GARDEN CAPSULE
The challenge: Your backordered bulbs just arrived, but now you’re afraid it’s already too late to plant them this fall.
The solution: As long as the soil isn’t frozen, go ahead and plant your bulbs. If necessary, break through the frozen crust on top. If the ground is too frozen for digging, arrange your bulbs on top of the ground and cover them with unfrozen bagged soil to a depth of at least three times the height of the bulbs. Add a 2-inch layer of wood chips or other mulch for extra protection. Another possibility for late plantings: Plant your bulbs in pots and put them in a cool spot protected from freezing, perhaps an insulated garage or unheated basement.
Pluses: Late planting is actually better than rushing to plant bulbs too early in the fall, before the soil has a chance to cool to below 60 degrees. In addition to late plantings usually being successful, they often can save you money through late-season closeout sales on bulbs.
Minuses: Bulbs shipped too late in the season run the risk of being harmed by freezing temperatures in transit. Best performance is achieved when bulbs have time to send down roots and get well-established before the soil freezes solid.
Sources: At colorblends.com, click on Planting and Care. “When to Plant Spring-Flowering Bulbs” includes a map showing the ideal planting times by region. “Forcing Bulbs in Containers” has directions for planting bulbs in pots.