I bought potted bulbs and after they bloomed I pulled them out and kept them in the crisper in the fridge hoping they would bloom for me if i planted them. Do I plant them now? Or can I just put them in a container in Feb or so and expect them to "do their thing" and bloom for me?

Betty what zone are you in there? It might be too warm there even for pre chilled bulbs. And really it depends on which types of bulbs. But all spring blooming bulbs like tulips, daffodils, crocus and such need some winter chill. Some more than others. There are however daffodils for the south but I am thinking you might be too far south.

Hi Betsy from Fountain...about 30 miles north of Panama City (not the beach). I grew up in Philadelphia, Pa. Loved all the spring bulbs. I have no luck with them here. IF I'm lucky they "might" come back one year. I really miss them and drool whenever I see them for sale at Lowes or Home Depot. And pansies...can NOT get used to seeing them this time of year . You will love it here at ATP.....one big happy family always willing to help. Again

Betsy, you need to look at Species class tulips of you are set on tulips. There are some foe zone 8. The fancy ones you see for sale in garden centers blooming were prechilled and forced. I really doubt you can get anything out of them again.

Betsy, I think you should keep them in the crisper (or even the freezer) until temperatures drop a little further. I can get my bulbs to rebloom by leaving them in the ground and dumping trays of ice cubes on the beds periodically in December and January.

It would help enormously if we had a clue as to what kind of bulbs are meant here......
tulips, daffodils, amaryllis, nerines, scilla, crocosmia, crocus, lily?

Unless your freezer doesn't go below 29F (that would be a very warm freezer), never put a bulb you want to keep alive in the freezer. There can be exceptions, but if you don't know, don't do it! Most freezers are set between 0F and 20F. Seeds are a different matter.

Thanks Guys, I am in Panama City area. I guess it is zone 8b. I didn't put any bulbs (amaryllis, crocus, daffodils, grape hyacinth and reg. hyacinth are what i have) in the freezer. I wrote i put them in the crisper (bottom of my refrigerator, Leftwood) I guess I can just put them in planting medium and enjoy them indoors. Appreciate the answers.

Sorry Betsy!

When it was mentioned (not by you) that bulbs could be put in a deep freeze, I didn't want anyone to think it was a good thing.
Every bulb you mentioned would have been dead, going from room temperature into a deep freeze. I know you never said anything about freezing, and if you somehow got the idea that I thought you did, I am sorry.

Betsy, you can plant your Amarys in the garden here (or there in Panama City) & leave them year round. They may tend to "sink" in the sand over the years & you might need to lift them up some every few years but no problem leaving them in ground & they will bloom on "Florida time".
I doubt you're going to get more than 1 year out of anything else except daffs & that sort of depends on the particular cultivar. When we lived near Tallahassee, there were miniature daffs (yellow) that had escaped & were growing wild. They came up every year in spring & then the foliage died back & you didn't see them again till spring. Look online at some of the bulb sellers & see what ones do well for the deep south. You can plant them in ground after the frosts begin & leave them year round.
Tulips just will not go more than one year here period. We don't have enough cold & the heat kills them so you have to buy new every year & refrigerate them for a period before planting in the spring.

Hi Betsy, and from Jacksonville! I agree with Ann…The Amaryllis do beautifully here, in the ground, year round. But don't be surprised if the leaves never completely die back. I came down here many years ago from R.I., and I was quite disappointed with the bulbs I was most familiar with, just wouldn't do well here. But the Amaryllis! Wow! They are great!

If any of you southerners are daffodil lovers, Van Engelen has a mix made just for you. Called The Narcissus Southland Grand Mixture, it is especially suitable for zones 8-10.

http://www.vanengelen.com/flow...

Rita, Thank you for that! I'd love to add some to my garden! I'm certain it would be an unusual sight around here. In my area, anyway!

I figured everyone might not know that something like that was available. Daffodils are so pretty and to me they really mean spring.

Okie Dokey Kids, I am going to do a test with these assorted bulbs and see what happens. I am a novice gardener. I didn't buy the bulbs to replant, they were just meant to be enjoyed once, so what the heck, I will see what I end up with this spring. Come March, I will let you know! Thanks for all the comments and suggestions.

And I forgot to say to ATP Betsy!

Just don't plant anything but the Amarys right now. All the others; wait until we get first frost.

And why don't you join us over in the Fl. forum!
http://garden.org/forums/view/...

Looking forward to seeing how they make out!
And again,
Check out all the forums, and jump right in! Great group of people here! Have fun, and Happy Gardening!

For southern gardeners, Becky Heath of Brent and Becky's Bulbs recommends trying daffodils from division 8 tazettas and division 7 jonquillas, because their parentage comes from warmer mediterranean zones.