgotten loose bulbs that have been stored in a cold place, such as an unheated garage or shed, may be sufficiently vernalized, but they are still prone to desiccating until they can grow roots and rehydrate. The emergence of new foliage is a good sign that they probably didn't desiccate too badly.
Plant them as soon as the ground is workable (not frozen and not too wet). They might flower this spring, but the results may be disappointing. Still, they will get the temperature exposures they need after that point and should flower normally next spring. Even if they don't flower, the foliage will be photosynthesizing to store energy for future growth and blooms in the bulb.
You could experiment with forcing the bulbs indoors, though they similarly might not flower well if they haven't been chilled enough. Potting them in a container might give a better flower show than merely forcing the bulbs in water alone (as is common with Paperwhites and Hyacinth bulbs). Use a well-drained potting mix and do not keep them too moist to avoid rot. Once the flowers are spent, they could be planted outside to continue their development (going dormant by summer and then getting the vernalization they need for next year).
If you opt to try chilling the bulbs in a refrigerator, keep in mind that they would not be vernalized for 3-4 months, at which point planting them outside may shock the plant given the temperature difference and the fact that outdoor-grown daffodils would be already dormant by then. You might be able to get away with less chilling length if they were kept somewhat cool in storage up until this point, but we can't guess how long they'd need and how well that approach would work. Therefore, it's simplest to just plant them now (or soon) and hope for the best, and they should be more in-sync next year.
Miri
Spring-flowering bulbs need a vernalization (cold exposure) period of 12-16 weeks, at temperatures above freezing and below 45°F, to flower properly. If they do not experience enough cold and cannot grow roots into the soil to absorb moisture, their flowers will be absent, sparse, or very short-stemmed. Forgotten loose bulbs that have been stored in a cold place, such as an unheated garage or shed, may be sufficiently vernalized, but they are still prone to desiccating until they can grow roots and rehydrate. The emergence of new foliage is a good sign that they probably didn't desiccate too badly.
Plant them as soon as the ground is workable (not frozen and not too wet). They might flower this spring, but the results may be disappointing. Still, they will get the temperature exposures they need after that point and should flower normally next spring. Even if they don't flower, the foliage will be photosynthesizing to store energy for future growth and blooms in the bulb.
You could experiment with forcing the bulbs indoors, though they similarly might not flower well if they haven't been chilled enough. Potting them in a container might give a better flower show than merely forcing the bulbs in water alone (as is common with Paperwhites and Hyacinth bulbs). Use a well-drained potting mix and do not keep them too moist to avoid rot. Once the flowers are spent, they could be planted outside to continue their development (going dormant by summer and then getting the vernalization they need for next year).
If you opt to try chilling the bulbs in a refrigerator, keep in mind that they would not be vernalized for 3-4 months, at which point planting them outside may shock the plant given the temperature difference and the fact that outdoor-grown daffodils would be already dormant by then. You might be able to get away with less chilling length if they were kept somewhat cool in storage up until this point, but we can't guess how long they'd need and how well that approach would work. Therefore, it's simplest to just plant them now (or soon) and hope for the best, and they should be more in-sync next year.
Miri
