Storing bulbs

[annie8]

Am completely redesigning my front garden. In the next few weeks am going to be ordering tons of topsoil to reshape it and also improve the soil (which is really poor). I’ve cleared most of the plants but there are bulbs dotted around that I want to keep. I’ll beed to lift them though and wanted to ask how best to store them. Not sure how long it’ll be before I can get them back in the ground and I might want to put some in the back garden where I’m creating a border. Can anyone help on how and where I should store them? There are daffodils, crocus, snowdrop and I think bluebells.

[nickdub]

Put them up in something permeable like paper bags or cardboard box in a cool dark place - cellar is ideal - watch out for mice.

[Scarlet]

All those will still be green? My snowdrops haven't died down yet, my daffs are still in flower. Bluebells are just coming up.

I wouldn't move them until they'v died back.

[annie8]

Snowdrops have died back but other things like daffs are still flowering. Hopefully they will be done by the time the soil arrives. Box in the garage shelf sounds like the best option then thanks. Should I just plant them again as soon as I can or are they better stored til next year?

[Scarlet]

Just died down or still in leaf? All the goodness needs to be replenished after flowering. Digging them up now is a recipe for disaster -they will still have leaves and and their roots will be firmly in the ground.

[Scarlet]

Snowdrops are very difficult to transplant. If they dry out they die. If you need to move them they are usually done while in the green prior to flowering. Boxing them up is sure to kill 90% of them.

[mcdood]

Do you have somewhere where you can temporarily replant them. I grow a lot of bulbs in pots and if I need to free up the pot/space then I have in the past taken them over the allotment and heeled them in to some other ground. This would give them a chance.

[Jungle Jane]

I dug my snowdrops up after they flowered a couple of years ago,they had leaves still. I split them into two clumps & moved them to my plum & pear tree base to spread. I dug about 12” deep or something to not disturb the bulbs attached to the leaves,it was alright,they grew again this year. I wouldn’t store them in a pot or bag,just straight into the soil anywhere carefully. If I was to split them before they flower I imagine I’d ruin the whole thing new roots etc so I waited till after.

[annie8]

Mm this isn’t ideal really. Don’t think I have a choice about taking them from the current position but maybe I could temporarily replant them in the back garden somewhere. I won’t be working on the back border for a while so could maybe put them there. If they don’t survive then I’ve at least done what I can .

[rary]

Lift them with a little bit of soil and put them in a bucket (Morrisons flower buckets are ideal) keep the leaf on them and if you keep the leaves upright you can put three layers in a bucket they can then be stored in some corner out the way, make sure there are a couple of dranage holes in the buckets