I've never had a bulb before.

Here's a picture.




It was in the discount section and it looked sad so I bought it.

There's two flower stalks. One looks dead. One looks like it was trying to bloom. Should I trim either? Both stalks are pretty bent.

The instructions just say to plant the bulb, but the bulb has already sprouted.

Yes, plant the bulb so the bottom 1/2 is in soil. You are right, those flowers are not going to make it. But, do you see that little nub coming up beside one flower stalk? That is a new leaf. Cut the flower stalks off, plant it, water it and find a sunny window. Don't water again until the bulb starts actively growing than keep it damp.

Hint: add some water to the soil in a separate bowl and make sure all the soil is damp before putting it into the pot and settling the bulb.

DaisyI said:Yes, plant the bulb so the bottom 1/2 is in soil. You are right, those flowers are not going to make it. But, do you see that little nub coming up beside one flower stalk? That is a new leaf. Cut the flower stalks off, plant it, water it and find a sunny window. Don't water again until the bulb starts actively growing than keep it damp.

Hint: add some water to the soil in a separate bowl and make sure all the soil is damp before putting it into the pot and settling the bulb.

Is there any chance for the stalk that looks like it was starting to bloom? I read somewhere that sometimes they right themselves. Will it impede the growth for any reason if I leave it?

All you can do is try. It is using stored energy (in the bulb) for any flowers and leaves as it has no roots. You will know in a day or two if the flower is going to straighten up.

Please do as Daisy suggests.
By doing so your beautiful holiday flower will have the best chance to recover and gift you next season with Healthy, Happy blooms.

Tisha

I agree with Daisyl and Tisha. Cut the flower stalks off and plant the bulb as Daisyl suggested. The plant may sulk for awhile, but once it recovers it should start sending out new leaves. When it does, treat it like a house plant.

I'd cut off the worst flower stalk, and stake the better looking one once you've got it potted in soil. It might not be strong enough to lift up that flower, but if you help it by staking it, you might get a blossom.

By insisting on a blossom, you might be sacrificing the bulb. Without roots, the bulb can not photosynthesize - it must live on the energy stored in the bulb until it can grow roots and leaves. There is a finite amount of reserve in a bulb. Leaving the flower stalk could be the decision that kills the bulb, or it could all turn out just fine. Its really up to you in the end.

Both stalks appear spent. Perhaps they are trying to develop a seed pod?
Trim it all back, I agree. Replant it halfway and keep the soil slightly moist. You can water it a bit more like has been suggested when New leaves begin to grow.

Wow! Lots of interesting stuff here that I read over. So last night I trimmed the dead stalk and then made my last post while I planted the bulb. I left the one stalk and was planning on trimming it this morning if it was suggested, but I didn't see the posts and got so caught up in packing for the trip I just left on...

The stalk that I didn't trim opened up and is blooming, but now I'm on the other coast of Florida. I hope it's alright by the time I get back. Soil is nice and moist.

Alright, I'm back at home now and the flower bloomed. There's actually two flowers on the stalk.

Should I still trim it? Or should I leave it be? The stalk is pretty bent

Picture?

Someone might have already said this, but if you repot the bulb, don't cover it up. Plant it so about no more than half or maybe 3/4 of the bulb is in the soil.

Congrats on rescuing it.

Here's a few views. One thing I noticed when I returned was as the bulb settled, it skewed a little more to the side. When I planted it, the bulb was straight up and down, but I guess the weight of the stem pulled it over a little.

I used the growing medium that came in the box (coco peat or something) and filled in the gaps around the edges with potting soil. I put those glass rocks on top because it's a house plant and I wanted it to look nice. I took it outside for the photo shoot because my room is too messy for the world to see.

I'm with the give it a try group. Get it planted and stake the best stalk and see what happens. It should not affect the bloom for next year. That will come from the leaves that will begin to grow once it's done blooming. Those leaves will feed the bulb so it can produce a bloom again just like your tulip and daff bulbs do. I put mine outside in the spring in full sun so the leaves can feed the bulb as much as possible. Once the leaves wither and turn brown pull it out of the soil and put it in a paper bag and store it in a cool, dry, dark place until next Thanksgiving. Repot it then and it should rebloom for you.

I did once forget to pull the bulb when the leaves died. Next thing I knew I had a beautiful bloom outside in the middle of July!

Do you actually have to pull the bulb each year? Or can I leave it in the pot? How long of a period of dormancy? I guess I'm just a kind of always confused of the season because I plant stuff whenever since I'm in Florida and it's always sunny and never below freezing

MaestroDT said:Do you actually have to pull the bulb each year? Or can I leave it in the pot? How long of a period of dormancy? I guess I'm just a kind of always confused of the season because I plant stuff whenever since I'm in Florida and it's always sunny and never below freezing

You can plant it in the ground in your Fl garden and it will flower in the Spring. Here is a photo of my inground grown plants that flower every March. These were all purchased as after Christmas markdowns and have returned and multiplied for many years..

Well, I don't have any ground to plant it. Apartment life. Is it possible to like, cycle a couple bulbs so something is always growing?

Yes you can plant the bulb in a community pot with other plants that you like. You do not need to pull the bulb as it will go through it's natural growing phases for you.

That sounds like a lovely idea! I guess I'd need a bigger pot for that? Any suggestions for pretty perennials that grow synergetically with bulbs?

Can this be planted outside like a "naked lady" bulb? When you buy them they are completely dry with old roots?